NBArank 2023 - Player rankings for 2023-24, from 100 to 51 - ESPN

NBArank is back for its 13th season counting down the best players in the league.

Which stars made and missed the cut? Which rookies are already making noise in the top 100? Where did MVP contenders such as Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic and reigning winner Joel Embiid check in?

Where did LeBron James land as he enters season No. 21?

To get the final NBArank prediction, we asked our expert panel to vote on player vs. player matchups from more than 15,000 possible pairings. Voters were asked, «Which player will be better in 2023-24?» and had to predict how each player will perform this season.

Our countdown kicks off with our rankings of players Nos. 100-51, which include star guards, elite rim protectors and plenty of faces in new places.

Note: ESPN's NBArank panel, composed of nearly 150 reporters, editors, producers and analysts, were asked to rank players based on their predicted contributions — quality and quantity — for the 2023-24 season only.

New York Knicks | C

2022 NBArank: 98

Swing skill: Robinson is an elite offensive rebounder, providing the Knicks with plenty of second-chance opportunities. His 4.5 offensive boards per game last season were the second highest in the league, behind Memphis Grizzlies center Steven Adams. That, paired with Robinson's 67.1% field goal percentage thanks to a plethora of dunks, makes him exactly the kind of big man coach Tom Thibodeau looks for.

— Tim Bontemps

New Orleans Pelicans | C

2022 NBArank: 84

Swing skill: Valanciunas saw a significant drop in his minutes last season (30.3 to 24.9), but he remained one of the league's premier rebounders. He led all qualified players in rebound percentage (20.4%) and averaged 14.1 points and 10.2 rebounds last season