The midseason turnaround for the Indiana Pacers can be attributed, in large part, to the play of Pascal Siakam. Finally finding his groove in Indy, he's exploded into a 21 & 7 scorer, while maintaining some elite efficiency as a 52-40 guy, alongside his usually excellent defense.
The second option on the best team in the Western Conference, if not the entire league, Jalen Williams has quickly transitioned from exciting prospect to undeniable star. Averaging 21, 5, and 5 on top of excellent defense, he's quickly becoming one of the most well-rounded players in the league.
Handling the responsibility of the Memphis Grizzlies franchise for the bulk of the season, thanks to injuries to Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr has answered the call, putting in arguably the best season of his career, averaging 23 on nearly 50% shooting from the field, while leading the DPOY race since the Victor Wembanyama injury.
One of the most under-the-radar superstars in the league, Paolo Banchero is well on his way to being a top-10 player in the league. Averaging 23,7, and 5 as the lead guy for the Orladno Magic, he's already led them to a playoff appearance and might make a repeat this year as well.
It shouldn't be long before Evan Mobley finishes even higher on this list. His offensive game is finally starting to come around and he's consistently among the 3 best defenders in the league. Averaging 18.5 and 9 rebounds, his rising efficiency from 3 could let him take another step in the very near future.
You know who he is. While his numbers aren't translating to many wins for a weirdly constructed Phoenix Suns team, Kevin Durant has been individually excellent, averaging 27 and 6 while shooting 53% from the field and nearly 41% from distance.
The driving force behind a Los Angeles Lakers team that was a top-5 seed in the loaded Western Conference, Anthony Davis was in the running for DPOY while providing 26 & 12 on the other side of the ball.
Father Time, you might need to take a bow on this one. But LeBron James continues to make the unbelievable a regularity. Averaging 25, 7 and 8 on nearly 40% shooting from deep, he's having another remarkable season in a career full of them, while leading LA to a top-5 seed in the West.
A Championship later, the drive for Jayson Tatum continues to be excellent. On a loaded Boston Celtics team, he still stands out their best player, averaging close to 27 & 9, while improving his passing to nearly 6 assists a night.
A two-time MVP and a DPOY, Giannis Antetokounmpo has powered through the Bucks' early season struggles to lodge an outstanding campaign, tallying 31.5 points along with 12 rebounds, while shooting an absurd 61% from the field.
