In the spirit of #RankingSeason, that time of the NBA league calendar devoid of news but rich with projections of players, teams, and anything else that can be ranked for the season ahead, CBS Sports has released its annual list of the top 100 NBA players for the upcoming 2023-24 season.
This exercise focuses on projected future performance rather than past achievements, so it might raise an eyebrow among those fans of the Boston Celtics weighing past achievements more heavily. The rankings were determined by CBS Sports’ eight NBA staff writers, with each writer submitting their individual list of the top 100 players, and point values assigned based on their rankings.
Buy Celtics TicketsLet’s dive into which Celtics players made the cut — and where.
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No. 94 - Robert Williams III
“If Williams could stay on the floor, he would be much higher on this list,” writes Jack Maloney. “There are no questions about his ability.”
“He’s one of the league’s premier shot-blockers, a force on the offensive glass, and an incredibly efficient finisher around the basket. He’s also only played 209 games in five seasons and has never played more than 22 consecutive games in his career.”
No. 74 - Malcolm Brogdon
“Brogdon’s first season with the Celtics was everything the team wanted, right up until he tore a tendon in his arm during the playoffs,” observes Maloney. ”
He averaged 14.9 points on 48.4% shooting to help supplement the team’s offense around Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, and chipped in with 4.2 rebounds and 3.7 assists en route to winning Sixth Man of the Year.”
No. 62 - Derrick White
“If the Celtics had gone on to win the title last season, or had even just made it to the Finals, White would have been a Boston folk hero for his game-winning tip-in in Game 6 of the Eastern Conference finals,” suggests Maloney.
“Alas, that wasn’t to be, but White still established himself as a key part of this Boston core last season by becoming a reliable 3-point shooter and earning second-team All-Defense honors.”
No. 49 - Kristaps Porzingis
“Porzingis had a career year in Washington,” notes Maloney. “He put up a career-high 23.2 points while shooting just shy of 50% from the field and 38.5% from deep.”
“Porzingis also played in 65 games, the most since his second year in the league, a significant thing to note given his injury history has always dampened his on-court brilliance.”
No. 24 - Jaylen Brown
“The 2022-23 regular season was the best of Jaylen Brown’s career, as he averaged career-highs across the board, including 26.6 points per game on 49.1% shooting, and made second-team All-NBA,” writes Maloney.
“However, it was overshadowed by his showing in the 2023 Eastern Conference finals, which was one of the worst stretches of basketball he has ever played … But for all the jokes about his … problems dribbling, he remains one of the best wing scorers in the league and may be a bit underrated at this point.”
No. 7 - Jayson Tatum
“Last season, Tatum became the first player in Celtics franchise history to average 30 points per game for a whole season and set an NBA record for most points in a Game 7 when he dropped 51 to beat the 76ers,” observes Maloney. “He also made first-team All-NBA for the second year in a row.”
“Consistency can still be an issue at times for the four-time All-Star, in particular with his 3-point shot, but few players can reach the heights he does when he’s at his best.”
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