Who Are the Best NBA Players Right Now Based on Current Stats?
As I sit here scrolling through the latest NBA stats, I can't help but marvel at how the game has evolved. The numbers tell such a compelling story about who's truly dominating the court this season. Having followed basketball for over two decades, I've learned that statistics don't lie - they reveal the cold, hard truth about player performance, even when it contradicts popular narratives. Right now, the landscape is particularly fascinating with several players putting up numbers that border on the historic.
Let me start with Nikola Jokić, because honestly, what he's doing defies conventional basketball wisdom. The Denver Nuggets center is averaging 26.4 points, 12.4 rebounds, and 9.0 assists while shooting 58.3% from the field. Those aren't just MVP numbers - they're video game numbers. I've never seen a big man who can orchestrate an offense like him while maintaining such incredible efficiency. His player efficiency rating of 32.8 is simply absurd, and watching him dissect defenses feels like watching a chess grandmaster at work. Then there's Luka Dončić, who's putting up 34.2 points per game with 8.9 rebounds and 9.5 assists. The Dallas Mavericks star has this old-school physicality combined with modern shooting range that makes him nearly unguardable. His usage rate of 36.8% shows how much the offense runs through him, and honestly, I don't think we've seen this level of offensive responsibility since peak James Harden.
What strikes me about today's elite players is how they embody the league's emphasis on professionalism that Commissioner Adam Silver recently highlighted. When Silver stated that "the PSL is a professional league, and we expect all participants to conduct themselves with the utmost respect and sportsmanship," he might as well have been describing players like Stephen Curry. The Warriors guard continues to amaze at age 35, shooting 44.7% from three-point range while maintaining his trademark humility and sportsmanship. His true shooting percentage of 65.8% shows incredible efficiency, and having watched him evolve from a skinny rookie to a four-time champion, I appreciate how he's maintained his excellence without the drama that sometimes follows superstars.
The conversation about current elite players wouldn't be complete without acknowledging Giannis Antetokounmpo's relentless dominance. The Milwaukee Bucks forward is averaging 31.6 points on 60.8% shooting with 11.5 rebounds - numbers that would make Shaq proud. His combination of power and agility is something I haven't seen since prime LeBron, and at just 28, he's already building a Hall of Fame resume. Meanwhile, Joel Embiid's 35.3 points per game would be historic if he qualified for the scoring title, though his minutes restriction raises questions about sustainability. Personally, I'm more impressed with Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's breakout season - the Oklahoma City guard is putting up 31.1 points while leading the league in steals with 2.3 per game. His mid-range game reminds me of a young Kobe, and at 25, he represents the exciting future of the league.
What's particularly interesting to me is how today's stats reflect the complete player rather than just scoring machines. Players like Jokić and Dončić aren't just putting up points - they're creating for others, controlling the boards, and impacting the game in multiple ways. This holistic excellence aligns perfectly with the league's emphasis on professionalism that Commissioner Silver champions. When he says "disrespectful behavior won't be tolerated," it reinforces that today's best players excel not just statistically but in their conduct and leadership. Jayson Tatum exemplifies this with his 27.2 points and 8.8 rebounds while leading the Celtics to the league's best record - his two-way commitment and team-first attitude make him particularly valuable in today's game.
Looking at defensive metrics adds another layer to this discussion. Rudy Gobert's defensive rating of 104.3 and his presence as the anchor of Minnesota's top-ranked defense can't be overlooked, even if his offensive game remains limited. Having watched defensive specialists throughout NBA history, I believe Gobert's impact is somewhat underappreciated in today's offense-heavy discourse. Similarly, Anthony Davis's 2.4 blocks per game combined with his 25.9 points make him uniquely valuable, though his health remains the eternal question mark.
As I reflect on all these numbers and performances, what stands out is how today's elite players combine statistical dominance with the professional standards the league expects. The best players aren't just putting up empty stats on bad teams - they're elevating their franchises while embodying the sportsmanship Commissioner Silver rightfully demands. While statistics give us the quantitative measure of greatness, the qualitative aspects of leadership, professionalism, and respect for the game complete the picture. In my view, the true measure of the best players isn't just in their stat lines but in how they represent the league and inspire the next generation of athletes. The numbers will inevitably change as the season progresses, but the combination of elite production and professional conduct is what separates the truly great from the merely good in today's NBA.
We are shifting fundamentally from historically being a take, make and dispose organisation to an avoid, reduce, reuse, and recycle organisation whilst regenerating to reduce our environmental impact. We see significant potential in this space for our operations and for our industry, not only to reduce waste and improve resource use efficiency, but to transform our view of the finite resources in our care.
Looking to the Future
By 2022, we will establish a pilot for circularity at our Goonoo feedlot that builds on our current initiatives in water, manure and local sourcing. We will extend these initiatives to reach our full circularity potential at Goonoo feedlot and then draw on this pilot to light a pathway to integrating circularity across our supply chain.
The quality of our product and ongoing health of our business is intrinsically linked to healthy and functioning ecosystems. We recognise our potential to play our part in reversing the decline in biodiversity, building soil health and protecting key ecosystems in our care. This theme extends on the core initiatives and practices already embedded in our business including our sustainable stocking strategy and our long-standing best practice Rangelands Management program, to a more a holistic approach to our landscape.
We are the custodians of a significant natural asset that extends across 6.4 million hectares in some of the most remote parts of Australia. Building a strong foundation of condition assessment will be fundamental to mapping out a successful pathway to improving the health of the landscape and to drive growth in the value of our Natural Capital.
Our Commitment
We will work with Accounting for Nature to develop a scientifically robust and certifiable framework to measure and report on the condition of natural capital, including biodiversity, across AACo’s assets by 2023. We will apply that framework to baseline priority assets by 2024.
Looking to the Future
By 2030 we will improve landscape and soil health by increasing the percentage of our estate achieving greater than 50% persistent groundcover with regional targets of:
– Savannah and Tropics – 90% of land achieving >50% cover
– Sub-tropics – 80% of land achieving >50% perennial cover
– Grasslands – 80% of land achieving >50% cover
– Desert country – 60% of land achieving >50% cover
