For most fans, the game of basketball is at its most exciting when it is centered around offense. Of course, that mindset has changed over time since the old days when defense and low scores were celebrated. Those days have been replaced by rule changes favorable to offensive play and a mass inflation of three-point shooting leading to more 30.0 PPG scorers and high single-game scorers than ever before. However, just because fans aren’t amused by defense as much as offense doesn’t mean we aren’t. Two-way NBA players are a rare breed these days, and elite two-way players are few and far between, but they exist, and they all have one thing in common, winning.
Being an elite two-way player means that a player has a significant impact on team success on both sides of the ball. It does not include elite scorers or passers who are just average or worse on defense. It does not include elite defensive players with little to no impact on the offensive side of the ball either. These players contributed more to winning this season than most other players in the game due to the way they scored or ran the offense while providing elite play on defense to slow down the opposition. These players give everything they have, when healthy to make sure their team walks away victorious.
These are the 10 best two-way NBA players in 2022-23.
10. Chris Paul
Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 13.9 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 8.9 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG
There was a point in time during the late 2000s when Chris Paul was in the discussion for the best two-way player in the game. From 2008 thru 2015, Paul averaged 19.2 PPG, 10.4 APG, and 2.4 SPG. He was an MVP candidate and won four assists titles along with six steals titles between his time with the Hornets and Clippers. As much as he gets criticized for never being able to win an NBA championship, there is no denying what Paul brings to the table every night he steps on the court.
Of course, age has caught up a bit to Paul, who will be 38 years old next week. Even as he approaches the twilight of his career, Paul is still on the floor as a starting point guard in Phoenix and making big-time plays on both sides of the ball for his team. In 2022-23, Paul ranked fourth overall in APG with 8.9 APG and tied for fifth in the NBA with 1.5 SPG. He helped the Suns gain a 45-37 record which was good enough for fourth in the Western Conference, and has helped the Suns advance to the second round of the playoffs for the third year in a row. For those of you who say Chris Paul is “washed” or “should just retire,” I say maybe you should watch just a little more.
9. Jaren Jackson Jr.
Credit: Allison Farrand-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 18.6 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.0 APG, 1.0 SPG, 3.0 BPG
Next up is a player that I foresee getting a ton of hate for his selection to this list but unwarranted hate at that. The bottom line is that if you don’t think Jaren Jackson Jr. is an elite two-way player, you either hate him or the Memphis Grizzlies. For the first three seasons of his career, we only saw a fraction of the potential that Jackson Jr. had, and as we have set the sun on the fifth season of his career, he finds himself among the best two-way players in the game.
In 2022-23, Jaren Jackson Jr. led the NBA in blocks for the second season in a row with 3.0 BPG. He also averaged 1.0 SPG and was awarded the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award for the first of what could be multiple times. This season, Jackson Jr. also recorded a career-high 18.6 PPG and shot 50.6% from the floor on over 13.0 attempts which matches his most efficient shooting season from his rookie year. If those numbers don’t move you, try and let some of that hate out of your heart, would you?
8. Jrue Holiday
Credit: Jeff Hanisch-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 19.3 PPG, 5.1 RPG, 7.4 APG, 1.2 SPG, 0.4 BPG
At number eight on our list comes quite possibly the most underrated player in the NBA today. Jrue Holiday has been a menace on both sides of the ball for most of his 14-year career, but his impact has been amplified since arriving in Milwaukee in 2020-21. That very season, the Milwaukee Bucks would go on to win the NBA championship, but they do not get that done without the shot-making, playmaking, and defensive pressure applied by Holiday.
In 2022-23, Holiday had one of the better seasons of his career. He became an All-Star for the second time in his career and will likely earn All-Defensive honors once again. He averaged a career-high 5.1 rebounds and the second-highest scoring average of his career with 19.3 PPG. Holiday was a big reason the Bucks finished first in the Eastern Conference, especially with the way he stopped up without Giannis or Middleton at full health at different times throughout the year. The only argument for Holiday and this list should be if he belongs higher or not.
7. Jaylen Brown
Credit: Neil Redmond-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 26.6 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 3.5 APG, 1.1 SPG, 0.4 BPG
If it were left up to Paul Pierce, Jaylen Brown would be number one on our list, but since we don’t employ him, we are comfortable putting him at number seven. Sorry, Truth. That being said, Jaylen Brown followed up his career-best 2022 season that saw him and the Celtics advance to the NBA Finals with another masterclass for the 2022-23 season. Brown was efficient and methodical on offense while playing a significant part in their defensive plan as well. At any time, Brown could be named the best player on the court, even when sharing it with teammate Jayson Tatum.
The 2022-23 season was not supposed to be this successful for Boston as they had lost their coach and defensive star in the middle to begin the year. Brown and Tatum made sure that had no bearing on their season, as they finished 57-25 and second in the East. Brown averaged a career-high 26.6 PPG this season on a career-high 49.1% shooting from the floor. His three-point shooting went down, but from everywhere else, he was as efficient as almost anybody else at his position in the league. Add spectacular team and individual defense to the mix, and you have one of the best two-way players in basketball.
6. Paul George
Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 23.8 PPG, 6.1 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.4 BPG
It has been no secret over the last decade that Paul George is one of the best two-way players in the game. George has gone toe-to-toe with some of the best in the game and come up big for his team when matched with daunting defensive assignments. Furthermore, his offensive game, especially his shot creation and shot-making, are among the smoothest and most effective in the league. He is a nightmare for defenders in isolation and the same for offensive opponents who dare to challenge him on the perimeter.
The 2022-23 season could be considered a letdown thanks to George and teammate Kawhi Leonard’s health struggles. George played just 56 games this season and missed the entire first round of the 2023 playoffs as well. Still, Paul George remained one of the best two-way players in the game, unofficially ranking tied for fourth in SPG with 1.5 and still delivering over 23.0 PPG on 45.7% shooting overall and 37.1% from three.
5. Jimmy Butler
Credit: Sam Navarro-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 22.9 PPG, 5.9 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 0.3 BPG
Jimmy Butler may just be the NBA’s best big-game performer in 2022-23. I do not say that sentence lightly, as there are a few people deserving of that title scattered throughout the league. Maybe I am too caught up in the moment, but let me explain further. The 2022-23 first round is no shock to those of us who have been watching Butler for a long time now. He is always giving maximum effort on defense and then some while simultaneously being able to take over any game he wishes in an instant. It is truly incredible to watch transpire, especially when so many continue to count him and the Miami Heat out.
That’s nothing new to Butler, he has been counted out his entire life. Just as he has always done, in 2022-23, Jimmy Butler answered the challenge once again. On offense, Butler has never been known as a “shooter” per se but has improved drastically since coming into the league 12 years ago. In 2022-23, Butler set a new career-high by shooting 53.9% from the floor overall and decided to attempt far fewer shots from three. With his impact at an all-time high right now on both ends of the court, Butler is easily a top 5 two-way player in the game and may just be top 3.
4. Kawhi Leonard
Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 23.8 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 3.9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 0.5 BPG
To not have Kawhi Leonard on a list of the best two-way players in basketball would be a crime I would be willing to go to jail for, regardless of his health. When healthy, Leonard is number one or two on this list, and it isn’t particularly close. The problem is, Kawhi has not been fully healthy or allowed to play in a very long time. Over his career, he has received numerous accolades for his defensive ability, including two Defensive Player of the Year awards and one of his two Finals MVPs as well. For the 52 games that he was on the court in 2022-23 and the two playoff games, that was the case once again.
Once Kawhi added a more refined offensive game to his arsenal, he was up there with the best of the best in the game. He has only been able to show flashes of that greatness with the Clippers over the last four seasons due to numerous issues with his knee that keeps costing him time on the court and causing Clippers fans nothing but despair. All of that being said, he was the same old Kawhi on the court this season averaging over 23.0 PPG and adding 1.4 SPG as well. In his two playoff games which included a big win over the Phoenix Suns in Game 1, Leonard averaged 34.5 PPG on over 54.0% shooting as well as 2.0 SPG.
3. Anthony Davis
Credit: Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 25.9 PPG, 12.5 RPG, 2.6 APG, 1.1 SPG, 2.0 BPG
Coming in at number three for the best two-way players in 2022-23 is another star who has struggled with injuries over the last few seasons, Anthony Davis. Since their championship run in 2020, Davis has failed to reach 60 games played every season. In 2022-23, he showed a different dominance when healthy, prompting us to lift him one spot above Leonard for this season specifically. He became less timid and more aggressive on the offensive end while finding his previously dominant interior defense once again to help turn around the Lakers’ season.
As we can see from the results so far, since the trade deadline and the first round of the playoffs, it is paying off. Davis’ 2.0 BPG this year would have ranked sixth in the NBA with enough games played, and his 25.9 PPG would have been 11th. With his game returning to its All-Star form of old on both sides and the Lakers’ newest acquisitions, the team looks primed to make a run at an NBA-record 18th NBA championship. It all starts with Davis in the middle because when he is on, there is almost nobody better at making a two-way impact on a game.
2. Joel Embiid
Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
2022-23 Stats: 33.1 PPG, 10.2 RPG, 4.2 APG, 1.0 SPG, 1.7 BPG
The likely MVP for the 2022-23 season, Joel Embiid, comes in as the runner-up on our list of best two-way players in the game today. Embiid has become an unstoppable force on offense who is highly skilled at creating his own shots from all three levels as well as finishing shots created for him. His defensive abilities have held some of the game’s best bigs to pedestrian nights on the court as well due to his ability to read offenses, anticipate plays, and alter shots consistently.
For the second straight season, Joel Embiid would lead the NBA in scoring with 33.1 PPG on 54.8% shooting, both of which are new career highs for him. He led the Sixers to a 54-28 record and a first-round playoff sweep of the Brooklyn Nets as the third seed in the East. Embiid was one of just three players to play at least 55 games and average at least 1.0 SPG and 1.0 BPG. That list also includes the Defensive Player of the Year and the aforementioned Anthony Davis. It seems to me that Joel Embiid is the rightful owner of the second spot on this list.
1. Giannis Antetokounmpo
Credit: Stephen Lew-USA Today Sports
2022-23 Stats: 31.1 PPG, 11.8 RPG, 5.7 APG, 0.8 SPG, 0.8 BPG
There aren’t many lists these days that you won’t see Giannis Antetokounmpo at the top of. Giannis is often referred to as the best player in the NBA, and rightfully so, but that is because no player has more of a two-way impact in the NBA than Giannis, and it’s not even close. Giannis will single-handedly bulldoze defenses and break them down ruthlessly when he gets going, prompting opponents to do whatever it takes to stop him. On defense, his numbers may look a bit down, but I promise you that the impact it had on his team did not change.
The former MVP and Defensive Player of the Year set a new career-high in scoring in 2022-23 with 31.1 PPG and shot 55.3% from the field. Aside from his shot, there are no weaknesses in his game, as Giannis can debilitate his opponent with scoring, passing, playmaking, and interior or perimeter defense. His length, power, IQ, and skillset are truly unmatched in today’s league, which is why the Bucks will struggle if he is not performing or is unhealthy. Unfortunately for Giannis and the Bucks, their 2023 season ended with an upset by the Miami Heat in the first round of the NBA playoffs. If anyone can bounce back from it, it is Giannis as the best two-way player in the NBA today.
