NBA Player Power Rankings: Who's the Best in the Business?

Almost every NBA player was used to being the best in the business before they made it to the sport's highest level, but the members of the NBA Player Power Rankings haven't seen anything change. They're still the best that the game has to offer. 

That said, who are the absolute top dogs? Which guys stand out above the landscape of elite players in this elite league? 

Some players have distinguished themselves with their scoring prowess. Others have crashed the boards to earn recognition or made a concerted effort to play lock-down defense each time they end up on that side of the court. 

A select few have been able to distinguish themselves in multiple areas, and they are easily able to distinguish themselves as the cream of the crop. 

To find out how the top players in the league stack up—or how they've moved since last week's edition—you'll have to read on. 

Note: All stats, unless otherwise indicated, are accurate as of Sunday, Dec. 2. 

Injured Players

As a quick housekeeping note, injured players are not considered for the star player power rankings. If a player is out for a prolonged period of time, he's automatically ineligible for the next 20 slides.

Therefore, Derrick Rose, Kyrie Irving, Andrew Bynum and Dirk Nowitzki will not be appearing, although they would certainly make the cut if healthy.

Honorable Mentions

Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers point guard has been absolutely sensational during his fourth year in the NBA. He's teetering on the brink of averaging 20 points and 10 assists per game, although his scoring figures will likely decline if Andrew Bynum ever gets healthy. 

He's listed at the top of this slide because his last name comes first alphabetically, but Holiday was also the first player included in the honorable mentions based on merit. 

Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee Bucks

Even though he's shot inefficiently, Brandon Jennings has been a constant scoring threat for the Milwaukee Bucks while coupling his scoring production with quite a few dimes per game—6.5 to be exact. 

When you're standing out in a backcourt that also includes Monta Ellis, you're in pretty good shape. 

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

If defense didn't exist, Damian Lillard would probably work his way into the numbered part of the rankings. Unfortunately for him, it does. 

As a result, he's going to have to keep working to truly establish himself among the elites. But yes, he's been this good. 

Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls

We know how good Joakim Noah is on defense, as he's an absolute game-changer on that end of the court. However, the big man's offense has been vastly improved this season. 

Noah is averaging 13.3 points per game—he could stand to get more efficient—but it's his passing that truly stands out. With 4.3 assists per game, it's pretty clear that Noah has been quite the spark-plug for the Chicago Bulls in the paint. 

Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers

I'm not sure that anyone expected Anderson Varejao to lead the league in rebounds, much less to have 2.6 more boards per game than anyone else in the NBA. 

He's still a secondary player on the offensive end of the court, but his constant hustle and willingness to go get the ball after each and every missed shot has made him an incredibly valuable player for the Kyrie Irving-less Cleveland Cavaliers.

20. Greg Monroe (Previous Ranking: No. 19)

Team: Detroit Pistons

Position: C

Age: 22

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 16.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists, 0.7 blocks, 1.7 steals, 18.67 PER

During the four-game stretch culminating in a 15-point loss to the Dallas Mavericks, Greg Monroe averaged just 13.5 points, 10.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 0.3 blocks and 1.5 steals on 41.8 percent shooting. 

The young big man is still a versatile star in the making, but he's going to have to step it up to avoid falling into the honorable-mention category, or possibly out of these lists entirely. 

Unsurprisingly, the Detroit Pistons also seem to struggle when Monroe can't hit his shots. 

19. Zach Randolph (Previous Ranking: No. 20)

Team: Memphis Grizzlies

Position: PF

Age: 31

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 16.3 points, 12.7 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 0.5 blocks, 0.7 steals, 18.43 PER

You know that a guy is a tenacious rebounder when you check out the night's box scores, go to the Memphis Grizzlies' numbers, see that he recorded single digits and then double-check to make sure you were on the right line. 

Zach Randolph has been the energy source for the Grizzlies, and he's thrived on both ends of the court when crashing the boards. He slowed down this past week by averaging "only" 11.3 rebounds per game. 

18. Deron Williams (Previous Ranking: No. 16)

Team: Brooklyn Nets

Position: PG

Age: 28

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 15.4 points, 3.0 rebounds, 8.9 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.1 steals, 17.91 PER

There's cold, there's ice-cold and then there's Deron Williams. Over his past 10 games, the bulky point guard has only managed to make 32.8 percent of his shots from the field. 

Nothing is clicking in the Barclays Center, and the story follows a similar trend on the road. 

Despite his tendency to misfire, D-Will is still playing great basketball because of his ability to find open teammates, frustrate opposing 1 guards and score down the stretch while minimizing turnovers.

17. Nicolas Batum (Previous Ranking: No. 18)

Team: Portland Trail Blazers

Position: SF

Age: 23

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 17.6 points, 5.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 blocks, 1.8 steals, 18.22 PER

Nicolas Batum wiped away a recent stretch of poor play with one shot, although his performance throughout the double-overtime game against the Cleveland Cavaliers was thoroughly impressive from start to finish. 

The lanky forward has quickly developed into one of the true go-to guys for the Portland Trail Blazers, who would actually be a threatening team if the bench had at least a little bit of talent. It showed when Batum took the game-winning attempt in the first overtime, draining it after the buzzer sounded, then hit the game-winner in the next period. 

16. Blake Griffin (Previous Ranking: No. 11)

Team: Los Angeles Clippers

Position: PF

Age: 23

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 16.7 points, 8.8 rebounds, 3.3 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.3 steals, 18.41 PER

Masked in the alley-oop highlights and thunderous finishes that Blake Griffin provides on a nightly basis is the fact that the third-year power forward really hasn't improved much at all this year. In fact, he might have regressed a bit. 

Griffin has struggled with foul trouble and his shot lately—a devastating combination for a physical player who needs to balance out his drives to the hoop with a finesse game from mid-range. 

It's hard to imagine the former Oklahoma Sooner dropping out of the top 20 this season, but he might very well do just that if he continues his recent pace. 

15. Marc Gasol (Previous Ranking: No. 15)

Team: Memphis Grizzlies

Position: C

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 15.9 points, 7.1 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.4 blocks, 0.7 steals, 20.73 PER

Marc Gasol is one of those rare players whose fantasy value almost perfectly matches his real-life value. 

The younger of the two Gasol brothers, Marc isn't going to put up monster numbers, but his well-rounded play will contribute in all categories and he always plays with efficiency.

He's a terrific center to build around, and the Memphis Grizzlies have done exactly that. 

14. James Harden (Previous Ranking: No. 17)

Team: Houston Rockets

Position: SG

Age: 23

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 24.1 points, 4.1 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.6 blocks, 1.7 steals, 20.26 PER

James Harden struggled massively in his first bit of action against his former team, making only three of his 16 attempts from the field and having the ball swatted back at him six times, but let's give him a pass for that performance. After all, the Oklahoma City Thunder understand how to guard the bearded shooting guard perfectly. 

I'm a little more concerned with Harden's recent struggles to get to the line, but that's more a fluke of small sample size than anything else. 

All in all, he's continuing to thrive in his new role as the go-to guy on the Houston Rockets. 

13. Tony Parker (Previous Ranking: No. 12)

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Position: PG

Age: 30

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.1 points, 3.1 rebounds, 7.1 assists, 0.1 blocks, 0.7 steals, 20.62 PER

Apparently a controversial rest day against the Miami Heat did wonders for Tony Parker, who rebounded from a pair of so-so performances with a sensational showing in an overtime victory over the Memphis Grizzlies.

The French point guard knocked down 55 percent of his shots from the field, scoring 30 points while contributing four rebounds, six assists, one block and one steal versus Memphis. He also only had two turnovers in 43 minutes on the court. 

Parker has been up and down throughout the season, but the ups are definitely special. 

12. Dwyane Wade (Previous Ranking: No. 14)

Team: Miami Heat

Position: SG

Age: 30

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 19.5 points, 4.1 rebounds, 4.9 assists, 0.8 blocks, 1.3 steals, 21.76 PER

Fans in South Beach had to be thrilled to finally see the vintage Dwyane Wade show up in a 102-89 home victory over the Brooklyn Nets Saturday night. 

Slashing to the basket, drawing contact and thriving on his mid-range game, the shooting guard took 20 shots from the field, hitting on 14 of them to finish with a season-high 34 points. As if that wasn't enough, he also racked up seven assists in the process. 

A healthy Wade is a scary beast, and he's getting closer to 100 percent. 

11. Chris Bosh (Previous Ranking: No. 13)

Team: Miami Heat

Position: PF/C

Age: 28

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 19.3 points, 7.9 rebounds, 1.3 assists, 1.4 blocks, 0.7 steals, 23.40 PER

Chris Bosh slowed down a little over the last week, but not as much as some of the players directly above him in the last set of rankings. Don't view his jump in the rankings as a testament to an improved level of play, but rather, less of a drop. 

Against the Nets—in what might eventually seem like a playoff preview—Bosh was remarkably uninvolved on offense. He attempted only seven shots from the field, finishing with just eight points in the 13-point Miami victory.

10. Kevin Love (Previous Ranking: No. 9)

Team: Minnesota Timberwolves

Position: PF

Age: 24

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 21.7 points, 15.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.5 blocks, 1.3 steals, 22.20 PER

Some players take a while to get back in the swing of things after they return from a major injury, but Kevin Love is rather clearly not one of those players. 

The premier power forward has yet to pull down less than 12 boards, and his rebounding numbers can't help but jump off the page, particularly his 23-rebound game against the Sacramento Kings. He's also opening things up for other players like Nikola Pekovic through his presence on the court. 

Love's shooting touch from downtown is only going to improve as his hand returns to full strength, but he's already resumed his utter dominance. 

9. Dwight Howard (Previous Ranking: No. 8)

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Position: C

Age: 26

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.7 points, 11.3 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 2.6 blocks, 1.2 steals, 22.11 PER*

In what might be scary for the rest of the league—although don't tell that to the Orlando Magic, who handed the Los Angeles Lakers a surprising 113-103 defeat Sunday night within the friendly confines of the Staples Center—Dwight Howard looks like he's rounding into form. 

The big man is playing with enthusiasm and intensity from start to finish, and he's even knocking down corner threes. Alright, that was a fluke, but still. 

Now he just needs to figure out his free-throw woes, as he's shooting a career-low 46.5 percent following the 9-of-21 fiasco against the Magic. 

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Dec. 2, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Dec. 1.

8. Russell Westbrook (Previous Ranking: No. 7)

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Position: PG

Age: 24

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 20.7 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.7 assists, 5.1 rebounds, 0.3 blocks, 2.1 steals, 22.24 PER

Russell Westbrook's willingness to distribute the basketball continues to astound his supporters and baffle his detractors. 

You now have to go all the way back to November 12 to find a single game in which the floor general—yes, it's now safe to call the dynamic athlete a floor general—didn't manage to record at least five assists. He's racked up eight or more in seven consecutive games. 

Westbrook is always going to fashion himself a scorer first, but his passing chops are now catching up with his ability to create offense for himself. 

7. Rajon Rondo (Previous Ranking: No. 5)

Team: Boston Celtics

Position: PG

Age: 26

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 12.9 points, 4.6 rebounds, 12.9 assists, 0.0 blocks, 1.9 steals, 20.49 PER

There's not much new to report about Rajon Rondo, who missed two games following his ejection and subsequent suspension for his fight with Kris Humphries. It was an unfortunate way for his sensational string of double-digit assists to end, but he'll certainly get a new one started in the very near future. 

6. Carmelo Anthony (Previous Ranking: No. 6)

Team: New York Knicks

Position: SF

Age: 28

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 26.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.1 assists, 0.6 blocks, 0.8 steals, 24.24 PER*

We still have yet to see if Amar'e Stoudemire's eventual return to the New York Knicks lineup will have a negative effect on Carmelo Anthony, but the small forward who's been lining up at power forward must be considered a bona fide MVP candidate after a month of sheer domination on the offensive end of the court. 

Melo is not only averaging 26.6 points per game, but he's doing so on 46.4 percent shooting from the field. He's also learning when not to force up the ball, which is just as important. Against the Washington Wizards, Anthony took a backseat shooting the ball and coupled his 20 points with five dimes. 

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Dec. 2, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Dec. 1.

5. Tim Duncan (Previous Ranking: No. 10)

Team: San Antonio Spurs

Position: PF/C

Age: 36

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 18.9 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.6 assists, 2.4 blocks, 0.9 steals, 27.66 PER

At this point, Ponce de Leon would want to be best friends with Tim Duncan. So would Nicolas Flamel. 

Tim Duncan's story has been better than any other development in the league so far, bar none. He's embarrassed Father Time on a nightly basis, dominating far more than any player with 36 years on this planet should. 

Maybe that's it. Duncan just might not be human. 

4. Kobe Bryant (Previous Ranking: No. 3)

Team: Los Angeles Lakers

Position: SG

Age: 34

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 27.3 points, 5.2 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 0.0 blocks, 1.5 steals, 24.61 PER*

Kobe Bryant's efficiency from the field has started to wane ever so slightly, but The Black Mamba is still striking early, often and throughout the game. And even when he's not hitting all his shots, he's still getting to the charity stripe and knocking down his freebies. 

He's been the brightest spot on the Los Angeles Lakers so far, but I would like to point out a curious stat: How has Kobe not recorded a single block this season?

*While the per-game stats are updated through Sunday, Dec. 2, the PER is only updated through Saturday, Dec. 1.

3. Chris Paul (Previous Ranking: No. 4)

Team: Los Angeles Clippers

Position: PG

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 16.4 points, 3.7 rebounds, 9.3 assists, 0.0 blocks, 2.7 steals, 25.63 PER

Chris Paul's ability to just take over a basketball game is still astounding, no matter how many times he does so. The best point guard in the league always makes the right decisions when the clock is ticking, and something tells me that he just terrifies opponents. 

Now, CP3 is picking and choosing his spots better than ever. Over the last two games in November and the December opener, Paul knocked down a sensational 22 of 35 shots from the field, good for a scorching 62.9 percent. 

2. Kevin Durant (Previous Ranking: No. 2)

Team: Oklahoma City Thunder

Position: SF

Age: 24

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 26.2 points, 8.7 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 1.6 blocks, 1.6 steals, 27.83 PER

Kevin Durant is still scoring at a high level, even though he's somehow just third in the league in PPG through the first month of the season. Even though his scoring average stands almost two points per game below the 2011-12 mark, he's more impressive this year because he's making over half his shots from the field. 

Additionally, Durant has kept improving his board-crashing abilities and desire every year while taking a massive jump forward in his facilitating skills. Despite averaging a career-high 4.3 assists per game, the Oklahoma City Thunder small forward is also lowering his turnover numbers. 

1. LeBron James (Previous Ranking: No. 1)

Team: Miami Heat

Position: SF

Age: 27

2012-13 Per-Game Stats: 24.7 points, 8.9 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 0.9 blocks, 1.1 steals, 28.26 PER

LeBron James continues to show off for the rest of the NBA on a nightly basis. No matter how he's feeling, he's going to manage to dominate the game due to his versatility.

He can't score? No problem. He'll just do everything else. 

There's a reason that the reigning MVP has the league's highest PER, as well as the most impressive statistical line, especially when you include his 53.3 percent shooting from the field.