The 25 Best Players In The NBA Right Now

Back in February, we put together a list of the 25 best players in the NBA at the time. And looking at it today, there are at least one or two guys on that list who don't belong anywhere near a collection of the best players in the NBA right now.

For example, Roy Hibbert, who landed at No. 25? After what we saw from him in the NBA Playoffs last season, no. Just no. There are also a few players like Anthony Davis, who landed at No. 11 in February, who have clearly improved a lot in the offseason and deserve to be ranked even higher this time around. And of course, there are a couple other players, including Derrick Rose, who were left off the list last season due to injuries. But they deserve to be on it today.

Isn't that one of the things that's so great about the NBA? In a matter of just months, players can shoot up "best player" lists or fall off of them completely due to poor play (or in some cases, injuries, which why you unfortunately won't find Paul George, who was No. 3 on the list in February, on the list now). It leads to endless amounts of debate amongst NBA fans and makes it important for people to stay up on what's going on within the league at all times.

As we prepare to tip off the 2014-15 NBA season later this week, here's our list of The 25 Best Players in the NBA Right Now. 

Click here to see the top 25 players >

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25. Kobe Bryant

Team: Los Angeles Lakers
2013-14 Stats: 13.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 6.3 APG, 1.2 SPG (only played six games due to injury)

At 36, Kobe clearly isn't the player that he used to be at the start of his career. Hell, he's probably not even the player he was two years ago before a series of leg injuries sidelined him and forced everyone to wonder whether or not he'd ever be able to play at a high level again. But if nothing else, Kobe is determined right now. Determined to show NBA fans that he can play for between 30 and 40 minutes every night. Determined to prove that he's still got a little bit of gas left in the tank. And determined to score 593 points to pass Michael Jordan on the NBA's all-time scoring list.

Kobe's not going to lead the Lakers to a championship this season. And he probably won't even lead them to the playoffs. But he will give us a reason to watch the Lakers again, which is something that we avoided at all costs last season. Kobe is back, and the NBA is better for it.

24. Kawhi Leonard

Team: San Antonio Spurs
2013-14 Stats: 15.8 PPG, 7.7 RPG, 2.5 APG, 2.1 SPG

When the Spurs swingman first came into the league, he was known primarily for his defense and his ability to rebound the basketball. His offensive skills were an afterthought and there weren't many people who thought he would develop into a reliable scorer for San Antonio. But after a pretty solid showing in the 2013 NBA Finals, Leonard proved his doubters wrong by shooting 61.8 percent from the field during the 2014 NBA Finals and winning the Finals MVP award while leading the Spurs to a 4-1 series win over the Heat.

At just 22, Leonard is only going to get better, too. He'll be relied upon to score more this season and, once he beats the lingering eye infection that has kept him out of most of the preseason this year, we fully expect him to pick up where he left off last season with the Spurs.

23. Dirk Nowitzki

Team: Dallas Mavericks
2013-14 Stats: 21.7 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 2.7 APG, 0.9 SPG

Now that he's 36, Nowitzki is finding that he's unable to do some of the things that he used to do on the court. He has struggled with injuries in recent years and can't play as many minutes as he did a few seasons ago. But that doesn't mean that he can't be an effective player anymore. He has reportedly worked on making his shot release even quicker than it already was, which will make it difficult for opponents to defend him. He is trying to incorporate a sky hook into his arsenal, which would just be unfair to the opposition. And thanks to the offseason addition of Chandler Parsons to the Mavericks roster, Nowitzki won't have to worry about shouldering the load for Dallas anymore. So he should continue to produce for Dallas, even though he's clearly entering the twilight of his career.