The Ringer compiles a list of the top 100 players in the NBA, with semi-frequent updates based on an aggregate list from a number of employees. The latest edition was released recently, and Nikola Jokic kept his spot atop the list at #1, but perhaps more interestingly for Nuggets fans, Jokic’s longtime rival of sorts, Joel Embiid, landed one spot behind Denver’s fifth player in the rankings, Christian Braun.
Denver saw all five of its starters land in the top 100, but there was a steep drop-off after the Joker. The next Nugget to appear wasn’t until #29 with Jamal Murray. But after that, they came in fairly frequent succession with Aaron Gordon at #42, Michael Porter Jr. at #73, and then Braun landing at #83 in the rankings.
None of those rankings seem too crazy or should be offensive to Nuggets fans. Sure, maybe Braun should be higher and MPJ a bit lower, but all in all, it seems pretty reasonable. It was more interesting to see their rankings in relation to other players, and Embiid was the one who stood out most.
Embiid has fallen from his days of competing with Jokic for MVP
It’s alarming to think that just two years ago, Embiid was winning the NBA’s MVP Award, beating out Jokic to break up a run of three in four years. Embiid had his own claim to the top spot of this list and was comfortably landing near the top of any version of these rankings.
But after two years of disappointment, constant injury issues, and an overall inability to stay on the court and make an impact, Embiid has fallen all the way to 84th in the latest rankings, one spot lower than Braun.
It’s quite the fall from grace for Joel. It wasn’t at all long ago that his fans were arguing he was better than Jokic, and should be considered the best player in the world. Now, he’s being ranked below all five starters on the Nuggets, and it’s reasonable to argue who is currently a better NBA player, him or Braun.
Braun one of most improved players in NBA
Braun had his best season as a pro in years three, taking the spot of Kentavious Caldwell-Pope in the Nuggets’ starting lineup, and boosting his production across the board, while maintaining solid efficiency. Braun was one of the team’s best and most consistent defenders and also broke out as one of the elite transition scorers across the entire league.
We’ll see if there’s another level for Braun to unlock, and if he can rise to a borderline all-star level, which would be a massive boon for Denver. But the success is not all good news, as now the Nuggets must make some tough financial decisions, as Braun is eligible for an extension and will likely be seeking north of $30 million a season.
It’s a tough situation to navigate, and one that will have ripple effects up and down the roster, but it’s certainly a net positive, as Braun has become one of the better young players in the league.