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

#6 Steph Curry

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

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.