$5 in NBA Top 30 rankings; Giannis is the No. 1 power forward

MILWAUKEE — Five Milwaukee Bucks appear on HoopsHype’s 2024-25 rankings of the NBA’s top 30 players at each position.

Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard are ranked in the top 10 at power forward and point guard, respectively. Read on for details on the Bucks and links to HoopsHype’s lists.

2023-24 Stats (73 games): 24.3 points, 7.0 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals per game. 42.4 field goal percentage, 35.4 three-point percentage.

By his own standards, Damian Lillard had his ups and downs in his first season with the Bucks, but his long track record as one of the league’s best point guards puts him in the top 10.

Lillard, traded to the Bucks in a blockbuster three-team trade before the start of last year, figures to have a bounce-back season in his second year with Milwaukee after posting the third-worst VORP and BPM of his career. As the second option behind Antetokounmpo, Lillard should benefit from the defensive attention Giannis draws and settle into his role as the second option.

The top 10 bases are:

1. Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)
2. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)
3. Jalen Brunson (New York Knicks)
4. Tyrese Hailburton (Indiana Pacers)
5. Steph Curry (Golden State Warriors)
6. Tyrese Maxey (Philadelphia 76ers)
7. Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)
8. Damian Lillard (Milwaukee Bucks)
9. De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)
10. Trae Young (Atlanta Hawks)

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2023-24 Stats (55 matches): 15.1 points, 4.7 rebounds, 5.3 assists, 0.9 steals, 0.3 blocks per game. 49.3% field goal shooting, 38.1% three-point shooting.

As a player who appears to be in the twilight of his career, Middleton has appeared in 88 of 164 regular-season games over the past two seasons.

Middleton, 33, finished his 2023-24 season with a bang, helping the Bucks remain competitive in their first-round playoff loss despite Antetokounmpo’s absence. Middleton averaged 24.7 points, 9.2 rebounds and 4.7 assists on 48.2 percent shooting in the six games.

But he needed off-season surgery on both ankles, and questions about his health throughout the season will linger.

The top three forwards are Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics), Kevin Durant (Phoenis Suns) and LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers). The players immediately around Middleton are:

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2023-24 Stats (73 games): 30.4 points, 11.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 1.2 steals, 1.1 blocks per game. 61.1 field goal percentage, 27.4 three-point percentage.

In 2023-24, Giannis became the first player in NBA history to average 30-plus points on 60 percent shooting from the field. On any given night, he’s the best player in the world.

Even though he turns 30 in December, Giannis shows no signs of slowing down. While last season’s untimely injury doomed the Bucks’ chances of making the playoffs, Giannis has played an average of 72 games in his 11 seasons.

The top 10 forwards are:

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
2. Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)
3. Paolo Banchero (Orlando Magic)
4. Pascal Siakam (Indiana Pacers)
5. Karl-Anthony Towns (Minnesota Timberwolves)
6. Lauri Markkanen (Utah Jazz)
7. Julius Randle (New York Knicks)
8. Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies)
9. Evan Mobley (Cleveland Cavaliers)
10. Aaron Gordon (Denver Nuggets)

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2023-24 Stats (79 matches): 12.5 points, 5.2 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.5 steals, 2.4 blocks per game. 48.5 field goal percentage, 36.6 three-point percentage.

At 36, Lopez has continued to prove that age is just a number. Last season, the 7-foot-10, floor-spacing center ranked third in the NBA in blocks per game (2.4) and shot 36.6 percent of his 3-pointers. He scored three fewer points per game, but he took two fewer shots, and those points likely went to Lillard.

Lopez remains one of the best interior defenders around, an important contribution to a Milwaukee team that struggled with team defense last season, finishing 19th in the NBA in team defensive rating (115.8).

It will be interesting to see if Lopez, entering his 17th year, can put together his third consecutive season of 75-plus games and 30-plus minutes per night.

The top three centers are Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets), Joel Embiid (Philadelphia 76ers) and Anthony Davis (Los Angeles Lakers). The players immediately surrounding Lopez are:

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2023-24 Stats (82 matches): 13.8 points, 7.4 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 0.8 steals, 0.4 blocks per game. 50.8 field goal percentage, 40.7 three-point percentage.

Like Lopez, Portis is one of the NBA’s best floor-spacing centers, shooting nearly 41 percent from 3-point range last season. He’s also available, averaging more than 70 games and 25 minutes a night in his four seasons with the Bucks.

His high energy allows him to grab nearly two offensive rebounds per game and his spirited battles with opposing players give the Bucks an advantage.

On the other hand, his defense is non-existent. Portis does not block shots or move his feet well enough to defend well on switches.

The centres immediately around Portis:

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