Ranking the top 50 NBA players of the 2021-2022 season: 30-21

MILWAUKEE, WISCONSIN - JULY 20: Chris Paul #3 of the Phoenix Suns drives around Jrue Holiday #21 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter in Game Six of the NBA Finals at Fiserv Forum on July 20, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images) /

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As the season draws closer, the rankings creep into the top 30. For anyone missing the previous sections, they can be found here and here.

The third set of the top 50 NBA players is here, including some of the burgeoning All-Stars in the league. This week we look at 30 through 21.

Let’s get started.

Top 50 NBA players: 30. Jrue Holiday

Previous Rank: 28

Last season was a rollercoaster for the public perception of Jrue Holiday. After being traded for the talk was of how expansive the trade package was to bring him in. When Giannis Antetokounmpo signed his extension, Holiday was lauded as the final piece to a title contender that convinced the reigning MVP to stay with his team. Then throughout the postseason, he bounced back and forth from fan-favorite to scapegoat. However, at the end of the season, he had finally earned the only moniker that mattered: champion.

As was to be expected, his overall individual production dipped after joining a team with two other All-Stars and an established culture. He posted a stat line of 17.7 points, 6.1 assists, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 steals per game. His defensive prowess spoke wonders in the playoff run, ruining the day of many a guard on the way to the championship for the Milwaukee Bucks.

Moving from the New Orleans Pelicans to the Bucks was a drastic change in culture. He went from trying to be the emotional leader for a young team on the come-up to the point of attack for a loaded champion. As has long been the case for Holiday the individual does not matter as much as the whole. Luckily for him, and for fans of the Milwaukee Bucks, he excels in his role to such an extent that success is never far behind.