In a few weeks, everyone here could have legitimate arguments to crack the top 20, but that’s a tough group to get into.

Being one of the 30 best players in today’s NBA is a monumental feat.

30. Kawhi Leonard, Forward (Clippers)

Kawhi Leonard hasn’t finished a playoff run healthy since 2020. He sat out this entire preseason for maintenance on a current knee injury. So, it’s fair to be skeptical about his impact in 2024-25. But having him out of the top 50 entirely (like Chuck did) is bold. Even after missing all of 2021-22, he’s 30th since the start of that campaign in total wins over replacement player.

29. Tyrese Maxey, Guard (76ers)

An up-and-coming playoff riser, Tyrese Maxey has a career box plus/minus in the postseason that nearly doubles his regular-season mark. And with a legitimate third star on the roster with him and Joel Embiid, Maxey’s slashing and outside shooting could be even more dangerous. As teams send help to either Embiid or Paul George, he will be able to exploit scrambled defenses.

28. Jrue Holiday, Guard (Celtics)

Even in his mid-30s, Jrue Holiday may still be the best point-of-attack defender in the NBA. His low-mistake playmaking makes life easier for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, too. And in 2023-24, he shot a staggering 61.9 percent on corner three-point attempts.

27. Karl-Anthony Towns, Big (Knicks)

Karl-Anthony Towns should look better with the New York Knicks than he did over his last couple of seasons for the Timberwolves. He’s back to his natural position of center and will be able to attack a restricted area that won’t be clogged up by a rim-runner. His 25-and-10 days could be on their way back.

26. Domantas Sabonis, Center (Kings)

If it wasn’t for Jokić, Domantas Sabonis would almost certainly be praised as the NBA’s best playmaking center since his dad, Arvydas, was in the league. Last season, he averaged a whopping 8.2 assists, but that’s obviously not all he provides. Sabonis is also a battering ram of a scorer inside and has led the NBA in rebounds per game in each of the last two seasons.

25. Tyrese Haliburton, Point Guard (Pacers)

An injury slowed Tyrese Haliburton pretty dramatically in 2023-24, but he looked like a near-lock for an All-NBA nod in the early portion of the season. In his first 33 games, he put up 23.6 points, 12.5 assists and 3.4 threes, while shooting 40.3 percent from deep. If he’s healthy and putting up numbers like that again, the Indiana Pacers have a real shot to contend again.

24. De’Aaron Fox, Point Guard (Kings)

One of the league’s fastest end-to-end playmakers, De’Aaron Fox showed significant improvement on two of his only weaknesses in 2023-24. Last season, he shot 36.9 percent from deep (up from 32.1 percent over his first six seasons) and led the league in steals per game at 2.0.

23. Donovan Mitchell, Guard (Cavaliers)

Even while playing alongside a more traditional point guard in Darius Garland over the last couple of seasons, Donovan Mitchell has upped his playmaking volume as a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers. In 2023-24, he averaged a career-high 6.1 assists. Adding that to his high-volume scoring has made him a perennial All-NBA candidate (assuming he plays enough games).

22. Damian Lillard, Point Guard (Bucks)

Damian Lillard’s effective field-goal percentage dropped over five points from 2022-23 to 2023-24, and it may be a little optimistic to expect a full bounce back in his age-34 campaign. But he has now had a full season and change to adjust to his new role and team. And playing with Giannis Antetokounmpo means he’ll often face disadvantaged defenses. Another All-Star campaign could be on the way.

21. Jimmy Butler, Wing (Heat)

If “Playoff Jimmy” Butler, who Barkley described as “just a winner,” shows up for the entire regular season, the Miami Heat could be in the mix for a top-four seed, and this ranking might look a little low. But part of the reason we all know “Playoff Jimmy” so well is Butler’s more relaxed approach to the regular season. That might change in this contract year, but we have multiple seasons of evidence to suggest he will treat the season like a warm-up for the playoffs.

That’s it for now, folks. But don’t worry, you’ll get the full lists for all three members of the Inside the NBA crew next week, as well as the aggregate ranking for the trio.