Ranking the top 50 NBA players of the 2021-22 season: 10-1

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Top 50 NBA players ranked: 2. Giannis Antetokounmpo

Previous Rank: 2

Choosing between the top two players in the league is as close as flipping a coin. Much like their second-round playoff series last season, the margin between Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo is razor-thin. If this was about where they ended up at the end of last season, the championship performance would have put Antetokounmpo on top. Projecting this season, however, he may just be the slightest step behind.

Let’s take one final moment to celebrate exactly what the former two-time MVP did last season. During the regular season he averaged 28.1 points, 11.0 rebounds, 5.9 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.2 blocks per game. The biggest factor that prevented him from earning any accolades happened to be the recency of those he had previously won combined with the (to that point) playoff disappointments. Then came the playoffs and Antetokounmpo would not be denied.

If players are defined by their best moment, Game 6 will cement Antetokounmpo as one of the all-time greats. In a game for his first-ever championship, he posted a line of 50 points, 14 rebounds, five blocks and two assists. It was the kind of performance basketball legends (or best-selling books) are made of. He may have more titles in his future, but if the top player on the list has anything to say about it, it will not happen this year.