Top 10 NBA players heading into the 2021-22 season: Who takes the throne?

After an NBA season that saw the Milwaukee Bucks with their first title since Lew Alcindor, an exciting NBA Draft, and the subsequent star power on exhibit in NBA Summer League, which top ten players in the NBA are in the best position to take the throne?

Let's check it out.

#10 Anthony Davis

Injuries have left Anthony Davis a step behind

I had Jayson Tatum here because Anthony Davis' health lets him down when it matters most. Anthony Davis should be dominating, and 21 and eight in just 39 games is robbing NBA fans of Davis' greatness. His health is a concern, and though I believe him to be the evolution of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, it’s obvious that he and LeBron will have to hold off more than simply the rest of the league to claim a confetti-rain victory in 2022.

#9 James Harden

If these two can ever stay on the floor together

2021 stats: 29 points, 11 assists and nine boards.

James Harden would be higher on this list if he could stay on the floor similar to Anthony Davis. He was on fire for part of the season after going through so much to get to Brooklyn, and it would be melodramatic if the basketball gods didn’t give us Brooklyn vs. Los Angeles in next year’s NBA Finals. Harden is another former MVP who will feel the heat if Brooklyn doesn’t execute accordingly and win. Having Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and James Harden is downright scary to think of offensively, and if the Nets could manage to pull enough defense out of thin air late in fourth quarters, I’d be more inclined to make them favorites. Now that Giannis has wind at his back, James Harden will have to pull out many stops to get past the Bucks and into the NBA Finals.

#8 Damian Lillard

Dame hopes the gold rush in Japan will continue at home

All summer long, Damian Lillard was rumored to be in trades across the NBA. Dame averaged 28, eight and four last season. He’s done so much damage in the Northwest, it’s hard to fathom him not playing in Portland. All Dame has done is be the consistent scorer and leader he’s always expected himself to be, and Dame has said he wants to stay in Portland. Defensively, how will Portland make stops with such an undersized backcourt? Robert Covington can't guard every player as a forward, so Portland has decisions to make. One thing is we are witnessing great offensive play by the perennial MVP candidate from Weber State. Dame has one thing to do in the NBA and that is win. Winning solves everything, so with Dame in control and everything he wants to accomplish ahead of him? Watch out.

#7 Luka Doncic

Luka and his slight of hand, has tormented defenses

As Luka Doncic continues to run all over the league with the greatest of ease, the only weakness I see in his game is a focus on defense. We should challenge youthful greatness when necessary, and hopefully with the addition of Jason Kidd as Dallas Mavericks head coach, an approach to defense will be spoken between the two. As chill as Lucka's game is, having the advantage of Jason Kidd may help Luka ascend to the throne a little sooner. The 2022 NBA MVP favorite simply needs fine tuning to become the best he can be. At 28, nine and nine last season, Luka is just touching the beginnings of his talent.

#6 Steph Curry

Steph Curry will get to his spots

This one hits home…@ayeshacurry & I are excited to announce the Curry Family Women’s Athletics Initiative aimed at helping close the inequity gap in women’s sports starting with @DavidsonCollege. It's on all of us to help female scholar-athletes keep shining. Let’s goooo Cats! pic.twitter.com/9AcX5Nubi2

— Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) August 26, 2021

So the 2021 scoring leader is getting his Splash Brother back sooner rather than later (Christmas?). Golden State is loading up, and in drafting Jonathan Kuminga, and adding other chemistry augmenting pieces like 2015 Finals MVP Andre Iguodala, Steph Curry will take over where he left off. Once an icon gets a taste of winning, it's something to never relinquish, and as much as Steph loves to win, with a full compliment of players, that will come easy this season. 32 points, six dimes and six boards might not rise this season, yet the Warriors record surely will.

#5 Nikola Jokic

Nikola Jokic is just too crafty

The reigning MVP was swept by Phoenix in the first round, yet his season was great for a center doing big guard things, and surpassing Wilt Chamberlain's passing numbers is remarkable. Jokic needs help, and it's up to Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr., and company to provide Jokic with that help. He's only going to get better. Averaging 8.3 dimes from the center position is rate even in this offensive NBA. Expect the Nuggets to snap back. How many Oscars (triple-doubles) will Nikola amass in his NBA career? The taste of a brook can't be that good, so surely the inspiration is a self-starter one in Denver led by the NBA MVP.

#4 Joel Embiid

Joel Embiid continues to roll over the competition

As long as Joel Embiid's usage rate stays where it is at 35.0% the league is in trouble. He's as efficient a scorer as there is in the NBA with all his skills, and while the city has no idea what will happen with Ben Simmons, signing Embiid to a supermax deal confirms Philly's support of Embiid. He most likely would have been MVP had he played more than 51 games, and though the Sixers came up short, Embiid will be on a mission to prove to himself Philadelphia is a winner.

Now, if only the 76'ers can get out of the 2nd round.

#3 LeBron James

All LeBron James needs is some help

(2018) Throwback to when LeBron finally got acknowledged for being CLUTCH. 💯👑#WITNESS pic.twitter.com/orYUgf8i4J

— Witness History (@LeBronFactory) August 27, 2021

Speaking of LeBron, the acquisition of sure Hall of Famer Russell Westbrook, might add some time onto LeBron's NBA career. Brodie will be all over the court putting pressure on every defense that sees his jersey. Anthony Davis' injury killed any shot for the Lakers for a repeat, so instead of sitting back and allowing the league to bypass L.A., Russell Westbrook is now back home -- as a Laker. LeBron averaged 25, 8 and 8 in year 17, and as he seeks to control the narrative of his NBA legacy by moving about whenever the opportunity arises, winning a few more championships is only more icing on the king's cake. If LeBron wants to play with his son Bronny, the motivation to do so will take many shapes. Let’s just hope the basketball gods allow that to happen since it never has in the NBA.

#2 Kevin Durant

Nothing the competition can do to stop Kevin Durant

In his NBA playoff career, Kevin Durant is averaging 29.5 points, 7.8 rebounds and 4.0 assists in 151 games. In the 2021 playoffs, Durant went higher: 34.3 points, 9.3 rebounds and 4.4 assists in 12 games. With James Harden ineffective with an injured hamstring, it was Kevin Durant that shouldered the load, and came within scant inches of taking the eventual champion Bucks to Game 7. I can't imagine how that one game will incentivize Durant (if at all) to be even more efficient this season. If Brooklyn is firing on all cylinders, how will the league catch up? The only reality that will stop the Nets in their tracks, if Durant, James Harden and Kyrie Irving are healthy, is the actual start of the playoffs. Otherwise, Brooklyn is about to run over the league. The Easy Money Sniper is on another level right now, and the league better hope he begins to plateau and decline. That won't be the case for a while, and subsequently, as LeBron chases Kareem, LeBron too will be chased by Kevin Durant.

#1 Giannis Antetokounmpo

2The two-time MVP is now an NBA champion

2021 stats: 28.1 points, 57% shooting, 11 rebounds and six assists.

In the playoffs, the NBA Finals MVP went a little higher: 35.2 points, 13.2 rebounds and 5.0 assists in six games.

It is now Giannis Antetokounmpo's world. The look of determination in his eyes during the entire NBA playoffs was downright inspiring. Giannis was a bull tank starring as a Bucks juggernaut, and played as if the NBA title was his birthright.The two-time NBA MVP is creating legacy points that will endure as he continues to develop into an NBA legend. Giannis seems like a heavy dude, so to assume he may not want to repeat the success off this year next season would be erroneous. That he's doing all this in the NBA small-market city of Milwaukee is a story creating balance in the super team era.

NBA fan benefit

As the younger generation lays in wait for the older vets to finish out their careers, what is interesting is that it seems the NBA is growing younger and younger. That leaves the older generation to show and prove it still belongs, and whether it’s injuries, depression in the bubble, etc., this top ten will factor in mightily who wins the a highly coveted NBA Championship in 2022.