Try defining NBA domination.

It's tricky, right? There are certainly elements of you-know-it-when-you-see-it, but there also tangible versions of it, like statistical greatness or team success.

NBA domination covers all of those areas and more. It is what the numbers say, but it's also what your eyes can tell you. Speaking of statistics, the rise of advanced analytics puts so much compelling data at our disposal, yet the traditional categories still have a place in this discussion, too.

This is all a long-winded way of saying NBA domination may differ in definition from one observer to the next. In our case, we have crunched the numbers but also trusted our eyes and listened to our gut to form and rank the three most dominant stars at each position.

PG No. 3: Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks

Some may gripe that Young's defense is too leaky to justify such a prominent placement, but this ranking simply points to how absurdly elite his offense is.

His combined contributions as a scorer and table-setter—never mind as a deep-range net-shredder—are nearly unrivaled. He's already just the second player ever to average at least 25 points and nine assists three different times. Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson, basketball's king of the overstuffed stat sheet, is the other.

Young essentially buys his team a top-10 offense and gives it best-in-the-league potential. He is hyper-efficient as it is—only Nikola Jokic and Giannis Antetokounmpo (winners of the last four MVP awards) tallied more offensive win shares this past season—but don't be surprised if Young finds an even higher gear now that he'll have a second shot-creator, Dejounte Murray, around to help pilot the offense.

Honorable Mention: James Harden, Philadelphia 76ers; Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies; Chris Paul, Phoenix Suns

PG No. 2: Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

There are certain statistical categories that say Doncic belongs in the No. 1 spot. Box plus/minus, for instance, rated him higher than any other perimeter player this past season.

Traditional metrics are even bigger fans of Dallas' 6'7", do-it-all superstar. Doncic, who turned 23 in February, just completed his third consecutive campaign of averaging at least 27 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. Throughout NBA history, those marks have only been reached 10 other times: five times by Oscar Robertson, twice by LeBron James and once each by Michael Jordan, James Harden and Russell Westbrook. That's it.

If there's any sort of stain on his resume—a relative term given the sky-high standards used in this kind of exercise—it's a lack of excellent efficiency. Now, that might simply be a reflection of the Mavs' inability to find him a full-fledged co-star, which tasks him with a backbreaking workload. Or it's quite possible he's still ascending toward his prime, scary as that concept might sound.

Either way, efficiency is the one area that dings him just enough to deny him the top spot.

PG No. 1: Stephen Curry, Golden State Warriors

Curry just piloted the Warriors to their fourth world title in eight seasons. If you want to know why he's the top-ranked point guard here, that's a great place to start. His statistics can be ridiculous, and his highlight reels are all kinds of intoxicating, but more than anything, his domination stems from an ability to impact winning like no other player at his position.

He warps opposing defenses with a first-of-its-kind gravitational pull. As soon as he enters an arena, he's in shooting range. His off-ball movement is special, and his off-the-dribble shooting might be the closest equivalent to a real-life cheat code. By his standards, 2021-22 wasn't a great sniping season, despite the fact he buried 37.4 percent of his pull-up threes and 39.0 percent of his catch-and-shoot triples.

He doesn't simply make Golden State's system work; he is the system. On that note, the Warriors—a championship team, mind you—were a whopping 12.1 points better per 100 possessions with him than without this past season.

SG No. 3: Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz

The shooting guard rankings are essentially a traffic jam, as the position has plenty of good-to-really-good players but perhaps no great ones. Nitpicking becomes a must, and even then it's hard to say for certain whether Mitchell should land above the honorable mention choices below.

So, what gave him the nod? A few things. First, his powerful scoring punch stands out even at a position often defined by buckets. Now, maybe a resurgent James Harden or a Bradley Beal bounce-back could take some shine off Mitchell's point production, but for now, it's tough to sneeze at his 25.9 points, 5.3 assists and 3.5 three-pointers per night.

The bigger argument for Mitchell, though, is the substance behind the stats. He entered the league as Utah's leading scorer and has remained the offensive focal point of a Jazz team that has yet to miss the playoffs over his five-year tenure. His defense must improve to cement his spot as a top-three shooting guard, but his growth as a three-level scorer and shot-creator is enough to grab the No. 3 slot for now.

Honorable Mention: Jaylen Brown, Boston Celtics; Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Oklahoma City Thunder; Zach LaVine, Chicago Bulls

SG No. 2: Paul George, Los Angeles Clippers

George is coming off a choppy, injury-derailed season, so perhaps this is giving too much benefit of the doubt to a 32-year-old. Then again, George's volume was great when he played, and his healthy version is pretty clearly the top two-way contributor at this position, so the high ranking seems warranted.

He may operate better as a co-star than a solo leader, but it takes the right personality and well-rounded skill set to fit the Robin role, and George has both. He doesn't dominate the ball the way a seven-time All-Star could, and he might do his best work on defense, which is saying a lot when his offensive output just featured 24.3 points, 5.7 assists and 2.9 three-pointers.

He could do himself (and the Clippers) a huge favor by putting his injury issues behind him, as he last played more than 54 games in 2018-19. And this recent season showed that if he is overexposed on offense, he can have trouble with his shooting and turnover rates. Still, the pairing of elite defense and really good offense is enough to get noticed in a big way at this position.

SG No. 1: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns

Booker is almost running unopposed for the 2-guard's top spot at this point. His scoring alone puts him in pole position, while his exponential growth as a shot-creator and defender put serious distance between him and the rest of the pack.

While his volume has plateaued in recent years, his impact and efficiency have spiked. This past season, which saw the Suns post their highest win total in franchise history, included Booker matching his previous best with a 38.3 three-point percentage while posting a career-low 9.3 turnover percentage. His career-high 0.156 win shares per 48 minutes paced all shooting guards who logged 1,500-plus minutes.

Booker has impressed opponents with his defensive improvement, and his passing long ago shifted from an afterthought to an asset. He might be a scorer at heart, but rounding out his game has given him sole control of this position.

SF No. 3: Jimmy Butler, Miami Heat

There have been moments in recent years—primarily in the 2020 and 2022 playoffs—when Butler has summoned top-10 (or better) play out of himself. If he sustained those over a full season instead of conjuring them with a well-timed switch flip, the No. 1 spot might be all his.

Instead, he's left "settling" for the third spot, which mostly recognizes his immense impact as a havoc-causing defender, tireless worker and crafty shot-creator but also reflects his hesitance to handle a go-to scoring role during the regular season. He paced the Heat in points (21.4), offensive win shares (6.2) and offensive box plus/minus (4.5) but ceded the top spot in shots and usage rate to sixth man Tyler Herro.

Even if Butler isn't always as offensively assertive as you'd like, he's a magnet for free throws, an efficient scorer inside the arc, a willing and potent passer and a determined, hyper-versatile defender.

Honorable Mention: DeMar DeRozan, Chicago Bulls; Brandon Ingram, New Orleans Pelicans; Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks

SF No. 2: Kawhi Leonard, Los Angeles Clippers

Leonard last suited up in June 2021, losing all of last season to a torn ACL. He has celebrated two birthdays since (his 30th and 31st), so perhaps he won't have the same kind of zip on this side of such a lengthy layoff. Of course, that question may be the only reason he's not ranked No. 1 at this position.

A healthy Leonard could do more than assume control of the small forward rankings, by the way. He could also shake up the best-player-on-planet debates, since he doubles as a featured scorer and shutdown defender.

If any of that rings hyperbolic, let's just run through the last healthy season for Leonard. He was one of nine players to average 24 points, five rebounds and five assists and one of two players in that group to shoot 50 percent from the field, 38 percent from three and 88 percent from the line. He ranked sixth in win shares per 48 minutes and tied for third in FiveThirtyEight's RAPTOR. Despite missing 20 games, he made the All-NBA first team and All-Defensive second team.

SF No. 1: Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

If all you remember is Tatum struggling in the Finals, then this ranking will feel aggressive. Maybe undeserved even.

Just remind yourself of two things. First, the Shamrocks don't reach the Finals without his ascension to superstardom. Second, his road to the championship round was exhausting, as he essentially dueled Kevin Durant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Jimmy Butler in consecutive rounds. Once that was finished, he clashed with the most successful nucleus of this generation.

That doesn't erase Tatum's struggles, but it contextualizes them in a way that they won't define him. Instead, the rankings put much more stock into all of the basketball played before then, like him simultaneously setting career highs in (deep breath): points, rebounds, assists, threes, player efficiency rating, win shares and box plus/minus.

He was an All-NBA first-teamer and credited with more wins above replacement than every player not named Nikola Jokic, per FiveThirtyEight.

PF No. 3: LeBron James, Los Angeles Lakers

Any time the words LeBron and ranking are used in the same sentence, it's sure to spark a frenzied debate. There might be an equal amount of uproar that James is ranked too high or too low here, since that's how these things generally go, but can we all take a minute to marvel at the fact he is 37 years old and still a top-three performer at his position.

Depending on how you define his position, he could rank even higher elsewhere, but given the top-shelf talent at the 4 spot, he'll stick at No. 3. Although, even at this stacked position, he might have landed even higher if not for his recent injury woes and L.A.'s stumbles since its 2020 title run.

Either way, James remains a matchup nightmare and one of the most potent players in this profession. He just had his second-best scoring season at age 37 (30.3 points per game) while becoming only the fourth player ever to average 30 points, eight rebounds and six assists. He also ranked 13th overall in ESPN's real plus-minus and was 10th in RAPTOR among players who logged 2,000 minutes.

Honorable Mention: Pascal Siakam, Toronto Raptors; Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves; Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

PF No. 2: Kevin Durant, Brooklyn Nets

Kevin Durant is approaching his 34th birthday and all of two seasons removed from having to work his way back from a ruptured Achilles. None of this is news, of course, but it points to the ridiculousness of what he's doing.

This past season, a campaign in which he navigated around his injury issues, James Harden's trade and Kyrie Irving's part-time player status, Durant was unstoppable. He was one of two players (along with LeBron James) to average 29 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Durant was also a perimeter heater shy of his second ever 50/40/90 slash line, landing with a 51.8/38.3/91.0 sizzler instead.

He'll have to show his age at some point, and you could say that process has started with his recent injury woes. When he makes it to the court, though, he is delivering as many dazzlers as ever.

PF No. 1: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks

Antetokounmpo perhaps played the finest season of his career in 2021-22. It's just that many may not have noticed, since he didn't quite notch as many accolades as in other recent campaigns.

He punctuated both the 2018-19 and 2019-20 seasons with MVP awards. In 2020-21, he steered the Deer to their first title in 50 years and picked up Finals MVP honors in the process. He captured neither of those awards this past season, which may have overshadowed his otherwise ridiculous effort. His 29.9 points were a career high. Same goes for his 32.05 player efficiency rating, which stands as the third-highest ever recorded.

He landed second in FiveThirtyEight's RAPTOR and took bronze in the MVP voting. He was the league's lone player to crack the All-NBA and All-Defensive first teams.

C No. 3: Rudy Gobert, Minnesota Timberwolves

You can debate whether Gobert is worth all that Minnesota gave up to get him (he isn't), but it would be hard denying him this spot. His trade to the Timberwolves might have ended the only real debate by bumping Karl-Anthony Towns to the power forward spot and removing him from consideration.

Gobert's offensive value as a screener and finisher is underrated, but let's be honest: This is all about his defense. No one adds more value to the defensive end—he's basically a walking top-10 defense—and it's been that way for a while. Since becoming a regular in 2014-15, he has generated 37.4 defensive win shares. That's the league's best total, and Andre Drummond (35.9) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (32.6) are the only other players north of 30.

We're as curious as anyone to see how Gobert fits in Minnesota and if it's at all possible for the Timberwolves to get their money's worth from the costly exchange, but we're also as confident in this ranking as any.

Honorable Mention: Bam Adebayo, Miami Heat; Anthony Davis, Los Angeles Lakers; Domantas Sabonis, Sacramento Kings

C No. 2: Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers

It's tempting to call the race to No. 1 at center a coin flip, since Embiid is such a dominant presence at both ends of the court. Having said that, there just isn't a great statistical reason to handle this ranking any differently than the last two MVP votes, which both ended with silver medals for Embiid and—spoiler alert—golds for Nikola Jokic.

If Embiid played any other position, the top spot might be his. Every catch-all metric available puts him either second (real plus-minus) or third (box plus/minus, RAPTOR, player efficiency rating, win shares) overall. The issue is he's staring up at Jokic in every one.

It's impossible to know if Embiid can ever close that gap, but the fact he has ascended this high is a credit to his improved availability and across-the-board offensive growth. His assists are climbing, his turnover rate keeps dropping, he's a scoring threat from everywhere and his defense is impenetrable. Putting him second in anything feels cruel, but such is life when you share a position with the reigning back-to-back MVP winner.

C No. 1: Nikola Jokic, Denver Nuggets

Jokic hasn't just been racking up individual accolades in recent years; he might be breaking basketball. Or destroying the metrics we use to analyze the game, at least.

He is, in one word, unstoppable. He's the best passing big man the NBA has ever seen, a powerful scorer in the low post and a capable shooter past the three-point arc.

"That's what makes him special; it's pick your poison," Warriors coach Steve Kerr told reporters in April. "He can score 1-on-1 down on the block; brilliant passer."

Jokic just set the Association's all-time marks for player efficiency rating and box plus/minus in the same season. His leads in some catch-all categories were comically astronomic. He had a plus-14.6 RAPTOR; Giannis Antetokounmpo was second at plus-8.1. Jokic paced all players with 15.2 win shares; no one else reached 13.

In terms of on-court domination, Jokic has created a top tier all to himself.

Statistics used courtesy of Basketball Reference and NBA.com.

Zach Buckley covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter, @ZachBuckleyNBA.