[NorrinRaddParticipant]

Who is the best player in the world today?
Who is the best prospect in the world today?
Who is the best team in the world today?

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

My takes:

Best player in the world today’s a tough one… My thoughts are it has to be between Joel Embiid, Jayson Tatum, Luka Doncic, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Nikola Jokic at the moment. For me, I’m going the Joker – Nikola Jokic still. His track record speaks for itself. Multiple MVPs and a championship along with a great Olympic showing recently.

Best prospect in the world today is tough too. AJ Dybantsa, Cam Boozer and this year’s Cooper Flagg top the list for me, although you can make a case for a few others. Boozer has looked better than Dybantsa as of late, but I think I’d still take Dybantsa in a vacuum first of the 3. All should be stars in the league.

Best team in the world today is an interesting one… Amongst any league, I guess I’m taking Team USA. Boston Celtics or another contending NBA team could be considered too imo.

Lets say you?

[HitsterParticipant]

Best player in the world, effectively the best in the NBA I think will have to be between the players Norrin has listed. KD, Steph, LBJ are probably now probably not quite at that level. Anthony Edwards hasn’t yet reached the scoring levels Luka, SGA, Embeast have.

I’m going to go with Luka as the best in the world as I think he’ll move above Jokic this season. I love Tatum as a player but he cannot quite score as much as some of the others and Embeast has a few too many injuries.

Prospect hasn’t said the player cannot be in the NBA already so I’m going with Wemby. Next year’s draft looks loaded and I think Cooper Flagg looks the best prospect I’ve seen but might VJ or Ace be a more flashy player?

AJ I’ve not seen much of, heard he could be a superstar scorer but also seen Pippen and Grant Hill comparisons.

I’ll go with Cooper Flagg.

Best team in the world I’ll keep it at domestic level and go Celtics.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

The wild card not mentioned has to be Ja. I had to bring this up because I read the other day that ANT said he’d cook Ja one on one… Idk, imo if it weren’t for the off-court issues of team distrust, etc. I’d put Ja right up there with Giannis. He’s that good but has a past you can’t trust. Too unreliable, so I’d rather have ANT, but I actually believe Ja could get him as a better player if they both played a full season.

[HitsterParticipant]

JA was ahead of Edwards as a player before his disciplinary issues and injury but Edwards was early in his career then. I’d say lets give Ja this season to get back to his best and see what Edwards can do without KAT on the team. Then next season hopefully both are sound and it would be a perfect head to head.

But I don’t ever see either being the best player in the NBA if everyone stays sound but both could push to be in the top 5.

[HitsterParticipant]

I’ve been thinking about the best prospect not in the NBA and I’m definitely sticking with Cooper Flagg. He may not be a go to scorer but at SF or PF in the NBA I feel he’ll have the ability to be an All Defensive Team contender for many years. Look at what the Knicks gave up to get Mikal Bridges and he might only be 4th scoring option on their team.

Cooper may not be the star player or top scorer on his team but he can be the rock the team is built on. A better combined version of AK47 and Shawn Marion sounds good to me. I don’t know if he would ever be the creative player or scorer Scottie Pippen was but he could be as good on defence and should be a better rebounder and shot blocker. I can see parts of Scottie’s game potentially in him but not such a good steal artist as Scottie was. Also how much did MJ skew Scottie’s creative output as Scottie would have passed to MJ hell of a lot.

I much prefer the better AK47/Marion prototype which would translate with some of Scottie’s game but not so much the creative part of it.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

interesting takes, I was kind of thinking the same as far as prototype, but went in the other direction. I didn’t exactly have a comparison for Boozer, but maybe a super Banchero/Tatum type player. I think Dybantsa could be a Kobe type player the way he can take someone one on one in about any situation, including off the dribble at a high level for a wing… and I agree Flagg is sort of like a AK47/Marion (I would even throw in a super charged Franz Wagner for a modern comp). What prototype will we prefer in the NBA time will tell, but yeah I like your Cooper Flagg pick. All seem to be potential homerun picks.

[HitsterParticipant]

I haven’t seen much of AJ or Cameron Boozer really. With Cameron I’ve got to be careful not to just think of his as a better prospect version of his dad given them being the same size pretty much.

How AJ compares to Ace and VJ I still don’t know yet. This site has Darryn Peterson ahead of Boozer on their 2026 mock draft again I don’t know that much about Peterson.

If Cooper had been in the same draft year as AJ and Boozer then I’d take Cooper ahead of both. AJ I’d happily put in top 3 of this year’s draft if he was eligible. Boozer would be top 5 potential.

What there is beyond 2026 draft I don’t know – there will be good players but they are only 16 or so now and there isn’t a generational guy like Wemby lurking there as far as I can see.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

I think I’ve come around with Cooper Flagg being better than AJ… But I think Peterson’s better than AJ too… Peterson’s got a turbo cheat code when he plays. He’s special. AJ and Cam Boozer are good too, but Peterson’s just on another level at least atm.

[HitsterParticipant]

I must admit I’ve not seen a lot of the 2025/26 NCAA incoming freshmen apart from highlight reels. AJ and Darryn I’d happily put in the same bracket as Ace, Dylan Harper and VJ at the moment. Whether they can take the step to be a Cooper Flagg All American First Team/MVP level player in the NCAA I’d want to see them in action first against proven college teams.

Both guys will be playing under top coaches who can assemble a team around them. Cameron Boozer I think his mid to downside level is the sort of career his father had and he could have a higher upside possibly what Paolo Banchero promises to be. Again he is going to a great Uni where his dad was one of many great players through the system so he will be in a perfect setting.

[NorrinRaddParticipant]

Peterson’s on another level – a little higher than Harper. Think Damian Lillard meets Derrick Rose or something…
I like the Cam to Paolo comp, was thinking the same too.

[HitsterParticipant]

I like Peterson as a similar prospect to D-Rose when D-Rose was going to college in 07-08. Both guys are/were legit top 3 picks.

Dame has had a fantastic NBA career and is a sure fire HoF guy. He was a slower burning college guy and used up his 4 years there but Peterson as a bigger version of Dame as an upside I like.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Jokic, Flagg, OKC

[Author]

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