By Law Murray | The Athletic, 2026-05-21 09:00:41
欢迎来到我们2026年球员分档的全明星级别。虽然有少数全明星球员出现在第三档，但他们之中没有一人在过去三个赛季中入选过全明星。今年的第二档规模有所扩大，但依然包揽了NBA前30名的球员。
尽管顶级球星决定着总冠军的归属，但这终究是一项团队运动。单靠一名球星带领一群角色球员（哪怕是非常优秀的角色球员）夺冠是极其困难的。天赋需要进行堆叠。虽然并非没有可能，但将多名第一档球员聚在一起并不现实，而如果没有至少一名第二档球员，球队也很难成为争冠热门。
而这正是天赋堆叠成为可能的地方。你可以在那些季后赛深处的球队身上看到这一点，克利夫兰骑士队、纽约尼克斯队和俄克拉荷马城雷霆队在第二档中都拥有多名球员。
第二档A
许多人会争辩说，这些球员应该属于最高档。但我有充分的理由让他们留在这一档的顶端。我们或许可以将这个子档命名为“贝基·哈蒙 (Becky Hammon) 致敬档”，因为她曾发表过这样的观点：“如果你们最好的球员是场上身材最矮小的球员，那么你们（大概率）赢不了总冠军。”
没有比从控球后卫**杰伦·布伦森 (Jalen Brunson)和斯蒂芬·库里 (Stephen Curry)**开始更合适的地方了，后者在此之前一直是第一档的中流砥柱——直到现在。
库里在本赛季打出了首发控卫中最糟糕的助攻失误比之一（1.68），他的球队在过去三个赛季中两次无缘季后赛，而且自**凯文·杜兰特 (Kevin Durant)**于2019年离开后，金州勇士队在西部仅获得过一次前五种子。这在很大程度上与库里队友的质量有关。他依然是顶级得分手，用他的无球跑动和投篮威胁撕扯着对方的防守。他依然能像超级巨星一样走上罚球线，场均罚球5.1次，并且在防守端继续保持水准，场均贡献1.1次抢断。但他场均3.6个篮板创下了14年来的新低。如果库里出场次数足够达到评奖标准，他将以场均4.4个三分球领跑全联盟。但他已经38岁了，在2025年季后赛遭遇大腿后侧肌群拉伤后，本赛季又因膝盖问题缺席了将近一半的比赛。
布伦森本身就是一个持球进攻体系，他疯狂使用挡拆和单打并将其发挥到极致，场均还能获得5.7次罚球机会。他是一位失误率相对较低的组织者，也是一名稳定的三分投手，在极少数能够定点投篮的机会中表现优异。由于他身高只有6英尺2英寸（约1米88），且防守端下手不够活跃，因此在防守端需要受到保护。但布伦森在防守端拼劲十足，是NBA最擅长制造进攻犯规的球员。
**多诺万·米切尔 (Donovan Mitchell)**是克利夫兰骑士队的首发得分后卫，但身高6英尺2英寸的他同样符合哈蒙悖论。他是一位强力得分手，场均罚球6.1次，助攻失误比超过2:1，并且出手大量三分。相比于防守端被拉开单防，米切尔在领防时表现更好，而且他对球有着极佳的嗅觉。
这里的两名小前锋是两位NBA总决赛MVP——杜兰特和科怀·莱昂纳德 (Kawhi Leonard)。杜兰特依然在有球和无球端做着得分手该做的一切，自超音速队离开西雅图以来，他在打过的每个赛季中场均得分都至少达到25分。自2012年以来，他每个赛季的投篮命中率都至少达到50%，并且在过去六个赛季中有五个赛季的三分命中率达到或超过40%。他在防守端不是一个能创造大量协防破坏的球员，但凭借6英尺11英寸（约2米11）的身高，他依然能很好地完成防守任务。杜兰特本赛季打了78场比赛，是自他因阿基里斯腱断裂缺席2019-20赛季以来出场次数最多的一次。然而，杜兰特领衔的球队在季后赛的回报一直在递减。他所在的休斯敦火箭队在关键时刻的表现简直惨不忍睹，因为就像最近许多由杜兰特领衔的球队一样，他们在第四节和加时赛的执行力长期处于糟糕状态。杜兰特最适合身边配有一名强力主控，以避免让他承担主要的组织任务，而在杜兰特常规赛结束后遭遇两次伤病之前，弗雷德·范弗利特 (Fred VanVleet) 的前交叉韧带（ACL）伤病就已经降低了火箭队的上限。自离开金州勇士队以来，杜兰特所在的球队仅赢过两个季后赛系列赛。他还遭遇了季后赛七连败，下赛季开始时他就将年满38岁。
莱昂纳德今年夏天将满35岁，自2021年接受ACL手术以来，他还没有参与过任何一次季后赛系列赛的胜利。脚部和脚踝扭伤导致他在11月缺席了10场比赛，在此期间洛杉矶快船队在15场比赛中输掉了13场。随后，在附加赛的一场生死战中，**德雷蒙德·格林 (Draymond Green)**锁死了莱昂纳德，快船队在主场痛失13分的第四节领先优势惨遭淘汰。尽管如此，从12月到3月，莱昂纳德依然是NBA最好的球员之一，出场次数足够让他有资格参与赛季末的奖项评选，同时在很大程度上摆脱了膝盖问题的困扰。他的抢断数创下八年来新高，篮板数创下三年来新高，并且连续第三个赛季抢断数多于犯规数。对手很少会去挑战他的单防。在进攻端，莱昂纳德场均罚球6.4次，为六年来最多，并且在六个赛季中第四次投篮命中率超过50%。他是失误率最低的超级巨星之一，三分球出手数创下新高，同时仍保持着38.7%的命中率。本赛季是自2020年以来，莱昂纳德首次健康地开始并结束一个赛季，这使得他未能赢下季后赛系列赛显得更加令人惋惜，也给一支立志争冠的球队带来了更大压力——由于他频繁因伤缺席，快船必须在莱昂纳德身边配备另一名顶级球员。
第二档B
这个子档包含七位全明星球员，他们所在的球队都打进了季后赛，而且在过去一年左右的时间里，他们都不得不以某种方式与他人共享聚光灯。
洛杉矶湖人队主教练雷迪克 (JJ Redick) 称**马库斯·斯玛特 (Marcus Smart)是球队的大前锋，但在勒布朗·詹姆斯 (LeBron James)**史无前例的第23个NBA赛季中，他实际上更频繁地在防守大前锋。随着赛季的进行，当詹姆斯、**卢卡·东契奇 (Luka Dončić)和奥斯汀·里夫斯 (Austin Reaves)**三人同场竞技时，詹姆斯理所当然地退居次席让权给东契奇，并为了里夫斯做出了牺牲性的让步。由于坐骨神经痛，詹姆斯职业生涯首次未能以健康状态开启新赛季，而里夫斯也在入冬之初因伤缺阵。就在里夫斯复出之际，东契奇在全明星周末前不久受伤，随后东契奇和里夫斯在季后赛前又双双高挂免战牌。对詹姆斯来说，这是一个在进攻端起伏不定的赛季。他的场均出手数创下生涯新低，场均出场时间创下生涯新低，场均得分也是自新秀赛季以来的最低值。他的三分命中率也仅为31.7%，为十年来最差。但詹姆斯依然充满活力。没有球员场均快攻得分比他更多，而且他完成了自离开克利夫兰以来单赛季最多的扣篮（97次）。在防守端，极少有球员在防单打时比他做得更好。作为一个所谓的“第三选择”，詹姆斯依然是精英级别的。但他已不再具备第一档的统治力。
这里唯一的控球后卫是泰瑞斯·马克西 (Tyrese Maxey)，他距离“贝基·哈蒙致敬档”的后卫仅一步之遥。他的得分和抢断每年都在提升，本赛季最终交出了场均28.3分和1.9次抢断的答卷，同时场均4.1个篮板、6.6次助攻、6.0次罚球和单赛季220记三分球均创下职业生涯新高。他是一位低失误的明星球员，本赛季的扣篮数（29次）比前两年总和（21次）还要多。没有哪位后卫的场均快攻得分比他更高。虽然马克西与前MVP**乔尔·恩比德 (Joel Embiid)**并肩作战，但费城76人队现在基本上已经是他的球队了。
**杰伦·布朗 (Jaylen Brown)首次成为波士顿凯尔特人队进攻的绝对核心，并打出了职业生涯新高的场均28.7分、7.5次罚球和5.1次助攻。当他不在场时，波士顿的防守表现更好，而且布朗场均抢断数创下七年来新低，但当他在场时，球队的防守依然很出色。在非内线球员中，只有阿门·汤普森 (Amen Thompson)**的场均禁区得分比他更多。布朗对自己度过的这一年感到自豪，而且他也是新科总决赛MVP，但他必须从球队在季后赛首轮痛失3-1领先优势的阴影中走出来，在那轮系列赛中，他的失误次数比助攻还要多。
这里的其他大前锋包括斯科蒂·巴恩斯 (Scottie Barnes)、切特·霍姆格伦 (Chet Holmgren)和杰伦·约翰逊 (Jalen Johnson)。巴恩斯与同为全明星的布兰登·英格拉姆 (Brandon Ingram)以及后卫RJ·巴雷特 (RJ Barrett)、**伊曼纽尔·奎克利 (Immanuel Quickley)**共享球权，但他是一个拥有超强能力的进攻纽带。本赛季，有22名球员至少贡献了100次抢断，12名球员至少贡献了100次盖帽。巴恩斯是唯一一位同时达成这两项数据的球员。他也是本赛季场均至少贡献7个篮板和5次助攻的10位球员之一。在英格拉姆表现暗淡的同时，巴恩斯在季后赛中大放异彩。对巴恩斯来说，关键在于他能否将自己的得分和投篮能力融会贯通，并保持下去。
霍姆格伦是联盟中最好的防守者之一，无论是在顶级的护筐能力还是在每个回合的防守稳定性上。他不是一个自主进攻创造者，但当球在他手上时，总会有好事发生。霍姆格伦的效率高得惊人，他能拉开空间，并且能完成所有的终结。自霍姆格伦从导致其新秀赛季报销的Lisfranc（跖跗关节）伤势中恢复过来后，雷霆队便成为了NBA最好的球队，这绝非巧合。
约翰逊在本赛季开始时以特雷·杨 (Trae Young)为控球后卫，结束时他的场均触球次数比联盟中任何前锋都要多。在过去两年因伤缺席了72场比赛后，约翰逊本赛季出战了72场比赛，并在数据产出上迎来了全面爆发。他场均贡献22.5分、10.3个篮板和7.9次助攻；本赛季唯一一位场均斩获20分、10个篮板和7次助攻的另外一名球员是尼古拉·约基奇 (Nikola Jokić)。约翰逊还投进了120记三分球，罚球命中率为78.8%，三分命中率为35.2%。他已经尝到了季后赛的滋味，因此他可以以此为基础，继续成长为联盟中最全能的球星之一。
**卡尔-安东尼·唐斯 (Karl-Anthony Towns)**是第二档中的顶级中锋，随着他连续第三次闯入分区决赛，他在季后赛中展现出了令人惊叹的开局。在明尼苏达效力期间，唐斯的季后赛生涯只有一场比赛助攻至少达到5次，而在去年代表尼克斯队出战的季后赛中也只有一场比赛助攻达到5次。但在2026年季后赛的前两轮中，他就打出了7场这样的比赛。唐斯本赛季场均得到20.1分，创下10年来新低，场均0.5次盖帽创下生涯新低，三分球出手数也创下八年来最少。但他的存在依然不容忽视。凭借持球突破和外线投射能力，他本身就是一个巨大的威胁。而他愿意牺牲出手权来让其他首发队友轻松得分，这是一项至关重要的进步，并可能在未来进一步提升他的价值。
第二档C
我需要在这个位置设立一个紧邻2B下方的子档，留给这两位球星。
**贾马尔·穆雷 (Jamal Murray)是一位身高6英尺4英寸（约1米93）、体重215磅（约97公斤）的高大控卫。本赛季他首次入选全明星阵容，并帮助约基奇打造了联盟最顶级的进攻体系。在利用挡拆出手三分的球员中，只有拉梅洛·鲍尔 (LaMelo Ball)**和东契奇的命中数比穆雷更多，而穆雷的挡拆三分命中率高达42%。他将职业生涯最好的三分投射赛季与最高的罚球产量（场均5.2次）以及生涯新高的场均助攻（7.1次）结合在了一起，同时依然保持着极低的失误率。此外，穆雷场均还抢下生涯新高的4.4个篮板。这绝非一次带有同情性质的全明星入选。然而，多年来穆雷一直是一位“为季后赛而生”的球员，但在赢得2023年总冠军之后，他在季后赛中的下限却有所降低。
**埃文·莫布里 (Evan Mobley)**与霍姆格伦是一个有趣的对比。他们都是在大学打了一年便参加选秀、且选秀年份仅相差一年的前三顺位新秀。莫布里身体更为健康，而霍姆格伦所在的球队则取得了更大的成功。莫布里可以说是更好的自主进攻创造者，能够以更高的频率走上罚球线，并送出更多助攻。莫布里还是2025年的年度最佳防守球员。两人最大的区别在于投篮，霍姆格伦一直是一名稳定的投手，而莫布里的投篮则经常失准。本赛季莫布里的罚球命中率跌至职业生涯新低的60.6%，而他的三分命中率也从37%下滑至29.7%。如果克利夫兰想要最大化其核心阵容的威力，那么莫布里必须成为那个能创造奇迹的“独角兽”。
第二档D
有理由认为这一子档的球员应该被归入第三档。但最终，将他们留在第二档的理由更为充分。
**詹姆斯·哈登 (James Harden)遗憾落选了全明星，并在六个赛季中第四次更换了球队。哈登延续了他标志性的持球统治力，场均罚球7.5次创下四年来新高，场均投进3.1记三分球也创下六年来新高。由于莱昂纳德和布拉德利·比尔 (Bradley Beal)**在11月遭遇伤病，他不得不为快船承担更多得分重任，而在加盟克利夫兰后，他的效率变得更高。他在季后赛中的下限早已人尽皆知——曾打出个位数得分的表现、失误数多于运动战进球的场次，以及“斗牛士”般的防守。但他依然是联盟中最顶尖的组织者之一，在过去六个赛季中，他每个赛季的场均助攻数（9.3次）都多于场均运动战进球数（6.4个）。尽管哈登已经不再年轻（他将在8月满37岁），但他身高6英尺5英寸、体重220磅的身材和技术水平，使得球队能够拥有更多的阵容灵活性，并且相比那些拥有需要被“藏起来”的矮小控卫的球队，哈登所在的球队拥有更高的防守下限。此外，尽管职业生涯总出场时间已达到40000分钟，哈登依然连续三个赛季至少出战了70场比赛。
这里的得分后卫是德文·布克 (Devin Booker)和达龙·福克斯 (De’Aaron Fox)，这两位球员同样可以胜任控球后卫。在没有**克里斯·保罗 (Chris Paul)**在场的情况下，布克仅赢过四场季后赛，而且菲尼克斯太阳队在拥有布克的情况下赢下的全部五次系列赛，对手都在整轮或部分场次中缺少了核心球星（安东尼·戴维斯 (Anthony Davis)、穆雷、莱昂纳德、蔡恩·威廉森 (Zion Williamson)、保罗·乔治 (Paul George)）。这并不是说布克不是一个优秀的球员。没有他，太阳队将会迷失方向，因为他是球队获得高效进攻的唯一指望，并且他在防守端也全力以赴。但他将从三件事中大为受益：一个能持续帮助他获得更轻松出手门槛的控球后卫、另一个任意位置的明星队友，以及一位能够长期执教的主教练（**乔丹·奥特 (Jordan Ott)**已经是布克职业生涯的第八位主教练）。
福克斯加盟了一支上赛季由保罗打满82场首发的马刺队，随后目睹了马刺用榜眼秀**迪伦·哈珀 (Dylan Harper)替代了保罗，接着又看到斯蒂芬·卡斯尔 (Stephon Castle)**在延续其最佳新秀赛季强势表现的同时，在触球次数和助攻数上领跑圣安东尼奥。那么福克斯在这一切中扮演了什么角色？他成为了圣安东尼奥最高效的持球球员。他牺牲了得分产量（场均18.6分创下七年来新低），换来了职业生涯新低的场均2.3次失误，在防守端表现可靠，并将自己最好的状态留到了第四节。
德尼·阿夫迪亚 (Deni Avdija)和杰伦·威廉姆斯 (Jalen Williams)都具备一定程度的位置多面性，这为他们的球队提供了阵容选择的多样性。本赛季，只有东契奇和扬尼斯·阿德托昆博 (Giannis Antetokounmpo)的场均罚球次数比阿夫迪亚更多。阿夫迪亚去年就曾暗示，如果不需要与安芬尼·西蒙斯 (Anfernee Simons)、**杰拉米·格兰特 (Jerami Grant)和德安德烈·艾顿 (Deandre Ayton)**共享球权，他完全有能力在持球端打出强力表现。阿夫迪亚急停跳投三分的命中率仅为25%，而接球投三分的命中率为36%，且只有东契奇的场均失误比他更多。波特兰的进攻经常陷入混乱，但只要阿夫迪亚看到突破路线，他就能杀入禁区，这一特点在他职业生涯的首次季后赛中得以延续。他是一位身高6英尺8英寸、体重228磅的高大外线球员，尽管他可以通过提升投篮、传球和防守来更好地应对这一角色的严苛要求，但他已经成长为一名有能力带领季后赛球队的全明星球员。
威廉姆斯正在为自己那份非前十顺位新秀中最伟大的新秀合同画上句号，他已经为一支NBA冠军球队确立了自己全明星、最佳阵容和最佳防守阵容的地位。考虑到他在2025年季后赛期间是带着需要接受手术的手腕伤势作战，并因此推迟了其2025-26赛季的复出，他的表现堪称非凡。随后，威廉姆斯又遭遇了三次不同程度的大腿后侧肌群拉伤，这进一步打乱了他的节奏并中断了他的季后赛。伤病消耗了威廉姆斯的部分得分爆发力，同时也让他的三分球失灵（命中率跌至生涯新低的29.9%），但在进攻端，他依然是一位自信的决策者和控球手，并且在防守端能够防守所有位置。
**帕斯卡尔·西亚卡姆 (Pascal Siakam)**是这一子档中唯一的大前锋。和威廉姆斯一样，西亚卡姆在季后赛中为印第安纳步行者队打出了令人惊叹的战绩，距离总冠军仅一步之遥。在代表步行者出战的每次季后赛中，西亚卡姆都是球队的得分王，并且他打出了一个伟大的得分赛季，在一支输掉63场比赛的步行者队中出战了2057分钟。如果印第安纳想要在东部重新崛起，他们将需要西亚卡姆延续这样的表现。但我有些担心32岁的西亚卡姆的爆发力和防守能否维持在应有的水平。
第二档E
我将用上赛季使用过的“隐患子档”来为第二档收尾。
凯里·欧文 (Kyrie Irving)一年前就在这里，结果他缺席了2025-26赛季的所有比赛。对于控球后卫泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿 (Tyrese Haliburton)，我倒没有那么担心。在总决赛抢七大战中，他带伤出战（小腿拉伤）却不幸遭遇阿基里斯腱断裂，而在此之前，他正上演着季后赛历史上最壮丽的复仇之旅之一。更糟糕的是，哈利伯顿在本赛季的康复期间还患上了带状疱疹。我不指望哈利伯顿在下赛季能迅速进入状态。他的成功不能用得分来衡量。他之所以能赢球，是因为他是一个身高6英尺5英寸的挡拆大师，拥有联盟顶尖的助攻失误比，并且有能力通过大胆的自主进攻创造来接管比赛。哈利伯顿为步行者注入了速度，但他还需要一些时间。
去年这个子档是为恩比德量身定制的，当时这位2023年NBA MVP的膝伤恢复进度让我感到沮丧。本赛季的开局也未能减轻我的担忧。恩比德在开季的前23场比赛中缺席了14场，而在他出战的9场比赛中，他的投篮命中率仅为40.7%，场均仅有5.6个篮板。但在费城因NBA杯获得四天休息时间后，恩比德在接下来的22场比赛中场均砍下30分，投篮命中率达到52.1%。他本可以轻松入选全明星。全明星周末后，恩比德因腹外斜肌拉伤仅出战了7场比赛，而阑尾切除手术又推迟了他的季后赛亮相。最终，在76人队从3-1的落后局势中逆转淘汰波士顿之后，他们在季后赛中被尼克斯队横扫。32岁的恩比德对自己的膝盖状况感到乐观，这让我想起了莱昂纳德一年前的感受。也许恩比德仍然有可能打满大部分常规赛，并完好无损地度过季后赛。如果真是这样，那么极少有球员能达到恩比德的高度。
由生成式 AI 翻译，译文内容可能不准确或不完整，以原文为准。
点击查看原文：NBA player tiers 2026: LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant slide to Tier 2
NBA player tiers 2026: LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant slide to Tier 2
You have made it to the All-Star stratum of our 2026 Player Tiers. A few All-Stars appeared in Tier 3, but none who have been All-Star selections in the last three seasons. Tier 2 is larger this year, but it still rounds out the top 30 players in the NBA.
As much as the best players dictate championships, it’s a team game. It’s hard to have one star carry a team of role players to a title, even very good ones. Talent needs to be stacked. It’s not practical, though not impossible, to get multiple Tier 1 players together, and it is hard to be a contender without at least one Tier 2 player.
This is where that stacking becomes possible. You can see it in teams at work deep in the playoffs, with the Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks and Oklahoma City Thunder each having multiple players in Tier 2.
Tier 2A
Many would argue that these players belong in the highest tier. But I had a good reason for keeping them at the top sub-tier here. We might have to call this the Becky Hammon appreciation sub-tier, after she stated her view that, “If your best player is the smallest player on the court, you (probably) won’t win a championship.”
There’s no more appropriate place to start than with point guards Jalen Brunson and Stephen Curry, the latter of whom has been a mainstay in Tier 1 — until now.
Curry posted one of the worst assist-to-turnover ratios among starting point guards (1.68), his team has missed the playoffs two of the last three seasons and Golden State has been a top-five seed in the Western Conference only once since Kevin Durant left in 2019. Much of that has to do with the quality of Curry’s teammates. He is still a top-tier scorer, bending defenses with his movement and shooting threat. He still gets to the free-throw line like a star, averaging 5.1 attempts per game, and he continues to hold up defensively, averaging 1.1 steals per game. But his 3.6 rebounds per game were a 14-year low. If Curry played enough games to qualify, he would have led the NBA in made 3s at 4.4 per game. But he is 38 years old and missed nearly half of this season with a knee issue after suffering a hamstring strain in the 2025 playoffs.
Brunson is an on-ball offense unto himself, spamming pick-and-rolls and isolations to perfection while averaging 5.7 free-throw attempts per game. He’s a relatively low-turnover playmaker, a solid 3-point shooter and very good in the rare times he can spot up. Because he is only 6 foot 2 and has rarely had active hands, he needs to be protected defensively. But Brunson competes on that end of the floor and is the NBA’s leading threat to draw charges.
Donovan Mitchell is Cleveland’s starting shooting guard, but at 6 foot 2, he also fits the Hammon paradox. He’s a powerful scorer who averages 6.1 free-throw attempts per game, has a better than 2:1 assist-to-turnover ratio and shoots a ton of 3s. Mitchell is better at the point of attack than on an island, but he still has a great nose for the ball.
The small forwards here are two NBA Finals MVPs in Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard. Durant still does everything a scorer has to do, on and off the ball, and has scored at least 25 points per game in every season he’s played since the Supersonics left Seattle. He’s made at least 50 percent of his field goals every season he’s played since 2012 and has made at least 40 percent of his 3s in five of the last six seasons. He’s not a big playmaker defensively, but he remains assignment-sound at 6-11. Durant played 78 games this season, his most since missing the 2019-20 season with a torn Achilles tendon. But the spring returns on Durant-led teams have been diminishing. His Houston Rockets were an eyesore in clutch situations because, like many Durant teams lately, they were chronically bad at executing in fourth quarters and overtime. Durant is best suited to have a powerful lead guard next to him to keep him out of a primary playmaker role, and Fred VanVleet’s ACL injury lowered Houston’s ceiling even before Durant suffered two injuries after the regular season ended. Durant’s teams have won only two playoff series since he left Golden State. He has also lost his last seven playoff games, and he’ll be 38 when next season begins.
Leonard will turn 35 this summer, and he hasn’t been a part of a playoff series win since undergoing ACL surgery in 2021. Foot and ankle sprains contributed to him missing 10 games in November, a stretch during which the LA Clippers lost 13 of 15 games. Then Draymond Green locked up Leonard while the Clippers blew a 13-point fourth-quarter lead at home in a Play-In Tournament elimination game. Still, from December and March, Leonard was one of the best players in the NBA, playing enough games to qualify for end-of-season awards while largely putting his knee issues behind him. He had an eight-year high in steals and a three-year high in rebounds while recording more steals than fouls for a third straight season. Players rarely test his one-on-one defense. Offensively, Leonard averaged 6.4 free-throw attempts, his most in six years, and shot better than 50 percent for the fourth time in six seasons. He has one of the lowest turnover rates by a star and launched more 3s than ever while still maintaining a 38.7 percent clip. This season was the first time since 2020 that Leonard began and ended a season healthy, which makes it all the more wasteful that he couldn’t win a playoff series and puts more pressure on a team that intends to contend and have another top player beside Leonard due to his bouts of missed time.
Tier 2B
This sub-tier has seven All-Stars who were all on playoff teams, and they have all had to share the spotlight in one way or another in the last year or so.
Los Angeles Lakers head coach JJ Redick referred to Marcus Smart as the team’s power forward, though LeBron James more frequently defended power forwards during his unprecedented 23rd NBA season. James took an understandable back seat to Luka Dončić and a sacrificial back seat to Austin Reaves as the season went on and those three actually played together. James didn’t begin the season healthy for the first time because of sciatica, and Reaves missed the beginning of winter due to injury. Dončić got hurt shortly before the All-Star break just as Reaves returned, and then both Dončić and Reaves were sidelined again before the playoffs. It was an uneven season for James offensively. He took the fewest shots of his career, played the fewest minutes of his career and had his lowest scoring average since his rookie season. He also shot just 31.7 percent from 3, his worst mark in a decade. But James was still dynamic. No player scored more fast breaks per game, and he had his most dunks (97) since leaving Cleveland. Defensively, few players were better in isolation. For a supposed third option, James is elite. But he is no longer a Tier 1 presence.
The lone point guard is Tyrese Maxey, who is just a step below the Becky Hammon appreciation sub-tier of guards. He has increased his scoring and steals every year, finishing with 28.3 points and 1.9 steals to go with career highs of 4.1 rebounds, 6.6 assists and 6.0 free-throw attempts per game and 220 3s this season. He’s a low-turnover star, and he had more dunks this year (29) than the previous two years combined (21). No guard scored more fast-break points per game. Maxey plays with a former MVP in Joel Embiid, but the Philadelphia 76ers are basically his team now.
Jaylen Brown was the focal point of the Boston Celtics’ offense for the first time and put up career highs of 28.7 points, 7.5 free-throw attempts and 5.1 assists per game. Boston’s defense was better when he wasn’t on the floor, and Brown had a seven-year low in steals per game, but the defense was still good with him on the floor. Only Amen Thompson averaged more paint points among non-bigs. Brown is proud of the year he had, and he’s an NBA Finals MVP, but he has to bounce back from his team blowing a 3-1 lead in the first round of the playoffs, a series in which he had more turnovers than assists.
The other power forwards are Scottie Barnes, Chet Holmgren and Jalen Johnson. Barnes shares touches with fellow All-Star Brandon Ingram and guards RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley, but Barnes is a superpowered connector. This season, 22 players had at least 100 steals, and 12 players had at least 100 blocks. Barnes was the only one who had both. He was also one of 10 players to average at least seven rebounds and five assists this season. While Ingram faded, Barnes shone in the playoffs. The question for Barnes is whether he can put it all together as a scorer and shooter and sustain it.
Holmgren is one of the best defenders in the game, both in terms of premier rim protection and play-by-play consistency. He’s not a shot creator, but good things happen when he has the ball. Holmgren is remarkably efficient, stretches the floor and finishes everything. It’s no coincidence that the Thunder have been the NBA’s best team since Holmgren recovered from a Lisfranc injury that canceled his rookie season.
Johnson began this season with Trae Young as his point guard and ended it averaging more touches per game than any forward in the league. After missing 72 games the previous two years, Johnson played in 72 games this season and put it all together from a production standpoint. He averaged 22.5 points, 10.3 rebounds and 7.9 assists per game; the only other player to average 20 points, 10 rebounds and 7 assists this season was Nikola Jokić. Johnson also made 120 3s and shot 78.8 percent from the line and 35.2 percent from 3. He’s gotten a taste of the playoffs, so he can build from that as one of the most versatile stars in the league.
Karl-Anthony Towns is the top center in Tier 2, and he’s had a fascinating start to the playoffs as he appears in his third straight conference finals. Towns had only one game in his postseason career in Minnesota with at least five assists and only one game with at least five assists in last year’s playoffs with the Knicks. He had seven such games through the first two rounds of the 2026 playoffs. Towns averaged a 10-year low of 20.1 points and a career-low 0.5 blocks per game, and he attempted his fewest 3s in eight years. But his presence has to be accounted for. He was already a threat with his ability to put the ball on the floor and shoot with range. His willingness to sacrifice shots to get his co-starters easy buckets has been a critical development and could elevate his value going forward.
Tier 2C
I needed a sub-tier just below 2B for these two stars.
Jamal Murray is a big point guard at 6-4, 215 pounds, and he made his first All-Star Game this season while helping Jokić lead the best offense in the league. Only LaMelo Ball and Luka Dončić made more 3s out of ball screens than Murray, and Murray made those attempts at a 42 percent rate. He combined his best 3-point shooting season with his highest free-throw volume (5.2 attempts per game) and his most assists (7.1 per game) ever while still keeping his turnovers low. Murray added a career-best 4.4 rebounds for good measure. This wasn’t a charity All-Star appointment. But for years, Murray was a playoff riser, and his floor has been lower in the playoffs after winning the 2023 championship.
Evan Mobley is an interesting comparison with Holmgren. They were top-three draft picks selected a year apart after being one-and-done in college. Mobley has been healthier, while Holmgren’s teams have had more success. Mobley is arguably the better shot creator, capable of getting to the free-throw line at a higher rate and generating more assists. Mobley was also the 2025 Defensive Player of the Year. The biggest difference is the shooting, as Holmgren has been a solid shooter while Mobley’s shot falls apart more often. This season saw Mobley’s free-throw percentage drop to a career low 60.6 percent, while his 3-point percentage fell from 37 percent to 29.7 percent. If Cleveland is going to maximize its corps, then Mobley has to be the unicorn that makes it happen.
Tier 2D
There was a case for players in this sub-tier to be in Tier 3. Ultimately, the case for Tier 2 was stronger.
James Harden was an All-Star snub and changed teams for the fourth time in six seasons. Harden continued his brand of on-ball dominance, attempting a four-year high 7.5 free throws per game and making a six-year high 3.1 3s per game. He had to score more with the Clippers because of November injuries to Leonard and Bradley Beal, and he was more efficient once he got to Cleveland. His floor in the postseason is well documented, with single-digit scoring performances, games with more turnovers than field goals and instances of matador defense. But he’s one of the league’s best playmakers and has averaged more assists (9.3) than field goals made (6.4) in each of the last six seasons. Despite Harden’s advanced age (he turns 37 in August), his skill level at 6-5, 220 pounds allows teams to have more lineup versatility and a higher defensive floor compared to teams that have smaller point guards who need to be hidden. Harden has also played at least 70 games in three straight seasons despite reaching 40,000 career minutes.
The shooting guards here are Devin Booker and De’Aaron Fox, two players who could also be called point guards. Booker has won just four playoff games without Chris Paul on the floor with him, and all five of Phoenix’s series wins with Booker have been against a team missing a star for all or part of the series (Anthony Davis, Jamal Murray, Kawhi Leonard, Zion Williamson, Paul George). That’s not to say that Booker isn’t a very good player. The Suns would be lost without him, as he is his team’s best chance for anything close to efficient offense, and he competes on defense. But he would benefit significantly from three things: a point guard who consistently helps him get easier shots, another star teammate at any position and a head coach who can stick around a while (Jordan Ott is Booker’s eighth head coach).
Fox joined a Spurs team that had Paul start all 82 games last season, watched the Spurs replace Paul with second-overall draft pick Dylan Harper and then saw Stephon Castle build on his Rookie of the Year campaign by leading San Antonio in touches and assists. So where does Fox figure into all of that? By being San Antonio’s most efficient on-ball player. He has sacrificed volume scoring (seven-year low of 18.6 points) by having a career-low 2.3 turnovers, being reliable on defense and saving his best work for fourth quarters.
Deni Avdija and Jalen Williams both have a level of positional versatility that gives their teams lineup optionality. Only Dončić and Giannis Antetokounmpo averaged more free-throw attempts per game this season than Avdija, who hinted last year that he could be capable of powerful on-ball outcomes if he didn’t have to share touches with Anfernee Simons, Jerami Grant and Deandre Ayton. Avdija only made 25 percent of his pull-up 3s, compared to 36 percent of his catch 3s, and only Dončić had more turnovers per game. Portland’s offense was messy quite often, but if Avdija saw a driving lane, he was getting to the paint, and that continued in his first postseason. He is a huge perimeter player at 6-8, 228 pounds, and though he could better handle the rigors of his role by cleaning up his shooting, passing and defense, he has arrived as an All-Star capable of leading a playoff team.
Williams is wrapping up one of the best rookie contracts ever for a player drafted outside of the top 10, having already established himself as an All-Star, All-NBA and All-Defensive team selection for an NBA champion. His 2025 postseason was extraordinary, considering he was playing with a wrist injury that required surgery and delayed his 2025-26 season. Williams then dealt with three separate hamstring injuries that further kept him out of rhythm and interrupted his postseason. The injuries sapped some of Williams’ scoring punch while canceling his 3-point shot (career-low 29.9 percent), but he is a confident decision-maker and ballhandler offensively and can guard every position.
Pascal Siakam is the lone power forward in this sub-tier. Like Williams, Siakam had an astonishing playoff run for an Indiana Pacers team that was one game short of a championship. Siakam was Indiana’s leading scorer in each of his playoff runs with the team, and he had a great scoring season, playing 2,057 minutes for a 63-loss Pacers team. Indiana will need that to continue if it wants to jump back into relevance in the East. But I’d be concerned about the 32-year-old Siakam’s burst and defense maintaining the levels they need to be.
Tier 2E
I’m rounding out Tier 2 with the red flag sub-tier that I used last season.
Kyrie Irving was here a year ago, and he wound up missing all of the 2025-26 season. I don’t quite have that concern with point guard Tyrese Haliburton, who was on one of the most spectacular revenge tours in postseason history when he tore his Achilles tendon in Game 7 of the NBA Finals while playing through a calf strain. To make matters worse, Haliburton dealt with shingles during his recovery this season. I don’t expect Haliburton to hit the ground running next season. His success won’t be measured in scoring. He wins as a 6-5 pick-and-roll manipulator who has one of the best assist-to-turnover ratios in the game and the ability to steal games with audacious shot creation. Haliburton puts the pace in Pacers, but he’s going to need some time.
This sub-tier was made for Joel Embiid last year, and I was discouraged with where the 2023 NBA MVP was in his knee injury recovery. The start of this season did little to assuage my concerns. Embiid missed 14 of the first 23 games, and those nine games he played saw Embiid convert only 40.7 percent from the field with just 5.6 rebounds per game. But after Philadelphia’s four-day NBA Cup break, Embiid averaged 30 points on 52.1 percent shooting over 22 games. He could have easily been an All-Star. Embiid dealt with an oblique strain that limited him to seven games after the All-Star break, and an appendectomy delayed yet another playoff appearance, which ended in a sweep by the Knicks after the Sixers rallied from a 3-1 series deficit to eliminate Boston. The fact that the 32-year-old Embiid is encouraged by the state of his knee reminds me of how Kawhi Leonard felt a year ago. Perhaps it is still possible for Embiid to play the majority of a regular season and get through a playoff run in one piece. If it is, few players can reach the level of Embiid.
By Law Murray, via The Athletic