NBA Player League Pass rankings: Ja Morant, LaMelo Ball, Zion Williamson among must-see stars

It's impossible to scroll past these guys when you're flipping through games

You've probably heard of NBA League Pass rankings -- a method of determining the most exciting teams to watch during any given season. But the NBA is a player's league, so forget about that whole team concept for a second.

Here's the scenario: You're flipping through games on a random Wednesday night and your eyes light up when you see a certain player on your screen. Suddenly nothing else matters. The faucet is running. The baby is crying. You can't lose concentration for even a moment for fear of missing something spectacular.

Those are the players we're looking for.

With the 2022-23 season about to begin, there's no better time to put together a list of must-see superstars who captivate us at every turn. Ladies and gentlemen: NBA Player League Pass Rankings.

We decided to break them into three teams, just like All-NBA honors, but before you start crafting your angry tweet, just remember that these are based solely on entertainment and have nothing to do with a player's numbers or accomplishments. If you're looking for that sort of thing, head on over to our NBA Top 100 Players list.

With that out of the way, let's take a look at the NBA's biggest showstoppers.

First Team: Glued to the screen

Morant might give you more bang for your buck than any player in the NBA in terms of pure entertainment. He's equally capable of throwing down a poster dunk, dropping someone with a crossover, hitting a buzzer-beater or elevating to ungodly heights for one of the best blocks in basketball history.

If you're cruising past a Grizzlies game and see Morant on the court, there's no way you're not stopping to watch.

He may be turning 35 this season, but Curry is as enthralling as ever. Not only is he still capable of swishing 35-footers at will, but he's also one of the league's craftiest finishers around the basket. What separates Curry is that he's even fun to watch when he doesn't have the ball. He traveled a distance of 2.54 miles per game last season, according to NBA.com, and the way he relocates, cuts and navigates screens can be so mesmerizing that you'll forget to watch the ball.

Prime Shaq mixed with Dr. J and a pinch of Kevin Garnett? Yes, please. The two-time MVP is one of the most unique players the league has ever seen, and his exploits on both ends of the court are more than worth the price of admission. Another reason to watch Antetokounmpo (as if you needed one) is how hard he plays. You can tune into a mid-March matchup against the worst team in the league and he'll be playing like its Game 7 of the NBA Finals. That goes a long way in the League Pass rankings.

How can a 7-footer who can't jump over a phone book be so entertaining? The dude is just an absolute wizard on the court. Sure, you're not going to get the highlight dunks or blocks, but Jokic is one of the most creative passers, playmakers and scorers in the league -- evidenced by his back-to-back MVPs. His touch is so good that his shots rarely even hit the rim as they splash through the net. And just when you think you're safe, he'll hit you with a Sombor Shuffle that makes you fall out of your seat.

Young showed us all during the Hawks' run to the 2021 Eastern Conference finals exactly why he's must-see TV. Playing the villain in New York and hitting the Bucks with the shimmy before splashing a 3 are just a couple of examples of his supreme showmanship.

Beyond that, however, he's simply one of the best offensive players in the league. He runs a billion pick-and-rolls per game, and there's a reason why. Whether he's pulling up from the logo, throwing a no-look lob to a big or hitting one of his patented floaters in the lane, Young is capable of doing something jaw-dropping on every single possession.

Second Team: Worth skipping dinner

Luka is Tier 1 entertainment, but I just couldn't bring myself to place him there because of his fatal flaw: This guy just cannot stop complaining to the refs. His mastery of the offensive game is unparalleled, and he produces highlights with no-look passes and game-winners on a near-nightly basis. But if you watch him for more than a few minutes, the constant bickering at the officials gets increasingly infuriating, and I know I'm not the only one that feels this way. If he cuts out the whining this season, Luka's a no-doubt Tier 1 League Pass player.

LaMelo was a League Pass darling from the moment he set foot on an NBA floor. His passing is some of the most creative and precise that we've seen for a player his age, and he has a penchant for making the highlight play.

He gets knocked just a bit because the Hornets probably aren't going to be very good this season, but LaMelo is certainly a reason to tune in.

Forget that LeBron averaged over 30 points last season as a 38-year-old -- he'd be one of the most entertaining players in the NBA at any age. Sure, he's lost a bit of the highlight factor since his absolute prime with the Cavs and Heat, but James' well-maintained physique is still more than capable of bringing down the house.

There's an added bonus in watching LeBron this season, as he's inching closer toward passing Kareem Abdul-Jabbar to become the NBA's all-time leading scorer, so every night is a part of history.

Leaving his off-court stuff aside for a second, Irving is simply a magician with the basketball. There's a reason he's earned so much praise from fellow NBA superstars -- because they just can't do what he does. His ball-on-a-string handle is one of the best in league history, and he combines that with deadeye shooting and an infinitely creative finishing package around the rim. The only reason he's not on the first team is that he hasn't played much over the last couple of seasons, but that could change this year.

Zion could easily move to the first team in terms of League Pass rankings, but we have to take into account the fact that he simply hasn't played much in his career so far. When he's on the court, however, he's one of the most unique athletic specimens we've ever seen. He's a 6-foot-7 linebacker who can explode off of a trampoline and tear down the rim.

Combine that with his outright skill and basketball IQ, and you just can't take your eyes off of him.

Third Team: Can't go wrong

There have been very few people of Embiid's size that can move the way he does basketball court. His Euro steps, dream shakes and transition finishes make him worth your time by themselves ... and then you add in the WWE-style histrionics.

Embiid gets knocked just a bit in terms of entertainment because of the fact that he led the league in free throw attempts last season and often pulls sweep-throughs and pump fakes with the sole intent of trying to draw a foul. Great for efficiency, not so great for entertainment.

K.D. is arguably the best pure scorer in NBA history, so why is he on the third team? You hate to say it, but sometimes he just makes things look too easy. Midrange jumpers, one of his specialties, aren't exactly the most exciting play in basketball, and he's not known for his highlight-reel dunks (though he can get up). Basketball purists will watch every second of Durant's games with a smile on their faces, but for the average fan? He's just a couple of rungs below in terms of entertainment.

Step-backs. Side-steps. Game-winners. Poster dunks. You get a little bit of everything with Tatum, who has become one of the league's most exciting and complete young players.

When he's got it going, there are few as smooth offensively as Tatum, and he has the added feature of being an All-NBA level defender. There are a lot worse ways to spend an evening than watching Tatum go to work for the Celtics.

Anyone capable of dropping 70 points in an NBA game deserves your attention, and Booker is as dominant a bucket-getter as we have in the league. He may not have the highlight dunks, but when he gets on a heater you'd be foolish to switch to another game. Booker's also not afraid to talk a little trash, which always ups the entertainment factor.

Everyone loves a game-winner, and nobody seems to hit more of them than Lillard. When it's Dame Time, you better tune in or get ready to hear from your friends about how you missed something special.

Lillard is always among the league's most prolific 3-point shooters, and most of those come off the dribble via step-backs or other space-creating moves. The 6-2 guard is also capable of getting up and finishing with a powerful dunk every once in a while, so he's certainly worthy of your attention on any given night.