Ranking NBA top 30 players so far this s

As we close the chapter on the calendar year and move into 2023, it's time for an updated edition of our NBA player rankings.The last rankings came ahead of the regular season, with The Sporting News' Steph Noh ranking the players based on who he felt would be best to have on a team for this upcoming season and beyond.These rankings, which take into account what we've seen up to this point in the 2022-23 season, are a collaboration from 11 members acro s The Sporting News' Global NBA staff. Each participating member ranked their top 35 players in the league, with a sliding scale of points attached to each ranking. From there, the top 30 players were sorted in order of point total.With new information comes new results, meaning there is plenty of change since October's rankings. Most notable are ma sive leaps from Jaylen Brown and Anthony Davis. The biggest fall? Chris Paul, who went from Julian Okwara Jersey 17th to unranked. Among other notable players to mi s the cut were De'Aaron Fox, Dejounte Murray and Domantas Sabonis.Now that the voting proce s is understood, let's get into the top 10 players at this juncture of the season. If you'd like to see the entire list, . (NBAE via Getty Images) Previous rank:29No moment has proven to be too big for Gilgeous-Alexander, who has made an All-Star leap this season as a 30-point per game scorer and one of the NBA's most clutch players. As a bonus for Thunder fans, he lands ahead of both Paul George and Kawhi Leonard in these rankings.Shai is no stranger to clutch shots.Check out some of the best from his young career following tonight's ! NBA (@NBA) Richard Lane Jersey (Getty Images) Previous rank:22What adjustment period? Mitchell has hit the ground running since arriving in Cleveland, putting forth the best stats of his career up to this point of the season, proving that sometimes new scenery is all you need.With Mitchell leading the way, the Cavs could exceed expectations and reach new heights this season. He leaps into the top 15 for that reason. (NBA Getty Images) Previous rank:26Williamson, the youngest player to crack the top 30, comes in at 13. After mi sing all of last season, the 22-year-old didn't waste much time reminding fans of what he's capable of, dominating inside with his bruising physicality and making plenty of highlights with his generational athleticism.LADIES AND GENTLEMEN... ZION WILLIAMSON. New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) (NBAE via Getty Images) Previous rank:10The Heat may have gotten out to a rough start this season, but Butler is still that guy. Building off of a legendary showing in the 2022 Eastern Conference Finals, Butler is still a two-way star and someone you'll trust in the game's most tense moments.Jimmy Butler with ANOTHER clutch bucket to seal it for the Heat in OT NBA (@NBA) Getty Images Previous rank:25He'll be out for some time with an unspecified foot injury, but Davis was looking like a top-10 player prior to his latest injury setback. For that, he jumps 14 spots to land right outside of the top 10.Davis has gotten back to the interior dominance that sets him apart, embracing his role as LA's No. 1 scoring option, allowing LeBron James to take a step back to conserve more energy. (NBAE via Getty Images) Previous rank:8It almost feels strange to see James land this "low," making it easy to lose sight of the absurdity of his standing at this stage of his career. Even as he turns 38 in his 20th season in the NBA, James still lands in the top 10... barely! THROW IT DOWN BRONThe Lakers have cut it to six at the Steven Montez Jersey end of Q3 on TNT NBA (@NBA) Despite some signs of regre sion showing through a slight downturn in efficiency, James is averaging 27.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 6.5 a sists per game and, as a reminder of his longevity, will surpa s Kareem Abdul-Jabbar as the NBA's all-time leading scorer well before the season's end. (NBAE via Getty Images) Previous rank:13Booker has fallen just outside of the top 10 in each of our previous rankings. He now gets his just due with a leap into the ninth spot.With his backcourt mate experiencing a slight regre sion, Booker has stepped up to a sume more responsibility as a playmaker and as a scorer, Booker is as smooth as ever. Booker has already turned in five games with 40 or more points this season, including a 58-point performance in which the ball rarely touched the rim.Devin Booker dropped his second 50+ point game of the season 58 PTS (25 straight for at one point)6 REB5 AST6 3PMSo tough. NBA (@NBA) (NBAE via Getty Images) Previous rank:11It's been a steady rise for Morant, who, at 23, continues to remind us that the future is now.Morant's stats and eye-popping highlights are one thing, but his star is defined by his approach to the game and the insanely-high basketball IQ that's apparent in his reads and movements. With the Western Conference seemingly up for grabs, the Grizzlies are in a great spot to dominate for years with Morant running the show. (NBAE via Getty Images) Previous rank:3Last season, Embiid was runner-up Godwin Igwebuike Jersey for MVP and the first center to win a scoring title in over 20 years. This season, Embiid has been even better, but he slides back due to widespread improvement from the rest of the NBA's elite.In the midst of countle s injuries to key players in Philadelphia, Embiid is putting together yet another MVP-worthy campaign by averaging career-highs in scoring and a sists while shooting at a career-high efficiency from the field. The Sixers have stayed afloat thanks to the otherworldly play from their center, who still stands as one of the most difficult players to guard in the league. (NBAE via Getty Images) Previous rank:9Tatum has answered the call after he and the Celtics came just two wins shy of winning the NBA title last year.With the difficulty of a preseason coaching change looming large, it was Tatum's play that fueled the Celtics' historically hot start to the season, propelling him into MVP conversations and on the fringe of our top five. In his sixth NBA season, Tatum has taken another step as a scorer by adding a consistent floater to his game and Tracy Walker III Jersey becoming even more aggre sive, resulting in more trips to the line.At the quarter mark of the season take a look at 's top plays so far! NBA (@NBA) Last year showed just how difficult it is to be a player capable of leading a team to an NBA title, with Tatum on the cusp of being that guy. Early returns from this season would suggest that Tatum has turned that corner. (NBAE via Getty Images) Previous rank:6Doncic was one voter away from being a consensus top-five selection, which, as a reminder, should not be considered normal for a player that's still months away from their 24th birthday.On the whole, things are far from ideal for Dallas and its flawed roster, but Doncic's brillian