@@robjtheurer at least tatum was in everyones top 10's d mitch getting over looked by everyone n they mama. & look what he did to the celtics last night. 3 straight three's & a floater to take the lead whilst tatum sold the game on two missed lay-ups🤦♂ I always been a d mitch fan though. I got jokic, giannis, luka, ad, shai, kd, embiid, and tatum above him. That's it.
@@vamheredur413, Jokić is empty stats, he is losing with a healthy team. In 2022 his argument was “oh his teams hurt,” but now his team’s healthy, and he’s the 9th seed. Giannis is a far better defender, so he’s the better player in general. Lil bro, Jokić is obviously overrated.
@@VictoriesAtTheMarathondude. His team has NOT been healthy what are you talking about😭 Gordon is arguably their 2nd most important player and he’s been out for a while, Murray also missed a few games
Yup I dont know how anybody dont have Wemby as a top 10 player in the league. He is averaging 24 PPG 10.2 RPG 3.6 APG 1.3 SPG and 3.5 BPG shooting 48.4% from the field and 35% from 3. Wemby had a slow start as you can see from the last 8 games he been going crazy averaging 31 PPG 11 RPG 4.6 APG 1 SPG and 3.4 BPG shooting 54% from the field and 43% from 3. Those are unreal number Sorry Jokic if Wemby is putting up those type of numbers for the rest of the season he just dethrone you for the best player in the league.
@@Fawnswine He won't dethrone Jokic this year sadly but that's hardly a knock on Wemby as Jokic is having one of the greatest peaks we've ever seen from a basketball player period. Wemby by the end of the year will probably be only worse than Jokic, Giannis, and Luka. He will be top 4 by seasons end.
@@DaintyBroom2233 If Wemby is averaging 31 PPG 11 RPG 4.6 APG 1 SPG and 3.4 BPG shooting 54% from the field and 43% from 3 what he been averaging the last 8 games and can do that for the rest of the year dont know how anyone can say Jokic is better than him. Wemby is shooting 3's like prime Stephen Curry and blocking shots like Hakeem which Jokic dont come close to either one.
@@Fawnswine For sure that is impressive, but it's short sample size. Jokic has been putting up insane numbers all year so far and has been doing that for the last 3-4 seasons. I know Wemby is an amazing player and should in theory be one of the best on this list, but we have to see more evidence of that, not just a streak of 8 games. As he stands now, he should probably on the top 10 list somewhere, but other players have beat him so far in statistical output and maybe even impact. (not sure about that last one) Also, don't be so negative about Jokic's threepoint shooting, like Wemby, he's been shooting lights out from there this season. And while Wemby is a top 3 defensive player easily, Jokic clearly has some impact there too, boxing guys out and grabbing boards like no other.
Keep in mind that it is not the best player in a vacuum, or the best player period .. it is the best player in terms of impact currently in the NBA. Yes, there are some holes in this list, not including Curry or even Kyrie is a little off, as their gravity allows all the rest of their team to overperform, which you can clearly see in on/off numbers. Also including KD, who has been out for a while, is just wrong, as is not including Embiid, who will ofcourse be on the list if he starts playing again up to what we expect him to. Don't consider this a definitive list for the season, more as a checkup as what is going on right now and then it makes a whole lot more sense.
LaMelo averaging 31 7 and 5 while his entire team went down to injuries doesnt deserve any recognition? He started games with Taj Gibson as his starting center...
I'm glad to see someone who acknowledges that they're very, very close. Too many people act as though one (usually Jokic) is just leagues better than the other
@@theflesh9005 I know that but it's still very disappointing to see people so unashamedly biased and honestly hateful towards these people they don't even know
I agree Giannis is amazing, but he has been having some trouble against better defensive teams with a good scheme. The Houston game was quite bad, 8 turnovers is a lot and even though they won that game by grinding it out well (their bench stepped up), it is not like any other good team can prevent him from being optimized as well. For sure I know the Celtics, Cavs and Mavs will have a good scheme to counter Giannis. And if Lillard can't step up and be the one carrying (he was also bad in the Houston game) there isn't much the Bucks can do offensively. They are a good team, but I'm worried they might not be good enough to make it far this year without another move to improve their offense. Khris being back will definitely help.
i'll knock them. even though jokic and giannis are close, giannis is as good offensively, does MORE offensively and plays game changing defense. having jokic 1 is completely narrative based. i can't respect it because it means people are forming judgements off the stat sheet and not by watching with their eyes.
I think its hilarious people are like "Wemby shoots too much" when in the last 8 games he's shooting 43% from three. But Melo/Trae/Luka who are all shooting 32-35% are okay to shoot more threes than Wemby? Being tall doesn't mean you can't shoot, have you all learned nothing from KD
It's not about him being unable to shoot, but more so he's not fully utilizing his best asset which is his insane wingspan and height. With cp3 in the team you'd think they have a lob city 2.0 but wemby has been living too much on the 3 point line
@@Tankt0ptig3r I am sorry how is it not utilizing his insane size when no one can block or contest his shot from three. What you don't know cause you haven't been watching is that Vic is way too weak right now to bang down low trying to be a post up guy. He can't get good position, CP3 isn't a threat solo. So yeah no lobs but still great basketball being played. You aren't relying on the 3 pointer when you score at 43%, you are just using the best offensive shot in the NBA well. If he was shooting 20% fine, but he isn't, he is a great shooter
@@Tankt0ptig3rthis is a causal take and one people make when they only watch Wembys highlights. Wemby is not strong enough nor does he have the stamina to bang down low like he’s jokic or Giannis, that’s not his game not had it ever been. Hes a face up player who uses his shooting ability to space the floor than he attacks the basket, ofc a portion of his shot diet is with his back to the basket but overall its just not something he is currently very good at nor is it smart for him to be doing. Why is he gonna risk injury and play worse trying to emulate Shaq when he can be Wemby, it’s dumb.
@@Tankt0ptig3r spurs is still in the begining of rebuilding period, wemby is developing his outside game this season that's why he's taking so much 3's. It's also for his longevity. We're still a long way to go.
@@DaintyBroom2233 thats not quite true he has been devloping a post game and you see it from time to time when his shots are not flowing but he does not go to it unless he has to. You can be a post player and not be Shaq, look at Kareem.
Dame>melo. Melo takes 7 more shots to get 5 more points a game. Dame with more assists and less turnovers. Better ts%, better per, better from 3, 2 and the ft line and winning
Melo's team is dogshit. He HAS to shoot whenever and whereever he can if he wants to win. Better take too many, take risks, have worse efficiency than try to play "perfect" when you dont have a strong team enabling you or to share the offensive load.
@@koiyaaurora dame without Giannis averages more points than melo being more efficient literally everywhere on the court. Dame isn’t washed he’s just used to being the first option
The kyrie disrespect is insane, he’s averaging 25/5/5 on 50/46/88 splits on 62.5% true shooting and he’s statistically been one of the best in isolation. Before the jazz game in his isolation Possessions which would be the 5th most, he was scoring 1.26 points per possession which is very elite. He’s 15th in percentage with threes compared to other high volume players as well. He’s been better than KAT, franz, and JJJ.
While I agree he is disrespected and very overlooked, as he's quietly being super efficient and keeping the Dallas machine trucking along nicely, his defensive impact is nowhere near that of Franz Wagner and JJJ. KAT is a bit of a detriment defensively, because of how important his position is as an anchor and I don't want to downplay how quite solid Kyrie has been defensively himself, but still it is what you value more, if you want to compare these players. Like Steph, Kyrie has a floor raising impact with his gravity. Teams will not sag off of him and chase him all game. While his release isn't as insanely quick, he can attack nearly anyone in isolation and generate something good. You need a league best perimeter defender to even try and slow him down, which most teams do not even have. Truly at this time I think Kyrie is the best isolation player in the league and has the best scoring package to go with it. Not as insane on volume as Steph, but way more varied. Off the dribble, off the catch, one handed shots with both hands, finishing at the rim with both hands, reverse, english .. there is absolutely no limit to what he can do. On his worst nights, he shoots at slightly below league average efficiency and still scores in the clutch and on good nights he is super-efficient. It is just impressive to see this guy step up time and again.
@ Kyrie plays like garbage against the grizzlies right after you say this😂🤦♂️. Although I think the grizzlies might have his number, he only scored like 9 points against them last season and then yesterday scores 10 against them. Its probably not a coincidence that his worst games of the season are against the grizzlies.
‘Sengun has been struggling’ is a very casual take. His rim protection this season has improved to a point where he’s more than a good defender now, alongside his rebounding jump. He was ‘struggling’ a bit at the start of this season bc Ime’s rotations really limited his minutes, but look at the OKC game yesterday. If the Rockets had consistent perimeter shooting he would be a triple double machine.
Not a rockets fan but I remember looking at some of the box scores at the start of the season and he was getting like 25-28 mins. Was he on a mins restriction or some shit?
@@orkodork2764no, I have him in fantasy and it was because Ime was figuring out the rotation I believe, it was strange. He wasn’t in foul trouble or injured during those games lol
Not alot of people are gonna like it, but I completely agree with Franz at 9. What he's done for the Magic this season without Paolo is incredible. If you wanna see what the Magic look like without him, checkout the Pacers, Bulls, Cavs, Mavs, Thunder 5 game losing streak. He was insanely sick those games and the Magic looked terrible until he got healthy
His gravity alone creates chaos at the defensive opposition facing him. That does not show up on the box score, but it does show in his on/off numbers, which are always traditionally very good.
JJJ over Wemby is wild. Crazy though that Wemby is already in top 10-15 conversations as a relatively raw second year player. Can't wait to see how he develops just over the next couple years.
@@saltstorm4189 he misses consistently on people his height or taller. And can only do certain mid rangers. Kawhi and KD can shoot them anywhere on anyone consistently
@@BrightNights645I'm pretty sure Livingston has NEVER missed a midrange shot. Over tall, short, fat, skinny defenders Shawn has been 💯% in the midrange.
Rusty must hate the Spurs or something Wemby is easily top 10 right now and arguably top 7 he started slow but his last 10 games or so he’s been utterly ridiculous and unreal.
Over his last ten games Wemby is averaging 31 with 3 and a half blocks while shooting 42% from three on 11 attempts. Those are not just insane shooting numbers for a big man, those are prime Steph numbers. Having JJJ and Franz over him while Wemby is the most impactful defender in the league is just… idiotic. Wembys mere presence in the paint makes people not even ATTEMPT shots, not to mention every metric has him as the best defender in the league. Insane offensive, by far the best defender, but doesn’t even crack top 10. Ridiculous.
LaMelo's efficiency and turnovers do look pretty bad, but that is largely due to his team just being HEAVILY injured so far, that is flying under the radar for some reason, people think he is just doin this with his fully healthy roster and not 40 yo Taj Gibson at his center spot. The entire offense runs thru him almost constantly, and he still produces an on/off stat of +11 when he's on vs off the floor offensively. On the floor they are a top 10 offense, off the floor they are 2 points lower than the worst offense in the league. The high turnovers/bad efficiency is mostly from the defense giving him ALL their attention Also I think Wemby definitely deserved higher on this list. Genuinely 1 of 1 defense that no one can replicate in the league, he is expanding his offensive game. 4.8 stocks (!!!) leading the league in blocks as a sophomore again after doing it as a rookie is nuts. Also the best defensive personnel outside of him has been injured for a bit (sochan) and they still have a good defense. +6.2 on/off rating on offense and -5.7 on/off on defense. Incredibly impacts the game. Almost has a +12 general on/off Your top 7 is pretty perfect imo
I dont understand JJJ over Wemby. For him to be better he has to be better at either offence or defence and to me right now hes better at neither. On the year JJJ has a TS of 62.6% with 15.4 FGA per night and shooting 34% on 5.3 threes a game. Now Wemby has a true shooting of 60.5% and takes 18.2 FGA while Wemby is shooting higher percent on much higher volume of threes (35% on 9.2 per night) so the argument cant be offensive and I feel like the defence speaks for itself
How tf is JJJ a top 10 Player he not even in my top 25 or 30 an Wemby should be Higher too. Franz is Good an on a hot street but he def not top 10 yet.
@@Tekau1how is someone who averages 23/6/6 on .338 from 3 a top 10 player in this STACKED league? He’s NOT better than: Jokic Tatum Shai Mitchell Fox Steph Luka Booker KD AD LeBron maxey Brown Giannis Dame And others Like come on.
People forgetting the "~1 month in" aspect of the video. Yeah some guys are playing better than expected and probably won't keep up their stats/efficiency, but for the month of games to go off of, these guys are (roughly) the top 18 (pls include d mitch)
mid video ngl. whole bunch of waffling and lack of preparedness... you're usually nice to watch but why are you surprised when going through their brefs. I understand this is second channel but I know you could do better rusty. also not to mention not putting the best player on the team with the best record shows no preparation
Not really, he's got a green light to do what he wants. He takes 30 shots a game lol. Empty stats, kinda like when Bradley Beal averaged 31 in Washington.
@@benkylo8015 bro the “empty stats” argument is so played out. So what is a player who’s on a bad team supposed to do? Not produce? Not play well? And Lamelo has clearly demonstrated an elite playmaking ability that shows a clear difference between him and Bradley Beal. Penalizing Lamelo for playing great just because his team isn’t good, is stupid. It doesn’t matter who’s on his team, he’s playing great basketball and lovers of the game can appreciate that.
your downrating Wemby he should be in the top 10, 24 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 4 assists on decent percentages (efficiency is going up). especially his FT percentages are looking great which should be really important. Also Tatum should not be top 5, his efficency is not great.
Look at his efficiency in the beginning of the season. This is about the entire season so far. And he really isn't the best defender by that wide of a margin. He is my pick for the best defender and because of narrative he will absolutely win dpoy. But he isn't a lock for the best defender at the end of the season.
I didn’t realize that Anthony Edwards was the only player on the team 🤔 The wolves are bad because their team chemistry is awful. Ant and Nickeil are the only 2 players on the team who have been consistently good and Ant is probably the 2nd best 3pt shooter in the league rn.
Hot take: the nba should raise the age of entry by another year. As in two years removed from high school at least. We see so many teams that take wild swings on mediocre young players because of their high school performance or potential regardless of how they perform in college. Young players are also too rushed by those around them to get to the league asap instead of further developing their game at lower levels. If Adam silver and the league want the nba to be a more polished product, the entering players need to be more polished players that know how to play in a system. Not every 18 year old can be a star and an extra year or two in college would help them become better role players in the league
Hey @alsorustybuckets , was wondering where you get your sick posters from that's in the background of your videos? I'm moving into a new place and I'd love to throw up something similar in my room
I'm curious as to how you feel about the Rockets, especially after the latest OKC win? I know it is too early to chant some stuff about them but they are pretty solid so far
Certainly I don't mind checking in on the NBA's top performing players, but clearly it is a bit early. Some players have been out with injury and haven't played much at all, some teams have been scoring more evenly in an egalitarian offense. A lot of these placements are based on producing a lot of statistics, which players in such an offense can't clearly do as well. Also, the only players absolutely playing up to their level in this list has probably been Giannis and Jokic (who has reached another level, which I'm not sure is even sustainable), while everyone else is either under- or overperforming so far compared to their averages. Growing a little is realistic, especially if it concerns a young player and also if the proficiency is clearly there, but simply being scorching hot for a streak of games is certainly not always growth. Shoutout to the least forgettable superstar in Donovan Mitchell not being anywhere mentioned outside of what Rudy added in post. Also, shoutout for the Mavs for actually being amazing without Luka and not even having to rely on Kyrie doing absolutely everything. Their roleplayers have been supersolid so far. Naji has been as good as he was on the Pelicans, but as expected looks way better with increased minutes. Grimes has been solid and is a great option as a point of attack defender against faster players and lastly PJ Washington has been the other player stepping up, not to mention the two bigs in Lively and Gafford being supersolid on both ends of the floor. I'm not sure how Luka is going to fit back into all this, but if he can just be a moderately good team defender and be as good 1v1 as he was, he is going to lift them from a very good team to a top contender again.
@@deadlylightningspirit4295 probably would move him up to like 6. Personally, disagree with his list at this point. I think Shai has been on a tear lately so mine would look something like: Jokic Giannis Shai ⬆️ Tatum 🔁 AD 🔁 Ant 🔄 Luka 🔄 ⬆️ Again, this list is fluid and changes all the time.
Brother, he said that Luka has been playing bad and that he knows Luka is a far better basketball player than he showed so far this season. That's objectively true, for his standards this start to the season was horrible, but we all know he is going to improve. If you think that'll age poorly you think that he keeps playing like what he showed at the beginning?
Rusty, saying the Warriors have been good while Steph hasn't been is kinda lazy. Obviously his ppg is down, but you gotta consider minutes and shot attemps. His overall efficiency is great, and his assists, rebounds, and even stocks are back from the wierd slump they were in last year. He's not having a perfect season by any means, but he's still very much their entire offnese, even if his ppg is way bellow his standards. He's also 4th in OBPM and BPM. That doesn't usually happen if your team is doing great without you does it? Overall looking only at ppg is a very 'Steph is just a shooter' type take. I understand that this video wasn't going too deep into it, and I don't need you to have the same opinions as me, but still kinda dissapointing to hear some of the arguments.
Giannis should be 1, currently has better fg%, more points and infinitely better defence than jokic. Basketball is not just offence, defence is just as important.
Jokic has a better Defensive +/-, is remarkably close in Defensive win shares, and one of the league leaders in deflections. Meanwhile he dominates Giannis in every offensive category other than base FG% while having a much lower usage rate.
Was he bad for his standards, absolutely. But if you actually think he was actively hurting his team than you need to stop relying on the laziest narrative in basketball "Luka and Jokic can't play defense" just because you don't want two complaining "unathletic" slavs at the top basketball.
Jamal murray WAS good. He has been a bum since he won a ring. This is coming from a jamal murray fan. He was ass in the olympics and has been ass all season and last. Give jokic like a Colin sexton, kyrie, de'aaron, Maxey, lamelo. Anyone slightly consistent and the league is done. Just thought I'd type this since morons think jamal is jesus christ
SGA over AD. And Lebron is on this list why? 22 8 and 9 on 48/34/75 with 4 turnovers a game and a -5 +/- . He’s closer to 30 than he is the top 10. Not a Mavs fan but feels like Kyrie should be recognized as well.
Please contain your Donovan Mitchell grievances to the replies to this comment, thanks. -rudy
get this on spotify rn so i can listen to it as i build my pc rusty
Thanks Rudy!
Where was spida?????
Where is Trae my brother
Not including Donovan on the list or even honorable mentions is a crime.
If I’m not on this list your going to regret this Jacob
Man donovan mitchell gotta be the most overlooked player in the league😭😭😭😭
Averaging 24 pts on a super team y’all wanted to give that same energy to Tatum you better be consistent 🤣
@@robjtheurer at least tatum was in everyones top 10's d mitch getting over looked by everyone n they mama. & look what he did to the celtics last night. 3 straight three's & a floater to take the lead whilst tatum sold the game on two missed lay-ups🤦♂ I always been a d mitch fan though. I got jokic, giannis, luka, ad, shai, kd, embiid, and tatum above him. That's it.
@@robjtheurernah… cavs ain’t a super team… there’s like 3 guys on a big contract… meanwhile the Celtics have 7 max contract players 💀
@@TaeMinLee22 since when does contract directly relate to skill 💀
@@robjtheurernigga called the Cavs a super team 😭
Giannis and Jokic should indisputably be 1 and 2. Jokic doing Jokic things and Giannis somehow continues to find ways to get even better
Ain't no way cuh is tryna sneak Giannis ahead of Jokic, that's insane 💀💀💀
@@vamheredur413 giannis literally plays elite defense and scores and passes his ass off. He has that defense over jokic big time
@@vamheredur413, Jokić is empty stats, he is losing with a healthy team. In 2022 his argument was “oh his teams hurt,” but now his team’s healthy, and he’s the 9th seed. Giannis is a far better defender, so he’s the better player in general. Lil bro, Jokić is obviously overrated.
@VictoriesAtTheMarathon 0 effort rage bait, shame on you
@@VictoriesAtTheMarathondude. His team has NOT been healthy what are you talking about😭 Gordon is arguably their 2nd most important player and he’s been out for a while, Murray also missed a few games
JJJ over Wemby 😂😂😂
Absolutely ridiculous, Wemby is a better offensive and defensive player I just do not see how you can possibly have him above Wemby.
Yup I dont know how anybody dont have Wemby as a top 10 player in the league. He is averaging 24 PPG 10.2 RPG 3.6 APG 1.3 SPG and 3.5 BPG shooting 48.4% from the field and 35% from 3. Wemby had a slow start as you can see from the last 8 games he been going crazy averaging 31 PPG 11 RPG 4.6 APG 1 SPG and 3.4 BPG shooting 54% from the field and 43% from 3. Those are unreal number Sorry Jokic if Wemby is putting up those type of numbers for the rest of the season he just dethrone you for the best player in the league.
@@Fawnswine He won't dethrone Jokic this year sadly but that's hardly a knock on Wemby as Jokic is having one of the greatest peaks we've ever seen from a basketball player period. Wemby by the end of the year will probably be only worse than Jokic, Giannis, and Luka. He will be top 4 by seasons end.
@@DaintyBroom2233 If Wemby is averaging 31 PPG 11 RPG 4.6 APG 1 SPG and 3.4 BPG shooting 54% from the field and 43% from 3 what he been averaging the last 8 games and can do that for the rest of the year dont know how anyone can say Jokic is better than him. Wemby is shooting 3's like prime Stephen Curry and blocking shots like Hakeem which Jokic dont come close to either one.
@@Fawnswine For sure that is impressive, but it's short sample size. Jokic has been putting up insane numbers all year so far and has been doing that for the last 3-4 seasons. I know Wemby is an amazing player and should in theory be one of the best on this list, but we have to see more evidence of that, not just a streak of 8 games.
As he stands now, he should probably on the top 10 list somewhere, but other players have beat him so far in statistical output and maybe even impact. (not sure about that last one)
Also, don't be so negative about Jokic's threepoint shooting, like Wemby, he's been shooting lights out from there this season. And while Wemby is a top 3 defensive player easily, Jokic clearly has some impact there too, boxing guys out and grabbing boards like no other.
JJJ as the number 10 player in the league right now... Are you out of your mind?!?
Keep in mind that it is not the best player in a vacuum, or the best player period .. it is the best player in terms of impact currently in the NBA. Yes, there are some holes in this list, not including Curry or even Kyrie is a little off, as their gravity allows all the rest of their team to overperform, which you can clearly see in on/off numbers.
Also including KD, who has been out for a while, is just wrong, as is not including Embiid, who will ofcourse be on the list if he starts playing again up to what we expect him to.
Don't consider this a definitive list for the season, more as a checkup as what is going on right now and then it makes a whole lot more sense.
No D Mitch in the top 17 is just disgusting
Nah.. Jarrett Allen has been a menace. Mitchell is not top 10.
@@jonathansykes4986 mitchell is absolutely top 10
Yea thats the dude he forgot for sure, he easily above someone like brunson, id put him after franz imo
@@jonathansykes4986 Bro you don't watch the Cavs cuz Allen has been the worst of the Cavs core 4.
Cavs have been somewhat egalitarian, but then again the Celtics are too and they are below the Cavs in the standings.
“I knew I was going to forget someone” *puts in LaMelo Ball*
I think you forgot about someone else…
Who?
LaMelo averaging 31 7 and 5 while his entire team went down to injuries doesnt deserve any recognition? He started games with Taj Gibson as his starting center...
He forgot a lot of guys, but Lamelo has been balling.
Giannis is my number 1 but i'll never knock someone for having jokic at 1. Undisputedly the best two in the league.
I'm glad to see someone who acknowledges that they're very, very close. Too many people act as though one (usually Jokic) is just leagues better than the other
@ most fans are just incredibly biased tbh, so they hype up their fav player and put everyone else down
@@theflesh9005 I know that but it's still very disappointing to see people so unashamedly biased and honestly hateful towards these people they don't even know
I agree Giannis is amazing, but he has been having some trouble against better defensive teams with a good scheme. The Houston game was quite bad, 8 turnovers is a lot and even though they won that game by grinding it out well (their bench stepped up), it is not like any other good team can prevent him from being optimized as well.
For sure I know the Celtics, Cavs and Mavs will have a good scheme to counter Giannis. And if Lillard can't step up and be the one carrying (he was also bad in the Houston game) there isn't much the Bucks can do offensively. They are a good team, but I'm worried they might not be good enough to make it far this year without another move to improve their offense. Khris being back will definitely help.
i'll knock them. even though jokic and giannis are close, giannis is as good offensively, does MORE offensively and plays game changing defense.
having jokic 1 is completely narrative based. i can't respect it because it means people are forming judgements off the stat sheet and not by watching with their eyes.
I think its hilarious people are like "Wemby shoots too much" when in the last 8 games he's shooting 43% from three. But Melo/Trae/Luka who are all shooting 32-35% are okay to shoot more threes than Wemby? Being tall doesn't mean you can't shoot, have you all learned nothing from KD
It's not about him being unable to shoot, but more so he's not fully utilizing his best asset which is his insane wingspan and height. With cp3 in the team you'd think they have a lob city 2.0 but wemby has been living too much on the 3 point line
@@Tankt0ptig3r I am sorry how is it not utilizing his insane size when no one can block or contest his shot from three. What you don't know cause you haven't been watching is that Vic is way too weak right now to bang down low trying to be a post up guy. He can't get good position, CP3 isn't a threat solo. So yeah no lobs but still great basketball being played. You aren't relying on the 3 pointer when you score at 43%, you are just using the best offensive shot in the NBA well. If he was shooting 20% fine, but he isn't, he is a great shooter
@@Tankt0ptig3rthis is a causal take and one people make when they only watch Wembys highlights. Wemby is not strong enough nor does he have the stamina to bang down low like he’s jokic or Giannis, that’s not his game not had it ever been. Hes a face up player who uses his shooting ability to space the floor than he attacks the basket, ofc a portion of his shot diet is with his back to the basket but overall its just not something he is currently very good at nor is it smart for him to be doing. Why is he gonna risk injury and play worse trying to emulate Shaq when he can be Wemby, it’s dumb.
@@Tankt0ptig3r spurs is still in the begining of rebuilding period, wemby is developing his outside game this season that's why he's taking so much 3's. It's also for his longevity. We're still a long way to go.
@@DaintyBroom2233 thats not quite true he has been devloping a post game and you see it from time to time when his shots are not flowing but he does not go to it unless he has to. You can be a post player and not be Shaq, look at Kareem.
Wemby should be higher, at the end of the season he’ll be Top 6 easy
Dame>melo. Melo takes 7 more shots to get 5 more points a game. Dame with more assists and less turnovers. Better ts%, better per, better from 3, 2 and the ft line and winning
Plus he’s the second option
Melo's team is dogshit. He HAS to shoot whenever and whereever he can if he wants to win. Better take too many, take risks, have worse efficiency than try to play "perfect" when you dont have a strong team enabling you or to share the offensive load.
@@Masa6xdame has done better in lamelos role, put him in charlotte and he does better than melo
@@MegaDribble not right now lol, maybe prime dame. dame is a better facilator at this point but not much better at anything else
@@koiyaaurora dame without Giannis averages more points than melo being more efficient literally everywhere on the court. Dame isn’t washed he’s just used to being the first option
Giannis and the Joker careers parallel each other. David Stearn Euro NBA players dream comes true.
The kyrie disrespect is insane, he’s averaging 25/5/5 on 50/46/88 splits on 62.5% true shooting and he’s statistically been one of the best in isolation. Before the jazz game in his isolation Possessions which would be the 5th most, he was scoring 1.26 points per possession which is very elite. He’s 15th in percentage with threes compared to other high volume players as well. He’s been better than KAT, franz, and JJJ.
While I agree he is disrespected and very overlooked, as he's quietly being super efficient and keeping the Dallas machine trucking along nicely, his defensive impact is nowhere near that of Franz Wagner and JJJ.
KAT is a bit of a detriment defensively, because of how important his position is as an anchor and I don't want to downplay how quite solid Kyrie has been defensively himself, but still it is what you value more, if you want to compare these players.
Like Steph, Kyrie has a floor raising impact with his gravity. Teams will not sag off of him and chase him all game. While his release isn't as insanely quick, he can attack nearly anyone in isolation and generate something good. You need a league best perimeter defender to even try and slow him down, which most teams do not even have.
Truly at this time I think Kyrie is the best isolation player in the league and has the best scoring package to go with it. Not as insane on volume as Steph, but way more varied. Off the dribble, off the catch, one handed shots with both hands, finishing at the rim with both hands, reverse, english .. there is absolutely no limit to what he can do.
On his worst nights, he shoots at slightly below league average efficiency and still scores in the clutch and on good nights he is super-efficient. It is just impressive to see this guy step up time and again.
@ Kyrie plays like garbage against the grizzlies right after you say this😂🤦♂️. Although I think the grizzlies might have his number, he only scored like 9 points against them last season and then yesterday scores 10 against them. Its probably not a coincidence that his worst games of the season are against the grizzlies.
Steph top 10 definitely for me
‘Sengun has been struggling’ is a very casual take.
His rim protection this season has improved to a point where he’s more than a good defender now, alongside his rebounding jump.
He was ‘struggling’ a bit at the start of this season bc Ime’s rotations really limited his minutes, but look at the OKC game yesterday. If the Rockets had consistent perimeter shooting he would be a triple double machine.
He doesn’t watch rockets ball
@@hobowithagun24I don’t think he watches any games, just stat watching lmao
Not a rockets fan but I remember looking at some of the box scores at the start of the season and he was getting like 25-28 mins. Was he on a mins restriction or some shit?
@@orkodork2764no, I have him in fantasy and it was because Ime was figuring out the rotation I believe, it was strange. He wasn’t in foul trouble or injured during those games lol
yeah I agree. Because he has a different opinion that definitely means he doesn't watch Basketball. 🤦🏿@@justin84821
Not alot of people are gonna like it, but I completely agree with Franz at 9. What he's done for the Magic this season without Paolo is incredible. If you wanna see what the Magic look like without him, checkout the Pacers, Bulls, Cavs, Mavs, Thunder 5 game losing streak. He was insanely sick those games and the Magic looked terrible until he got healthy
You ranked a lot of people above Steph who “average 22” lol
His gravity alone creates chaos at the defensive opposition facing him. That does not show up on the box score, but it does show in his on/off numbers, which are always traditionally very good.
No way Rusty is actually respecting KD
JJJ over Wemby is wild. Crazy though that Wemby is already in top 10-15 conversations as a relatively raw second year player. Can't wait to see how he develops just over the next couple years.
Man, just imagine Franz Wagner being on the Chicago Bulls…I mean really…like wow
Back to being a play-in team, yayy
Talking about best midrange shooter like Sean Livingston doesn’t exist smh
He's a legend, came from my city Peoria
Shawn shots fades over much smaller defenders. KD shoots over anyone anywhere
@@BrightNights645dude he's never missed a midrange jumper lock in
@@saltstorm4189 he misses consistently on people his height or taller. And can only do certain mid rangers. Kawhi and KD can shoot them anywhere on anyone consistently
@@BrightNights645I'm pretty sure Livingston has NEVER missed a midrange shot. Over tall, short, fat, skinny defenders Shawn has been 💯% in the midrange.
Sadly I’m willing to bet even when we’re 20 weeks into the season we will still have a small sample size from guys like Joel and Kawhi
Rusty must hate the Spurs or something Wemby is easily top 10 right now and arguably top 7 he started slow but his last 10 games or so he’s been utterly ridiculous and unreal.
The LaMellow disrespect must stop. You were catching heat just as he got spoke on. He has been magic. I won't even speak on the Spider debacle.
The who ?
Over his last ten games Wemby is averaging 31 with 3 and a half blocks while shooting 42% from three on 11 attempts. Those are not just insane shooting numbers for a big man, those are prime Steph numbers. Having JJJ and Franz over him while Wemby is the most impactful defender in the league is just… idiotic. Wembys mere presence in the paint makes people not even ATTEMPT shots, not to mention every metric has him as the best defender in the league. Insane offensive, by far the best defender, but doesn’t even crack top 10. Ridiculous.
wemby is litterally 7th in the mvp race and he started slow the season averaging 17 ppg on 23% 3pt shooting in the First 9 games...
Lists should always be from the bottom up imo.
Right!? Save the best for last!
For this one I disagree. Because having jokic #1 and Giannis #2 was obvious before he started. It's basically the only answer.
@@brettreynolds1976everyone knows who the best are
Rusty avoiding Giannis’s last name is so funny to me 💀
LBJ 12? He has been a constant minus on his team…
Barring injury, Wemby is going to be the GOAT.
Where’s Steph
Where is Donovan Mitchell!?
Luka looked awesome last night which is a great sign. Really think he just came I to the season hurt and needed some extra rest
the fact that he played the whole playoffs with a bunch of injuries last season is concerning. honestly wish he'd rest more
LaMelo's efficiency and turnovers do look pretty bad, but that is largely due to his team just being HEAVILY injured so far, that is flying under the radar for some reason, people think he is just doin this with his fully healthy roster and not 40 yo Taj Gibson at his center spot. The entire offense runs thru him almost constantly, and he still produces an on/off stat of +11 when he's on vs off the floor offensively. On the floor they are a top 10 offense, off the floor they are 2 points lower than the worst offense in the league. The high turnovers/bad efficiency is mostly from the defense giving him ALL their attention
Also I think Wemby definitely deserved higher on this list. Genuinely 1 of 1 defense that no one can replicate in the league, he is expanding his offensive game. 4.8 stocks (!!!) leading the league in blocks as a sophomore again after doing it as a rookie is nuts. Also the best defensive personnel outside of him has been injured for a bit (sochan) and they still have a good defense. +6.2 on/off rating on offense and -5.7 on/off on defense. Incredibly impacts the game. Almost has a +12 general on/off
Your top 7 is pretty perfect imo
I dont understand JJJ over Wemby. For him to be better he has to be better at either offence or defence and to me right now hes better at neither. On the year JJJ has a TS of 62.6% with 15.4 FGA per night and shooting 34% on 5.3 threes a game. Now Wemby has a true shooting of 60.5% and takes 18.2 FGA while Wemby is shooting higher percent on much higher volume of threes (35% on 9.2 per night) so the argument cant be offensive and I feel like the defence speaks for itself
How tf is JJJ a top 10 Player he not even in my top 25 or 30 an Wemby should be Higher too. Franz is Good an on a hot street but he def not top 10 yet.
He’s been on a hot streak basically the whole season how should he not be here
You don’t understand how the mvp award works
@@Tekau1how is someone who averages 23/6/6 on .338 from 3 a top 10 player in this STACKED league?
He’s NOT better than:
Jokic
Tatum
Shai
Mitchell
Fox
Steph
Luka
Booker
KD
AD
LeBron
maxey
Brown
Giannis
Dame
And others
Like come on.
@@schuylersavage276ur not reading the title of the list properly lol
People forgetting the "~1 month in" aspect of the video. Yeah some guys are playing better than expected and probably won't keep up their stats/efficiency, but for the month of games to go off of, these guys are (roughly) the top 18 (pls include d mitch)
Kat goin off has been a beautiful sight to see. Really think the knicks fleeced the wolves when so many were calling it the other way
hi everyone welcome to also buckets rusty
Rudy deserves a thank you for more than editing with this one. He saved your ass with a few names lmao
Spurs are actually very strong defensively
Giannis being a midrange god thos years been one of the reasons hes been so good
Actual top 10
1. Jokic
2. Giannis
3. AD
4. Shai
5. Sabonis
6. Kat
7. Tatum
8. Luka
9. Wemby
10. Bron or Vucevic
SGA at five is diabolical
Shai is 4 imo only AD, Giannis, and jokic over him rn
@@ynk-ikeAd should not be over him after there game against the thunder
@@aggghgaabk he’s averaging 28-11 rn so he’s over shai imo but u can definitely argue shai being top 3
@@ynk-ike i get that fs but he is also a big and they’ve both been amazing defensively this yr so far
ANT at 6 is criminal
Wemby easily clears everyone after AD LMAO
mid video ngl. whole bunch of waffling and lack of preparedness... you're usually nice to watch but why are you surprised when going through their brefs. I understand this is second channel but I know you could do better rusty. also not to mention not putting the best player on the team with the best record shows no preparation
Lamelo hoopin out of his mind
Not really, he's got a green light to do what he wants. He takes 30 shots a game lol. Empty stats, kinda like when Bradley Beal averaged 31 in Washington.
@@benkylo8015at 23 tho?
@@benkylo8015not the same at all
@@benkylo8015 bro the “empty stats” argument is so played out. So what is a player who’s on a bad team supposed to do? Not produce? Not play well? And Lamelo has clearly demonstrated an elite playmaking ability that shows a clear difference between him and Bradley Beal. Penalizing Lamelo for playing great just because his team isn’t good, is stupid. It doesn’t matter who’s on his team, he’s playing great basketball and lovers of the game can appreciate that.
your downrating Wemby he should be in the top 10, 24 points, 11 rebounds, 3.5 blocks, 4 assists on decent percentages (efficiency is going up). especially his FT percentages are looking great which should be really important. Also Tatum should not be top 5, his efficency is not great.
Look at Wemby averaged over last 8 games. That plus the fact that he’s the best defender in a wide margin should make him top 10 easily
You did, not sure how he falls below JJJ.
Look at his efficiency in the beginning of the season. This is about the entire season so far. And he really isn't the best defender by that wide of a margin. He is my pick for the best defender and because of narrative he will absolutely win dpoy. But he isn't a lock for the best defender at the end of the season.
Never mention Kawhi again. Dude plays an average of 7 games the last 5 seasons
wemby is top 10 and hes not 10
LaMelo scoring 31 with decent efficiency and carrying his team at 16? should at least be top 10 (I would say top 5 tho)
The international bias in this video is crazy. Franz over JB and in your top ten is crazy.
1) Jokic
2) Giannis
3) SGA
4) Tatum
5) AD
Having ANT on here is just straight propaganda. The wolves are horrible
I didn’t realize that Anthony Edwards was the only player on the team 🤔 The wolves are bad because their team chemistry is awful. Ant and Nickeil are the only 2 players on the team who have been consistently good and Ant is probably the 2nd best 3pt shooter in the league rn.
ANT is quite laterally the only bright spot on the wolves, give or take.
Considering what LaMelo is doing for the viewership of the league he deserves a higher rank
Hot take: the nba should raise the age of entry by another year. As in two years removed from high school at least. We see so many teams that take wild swings on mediocre young players because of their high school performance or potential regardless of how they perform in college. Young players are also too rushed by those around them to get to the league asap instead of further developing their game at lower levels. If Adam silver and the league want the nba to be a more polished product, the entering players need to be more polished players that know how to play in a system. Not every 18 year old can be a star and an extra year or two in college would help them become better role players in the league
Donovan Mitchell died huh?
Not a flattering pic of Wemby lol
Hey @alsorustybuckets , was wondering where you get your sick posters from that's in the background of your videos? I'm moving into a new place and I'd love to throw up something similar in my room
Where’s Steph am I trippin ?
Audio listeners mad weird, YT gang for life
I think right now we have the most legit star players since the mid 90's
I normally think you've got good takes but this list is criminal
Wemby is better than JJJ and Franz
8 and below on this list has me questioning your sanity rusty
I'm curious as to how you feel about the Rockets, especially after the latest OKC win? I know it is too early to chant some stuff about them but they are pretty solid so far
not a pistons fan but cade has been great
Jay Huff #1 or we riot
Exited the video 1min in because you started from the top spot
Certainly I don't mind checking in on the NBA's top performing players, but clearly it is a bit early. Some players have been out with injury and haven't played much at all, some teams have been scoring more evenly in an egalitarian offense. A lot of these placements are based on producing a lot of statistics, which players in such an offense can't clearly do as well.
Also, the only players absolutely playing up to their level in this list has probably been Giannis and Jokic (who has reached another level, which I'm not sure is even sustainable), while everyone else is either under- or overperforming so far compared to their averages. Growing a little is realistic, especially if it concerns a young player and also if the proficiency is clearly there, but simply being scorching hot for a streak of games is certainly not always growth.
Shoutout to the least forgettable superstar in Donovan Mitchell not being anywhere mentioned outside of what Rudy added in post. Also, shoutout for the Mavs for actually being amazing without Luka and not even having to rely on Kyrie doing absolutely everything.
Their roleplayers have been supersolid so far. Naji has been as good as he was on the Pelicans, but as expected looks way better with increased minutes. Grimes has been solid and is a great option as a point of attack defender against faster players and lastly PJ Washington has been the other player stepping up, not to mention the two bigs in Lively and Gafford being supersolid on both ends of the floor.
I'm not sure how Luka is going to fit back into all this, but if he can just be a moderately good team defender and be as good 1v1 as he was, he is going to lift them from a very good team to a top contender again.
Luka was great last game. Portland isn’t bad defensively and got extremely hot and mavs were missing 3 of their defenders
exactly hopefully his efficiency returns and he looked way better physically
1 game let’s see if he keeps it up you can’t bump him up that much for just a game.
he was good his last game before injury as well and they won by 40
@@joshahlstrom2764 he just played great defense and mvp offense
@@deadlylightningspirit4295 probably would move him up to like 6. Personally, disagree with his list at this point. I think Shai has been on a tear lately so mine would look something like:
Jokic
Giannis
Shai ⬆️
Tatum 🔁
AD 🔁
Ant 🔄
Luka 🔄 ⬆️
Again, this list is fluid and changes all the time.
I assumed you knew ball, never make assumptions 😂. List is went sideways after T3.
Are you Also Rusty Buckets, the evil brother of Rusty Buckets? 😮
Being a 7 foot tall starting center and only averaging 6 rebounds a game is pathetic
the Michael Jordan of Roy hibberts
By the end of the year your Luka takes will age like they usually do, very very poorly, these takes alone make you look like a casual
why you complainig, he was playing fairly bad at the start of the season...
as a luka superfan he's just looking at RIGHT NOW not what's GOING to happen
Brother, he said that Luka has been playing bad and that he knows Luka is a far better basketball player than he showed so far this season. That's objectively true, for his standards this start to the season was horrible, but we all know he is going to improve.
If you think that'll age poorly you think that he keeps playing like what he showed at the beginning?
my goat rusty looking fresh with the fit
Glad you got over your sickness bro!
I think Trae is a top 15 player as of now
Kyrie is very easily top 10 so far this year especially when he’s been by far better than luka
Where is your brother Ivica Zubać? Does he get a Rusty mention?
Rusty, saying the Warriors have been good while Steph hasn't been is kinda lazy. Obviously his ppg is down, but you gotta consider minutes and shot attemps. His overall efficiency is great, and his assists, rebounds, and even stocks are back from the wierd slump they were in last year. He's not having a perfect season by any means, but he's still very much their entire offnese, even if his ppg is way bellow his standards. He's also 4th in OBPM and BPM. That doesn't usually happen if your team is doing great without you does it?
Overall looking only at ppg is a very 'Steph is just a shooter' type take. I understand that this video wasn't going too deep into it, and I don't need you to have the same opinions as me, but still kinda dissapointing to hear some of the arguments.
Wemby is above Luka and Ant on the MVP ladder, js
durant has a -8.5% defense differential. thats up there with the best defenders in the league. other guy was right.
Sga is 1st
Shai may as well be 3c. I don’t see how AD or JT are confidently better than him.
Giannis is better than jokic
Dame an D mitch getting mad disrespect
Hes arguably not top 10 but saying Donovan isnt at MINIMUM top 15 is absurd
Kyrie Irving and more still Donovan Mitchell, weren’t even taken in consideration. Think they have been better than some of those 17 players
LeBron shouldn't be touching this list with his +/- which you conveniently left out strictly for him
I'm pretty sure Rusty doesn't watch any Cavs games except the one National Television game
Giannis should be 1, currently has better fg%, more points and infinitely better defence than jokic. Basketball is not just offence, defence is just as important.
Defense has never been just has important as offense.
@@jonathansykes4986it is when ur a great offensive player and a great defender not just a offensive specialist
@@jonathansykes4986the gap between their offence is not as big as the gap in the defence
Jokic has a better Defensive +/-, is remarkably close in Defensive win shares, and one of the league leaders in deflections. Meanwhile he dominates Giannis in every offensive category other than base FG% while having a much lower usage rate.
@ all y’all jokic fans bring up nerd stats he’s not a better defender or as good at all Giannis is averaging 33 on 61 percent shooting idc
Luka was actively hurting his team but I’m sure he’s top 10
Was he bad for his standards, absolutely.
But if you actually think he was actively hurting his team than you need to stop relying on the laziest narrative in basketball "Luka and Jokic can't play defense" just because you don't want two complaining "unathletic" slavs at the top basketball.
@ I watched every game. He was actively hurting the team with his shot selection, slow starts, defense, and decision making
Giannis should be 1 but not a bad list
I know he’s old but KAT above Bron doesn’t sit well with me
hi everyone welcome to also busty ruckets
Jamal murray WAS good. He has been a bum since he won a ring. This is coming from a jamal murray fan. He was ass in the olympics and has been ass all season and last. Give jokic like a Colin sexton, kyrie, de'aaron, Maxey, lamelo. Anyone slightly consistent and the league is done. Just thought I'd type this since morons think jamal is jesus christ
"lebron finally had a good game"
0 plus minus 👀
SGA over AD. And Lebron is on this list why? 22 8 and 9 on 48/34/75 with 4 turnovers a game and a -5 +/- . He’s closer to 30 than he is the top 10. Not a Mavs fan but feels like Kyrie should be recognized as well.