(Photo by Jamie Schwaberow/Getty Images)
The 2023-24 NBA season is about to start, and fans couldn’t be more excited for basketball to return.
Similar to every season, there are a few outright favorite players and teams.
Evidently, the opinions of different analysts have already been formed in regard to the ranking of the said players.
NBA analysts Stephen A. Smith and Shannon Sharpe recently shared their picks for the top-10 NBA players entering the new season, via “First Take” on Twitter.
.@stephenasmith and @ShannonSharpe‘s top 10 NBA players
Which list are you rocking with? pic.twitter.com/j4zVAIIeYO
— First Take (@FirstTake) October 17, 2023
Smith’s list had Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Stephen Curry, Joel Embiid, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Anthony Davis.
Smith ranked Doncic at No. 8, which may seem shocking at first, but the list is apparently based on last season.
Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks famously missed the postseason last year.
Sharpe’s list featured Jokic, Antetokounmpo, Embiid, Doncic, Curry, Tatum, James, Durant, Gilgeous-Alexander, and Davis.
A notable absentee on both the lists was Phoenix Suns star Devin Booker.
Booker and the Suns finished with a 45-37 record last season and clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference.
The 26-year-old averaged 27.8 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game for the Suns.
It’s evident that Booker was a phenomenal player last season, but Smith and Sharpe seem to disagree with it.
Booker may play with a chip on his shoulder during the upcoming season just to prove his doubters wrong.
The cherry on the top will be if he can bring the 2024 NBA championship to the Suns.
The post Stephen A. Smith, Shannon Sharpe Select Their Top-10 NBA Players appeared first on The Cold Wire.