The Best Player On Every NBA Team In The Eastern Conference

The NBA has dominated sports discussions largely due to how marketable they make their stars. Pick any year in the NBA, and the NBA Finals can be seen as a clash of two of the biggest superstars against each other. The eastern conference has produced some of the biggest stars in NBA history, and almost every single franchise in the eastern conference has a star or a star on the rise right now.

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From teams like the Philadelphia 76ers who have MVP runner-up Joel Embiid, two NBA Finals star Jayson Tatum, the eastern conference is loaded with stars. These are the best players on each eastern conference team.

15 Atlanta Hawks – Trae Young

Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young is a truly dynamic guard. Young is one of the best shooters in the league and is continuously becoming a more polished player. Although the Atlanta Hawks did not do as well as they did the previous season, where they made the eastern conference finals, Young improved his game taking it to an all NBA level, making the all NBA-Third team for the first time in his career last season.

Young became an incredibly efficient shooter last season, having career highs in field goal percentage, three point percentage, and free-throw percentage. Now with a backcourt paired with Dejounte Murray, the Atlanta Hawks look to be in great hands for the future.

14 Boston Celtics – Jayson Tatum

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum took a massive jump from superstar to undoubtedly one of the top ten best players in the league. Tatum led the Celtics to the NBA Finals last year, ultimately falling to the Golden State Warriors. However, that playoff series showed what kind of superstar the Celtics have on their hands in Tatum.

Tatum proved to be one of the best two-way players, averaging 25.6 points per game in the playoffs while minimizing some of the biggest stars such as Kevin Durant in Boston’s series win over the Brooklyn Nets. If he stays on this pace next season, Tatum should be in the MVP conversation all year.

13 Brooklyn Nets – Kevin Durant

By the time this list comes out, Kevin Durant could already be on a different team. Reports have come out from just about everywhere that Durant is unhappy with the Brooklyn Nets, and the Nets are looking at potential trades for both him and teammate Kyrie Irving.

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However, the trade package for Durant would have to be massive considering he is arguably the best player in the NBA right now. Durant’s scoring ability is unmatched, and as long as he can stay healthy he is one of the biggest threats to the NBA championship there is, regardless of what team he is on.

12 Charlotte Hornets – LaMelo Ball

LaMelo Ball might be the most exciting young star on the rise. Ball is coming off his first All-Star appearance in just his second season in the NBA. Ball earned Rookie of the Year honors last year and seems to be on the verge of becoming one of the league’s best players in a couple of seasons.

Ball is coming off of a 20.1 points per game, 7.6 assists per game, and 6.7 rebounds per game year. The Charlotte Hornets need to do all that they can to give Ball the reinforcements to turn them into a playoff contending team. That should be the next and only focus for the Hornets currently.

11 Chicago Bulls – DeMar DeRozan

After years of people not paying attention to him in San Antonio, DeMar DeRozan went to the Chicago Bulls last season and showed exactly what people had been missing when they weren’t watching San Antonio. DeRozan proved that he is just as good as he has always been, and maybe he has even kicked it up to another level.

DeRozan jumped from 21.6 points per game to a career-high 27.9 points with Chicago, a major improvement in his scoring. More importantly, DeRozan was able to lead the Chicago Bulls to the playoffs for the first time since the 2016-17 season.

10 Cleveland Cavaliers – Darius Garland

The Cleveland Cavaliers are such a tough choice to pick the best player in, because there are so many good young stars on the team. Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and Jared Allen are all incredible young stars, but Darius Garland is the most polished at the moment.

Garland saw his game take a major leap last season, going from averaging 17.4 points per game the previous year to 21.2 points per game and making his first All-Star appearance in his career. Garland will be entering his fourth NBA season this year and looks to be a future multi-time All-Star at this point. The Cavs have something special in the young core led by Garland.

9 Detroit Pistons – Cade Cunningham

The Detroit Pistons are one of the worst teams in the NBA and have one of the youngest rosters in the league. However, many Pistons fans are hanging their hopes and hats on the number one pick last season Cade Cunningham. Cunningham was the third in the Rookie of the Year award this past season, losing out to Toronto Raptors forward Scottie Barnes.

The Pistons have something special in Cunningham who averaged 17.4 points per game, 5.6 assists per game, and 5.5 rebounds per game. Cunningham has one of the best all-around games in a young star in the league and will be the cornerstone of the Pistons for probably the next decade.

8 Indiana Pacers – Tyrese Haliburton

The Indiana Pacers are a completely different team to what they were last season. The Pacers started out with Malcolm Brogdon, DeMonte Sabonis, Caris LeVert, and Buddy Hield on their team. All of those players have been traded, but the best player that they got in the trade was former Sacramento Kings guard Tyrese Halliburton.

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Kings fans were shocked to see Halliburton traded, as they believed that he was one of the pieces for the future. Halliburton is now that guy for Indiana, as he will be one of the Pacers’ biggest pieces in the rebuild, and with a full season in Indiana will likely prove to be its next star

7 Miami Heat – Jimmy Butler

In terms of a player who will go the distance, and scratch and claw for a championship, there is no better player to have on a roster than Jimmy Butler. Butler is one of the toughest players in the NBA. Since Butler arrived in Miami, the Heat have been to two eastern conference finals, and an NBA Finals.

Butler’s stats are not typically as high as a top ten player typically is, but he is an MVP candidate every season by how consistent he is on both ends of the ball. The Miami Heat have a great team with center Bam Adebayo, and guards Kyle Lowry and Tyler Herro, but it is Butler who is the leader of this contending squad.

6 Milwaukee Bucks – Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo is many fans’ vote as the best player in the NBA. In recent years, Antetokounmpo has won back-to-back MVPs, an NBA championship, and an NBA Finals MVP. Antetokounmpo is one of the most unstoppable forces in NBA history, doing just as much if not more work on the defensive side of the ball then the offensive side.

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That’s saying a lot, considering Antetokounmpo is coming off of a career high 29.9 points per game last year. Antetokounmpo is one of the true greats that will probably go down as a top ten to 20 player all time and is the heart and soul of Milwaukee Bucks.

5 New York Knicks – RJ Barrett

This choice is closer than most people think. RJ Barrett and Julius Randle are extremely close to each other, despite Randle always being one of the most criticized players in the NBA. Randle is extremely inconsistent, now RJ Barrett has been continuously improving, and that is why Barrett just barely beats Randle.

This will be Barrett’s year to step up and undoubtedly take the throne as the top player in New York, and all signs point to that happening. Barrett has been extremely healthy and is coming off of a career-high-scoring average last season and a similar leap could propel the Knicks to a playoff spot.

4 Orlando Magic – Cole Anthony

It’s difficult to say who is the best player on the Orlando Magic right now. The Magic are coming off a 22-60 season, the worst in the Eastern Conference. However, statistically, the best player on the magic would be Cole Anthony, who led the team in points and assists last year.

Magic fans will hope that number one pick Paulo Banchero will be the new hope but for now Anthony is the team’s best. Orlando is simply a young team, and nobody has broken out of the pack just yet to show that they are the future star of the franchise, but Anthony is an undeniable great young guard with loads of potential.

3 Philadelphia 76ers – Joel Embiid

Philadelphia 76ers Center, Joel Embiid is coming off of two second-placed MVP-voted seasons. The MVP runner-up has an argument that he should’ve been MVP in both seasons with how dominant he has been both offensively and defensively in the NBA. Embiid is the most dominant center down low and a great shooter as well.

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There’s virtually nothing that can’t be done, and with an upcoming season that is sure to be less drama filled, there’s a chance that Embiid can be locked in and win his first MVP trophy. With Embiid, the Sixers are one of the title favorites in the Eastern conference every single season.

2 Toronto Raptors – Pascal Siakam

This one is the biggest toss-up out of any team on the list. Fans could make an argument between three players on the Toronto Raptors. Fred Vanvleet, Pascal Siakam, and Scottie Barnes. Siakam just got the edge due to him averaging the most points and rebounds on the squad and making the All-NBA Third team.

However, Vanvleet is coming off of making the All-Star team last season, while Scottie Barnes has all the potential to be the cornerstone building block for the Raptors. Siakam had a down year during the COVID season that forced the Raptors to play in Tampa, and now fans are discovering that season was an anomaly and the old Siakam is back.

1 Washington Wizards – Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal is one of the best pure scorers in the NBA. The Washington Wizards guard is a previous scoring champion and a multi-time All-Star. It was the 2017 season that Beal became the guy from Washington.

Beal has been one of the most consistent offensive threats in the league, averaging at least 22 points a game in the past seven seasons. The Wizards look to be in a rebuild currently, but knew the value of Beal, giving him a supermax that was worth $251 million.