Back in January, Jaylen Brown claimed that he was the best two-way player in the NBA. Brown was coming off a huge night against the LA Clippers, scoring 50 points at the TD Garden and shutting down Kawhi Leonard on the end. It was also a time when the Clippers were on a hot streak, and Leonard was elite and healthy again.
Speaking on a recent live stream, Brown walked back on his comments a little bit. He’s still confident about being the best two-way player in the league since Victor Wembanyama is in a category of his own.
“That boy Wemby is a problem, a big problem,” Brown said. “When I say I’m the best two-way player in the league, it’s not counting Wemby. Wemby don’t count. He’s not even human. I’m the best human player.”
With that said, let’s rank the best two-way players in the NBA today, featuring Jaylen Brown.
Top 5 Two-Way Players in the NBA feat. Jaylen Brown
#1. Victor Wembanyama | Center | San Antonio Spurs
There’s no denying that Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs is the best two-way player in the NBA. Wembanyama is the best defensive player in the league, and it’s not even close. He has no DPOYs to his name, but that’s because of the NBA’s eligibility rule that will likely get changed.
The scarier part is that Wemby hasn’t even perfected his offense, which should happen after a long playoff run this year. He’ll continue to improve and be the best two-way player in the NBA, on his way to becoming the best player in the world.
#2. Giannis Antetokounmpo | Forward | Milwaukee Bucks
Giannis Antetokounmpo is the only active player in the NBA with at least one MVP and DPOY to his name. Antetokounmpo hasn’t been playing a lot of games this season due to injury, but it doesn’t change the fact that he’s one of the two-way players in the league.
Antetokounmpo has the better offensive package than Victor Wembanyama, while no one will affect the game defensively more than the Spurs superstar. The Milwaukee Bucks superstar was second in scoring last season and had the third-best defensive rating among forwards.
#3. Jaylen Brown | Forward | Boston Celtics
Jaylen Brown has taken his game to the next level this season. Many expected the Boston Celtics to fold and become a play-in contender this season due to the absence of Jayson Tatum.
However, Brown has turned into arguably the best two-way wing in the NBA over Kawhi Leonard. He has been more consistent on the offensive end and defends the best perimeter players every night.
#4. Kawhi Leonard | Guard | LA Clippers
When healthy, Kawhi Leonard is one of the best players in the world. Leonard has shown that he’s still an elite player, averaging a career-best 27.9 points per game. He’s still a very good defender, ranking seventh among forwards, just behind Jaylen Brown.
The five forwards ahead of them were Scottie Barnes, OG Anunoby, Julian Champagnie, Evan Mobley and Jalen Johnson. Barnes, Mobley and Johnson are good offensive players as well, but they are not on the same level as Leonard.
#5. Cade Cunningham | Guard | Detroit Pistons
It’s a toss-up between Cade Cunningham and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander for this spot. SGA is an elite two-way player, but he also has the luxury of having the best defensive team in the league. There’s an argument that SGA is the worst defender if he’s on the floor with Cason Wallace, Lu Dort, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren.
On the other hand, Cunningham has to be the best player on both ends of the floor every night. He’s the main engine of the Detroit Pistons’ offense while defending the best perimeter players of the opposing team. He’s third in defensive rating among guards behind Wallace and SGA.
Edited by Juan Paolo David
