This marks our initial assessment of the top 100 players poised for the 2024-25 season. Below, you’ll find the latest rankings of these top athletes, determined exclusively by their performance metrics and efficiency in our adjusted efficiency model (ADJeff), accounting for strength of schedule (SOS). Currently, the landscape is dynamic, with several factors in play: some players are awaiting the NBA Draft pull out date, others contemplate utilizing their fifth year of eligibility, while many remain uncommitted in the transfer portal.
Nevertheless, drawing from trends observed in recent seasons, including the impact of Covid-related fifth years and insights from mock drafts, we present the players anticipated to return or those few who have confirmed their return. With the advent of significant investments in Name, Image, and Likeness (NIL), it’s reasonable to infer that players not highly mocked in draft projections are likely to stay. Exceptions exist, such as Drew Timme and Oscar Tshiebwe, who pursued other opportunities despite being undrafted with higher NIL potiental. Against this backdrop, it becomes intriguing to monitor the decisions of prominent big men like Hunter Dickinson or Ryan Kalkbrenner. However, as of the present moment, we anticipate their return, considering the influence of NIL incentives.
As you can see there are many players players still uncommitted, and there is another group that was in the portal but have since committed. We are truely in the age of free agency every year with money involved and players changing teams multiple times. Infact there seems to be less stability and ability to plan your roster from year to year. This is the main reason we can’t do our rankings yet because the teams are unknown. One good week in the portal and you could easily have a team go from no where to top 5 with the level of talent still available.
Conclusion
While the traditional counting statistics of some players may not stand out, these are the players who make the most impact in driving value and wins typically. This ranking system factors in the player efficiency rating adjusted for strength of schedule and various other considerations. Efficiency, in this context, measures the statistical impact per possession. It’s worth noting that elite post players typically shine in this aspect, as they tend to boast higher true shooting percentages from close-range shots near the rim. Therefore, players who demonstrate higher efficiency, coupled with strong rebounding and shot-blocking abilities anchoring defense near the rim, play a significant role in the game. Throughout basketball history, larger athletes have largely dominated the sport, though they may be fewer in number, they generally hold more value. Thus, identifying and acquiring such players is crucial for any team and often results in the greatest returns. Don’t underestimate their value even if they averaged only 10ppg or were playing fewer minutes, especially when they could play more minutes in a new situation.
