This is not going to be appreciative. It has been a brutal season for Paul George as the Philadelphia 76ers continue to stumble to a mediocre season at best. Averaging 16, 5, and 4 on just 43% shooting, this is more of a legacy position and he could fall out of the top-10 soon enough.
One of the more underrated players in the league, Trey Murphy III has evolved from a 3-and-D role player to a genuine star and should earn some All-Star buzz next season. Averaging 22 on a bad New Orleans Pelicans squad, he's been the lone bright spot in an otherwise disappointing season for them.
On a team with multiple mouths to feed, OG Anunoby has settled into his role as an A+ defender on the perimeter with occasional creation duties. As the Knicks continue to surge ahead as a contender, Anunoby has integral to the squad's success.
A candidate for MIP before his injury, Jalen Johnson has come into his own over the last two seasons. This year, he was averaging 19,10, and 5 while shooting 50% from the field, continuing his trend towards All-Star status.
We've only just begun seeing Jimmy Butler back on the court but early returns of his trade to the Golden State Warriors looks promising for the much-maligned star. If he can find his multiple NBA Finals run form again, he could quickly climb up these ranks.
The trade for DeMar DeRozan hasn't worked out the way that the Sacramento Kings were hoping. But, he's had a productive season, tallying 22 points on nearly 49% shooting from the field.
Coming back from an injury, Zach LaVine exploded back into his All-Star caliber form, averaging nearly 24 ppg on 50-42 splits.
A gritty Orlando Magic squad sees a ton of its scoring come from Franz Wagner. While he's dealt with injuries this season, he's quickly settled into the number 2 option on the squad, and is their best shot creator off the dribble.
When on the court, he's still one-of-one. No one has taken a substantial enough leap to displace Kawhi Leonard from his position here. But, he needs to string together some quality basketball to maintain his position near the top of the NBA food chain.
Looking like the start of a dynasty, the Boston Celtics heavily rely on Jaylen Brown, their reigning Eastern Conference Finals and Finals MVP. This year, he's averaging 23 ppg as the Celtics continue to a team philosophy on the court.
