POINT GUARDS

RANKNAMETeam# GamesAnalysis
1Stephen CurryGSW4Even if down the stretch Curry plays a bit less, it should not, and will not, impact his production.
2 
Russell Westbrook
OKC4Westbrook is starting to take over games a lot more and when that's the case, everyone else simply needs to spread the floor because he doesn't need anyone else.
3Chris PaulLAC4The worst thing the Clippers can do is wait UNTIL the playoffs to bring Blake Griffin back because the offense has been running very well through him and the guards.
4John WallWSH4Wall continues to be the only consistent option on this team as he is involved in just about every play on offense. 
5Damian LillardPOR4Lillard is far and away the top scoring option on the Blazers and he does not even need to force up jumpers as he is great at reading screens. 
6Kyle LowryTOR4Lowry continues to be a No. 1 scoring option when he has to be, especially in the closing minutes of games. He has been very clutch this season. 
7Rajon RondoSAC4You get the best and worst with Rondo. Best passer in the league, worst defender, but gets a ton of playing time. 
8Derrick RoseCHI5Rose does indeed have five games this week, however, to rank him higher is a trap play because the Bulls can just as easily limit his minutes if they have a lead to conserve his health. 
9Brandon KnightPHO4Knight is back in rhythm and is the only consistent shooter on the Suns and rotates a lot to the point as well and should be dishing a lot of assists as well down the stretch. 
10Jrue HolidayNOR4INJURY CONCERN: (Toe): Because this team is decimated with injuries, if Holiday plays, he is the de facto No. 1 scoring option.
11Isaiah ThomasBOS4Thomas continues to utilize a great shot selection down the stretch and is very patient with the ball and is able to find open lanes throughout games.
12Kemba WalkerCHA3Walker has been shooting the ball better and has been more aggressive inside. Walker has a healthier team now than earlier in the season and his assist numbers should go up. 
13Reggie JacksonDET3Jackson is asked to do different tasks each game, as some games he will shoot less and make sure the offense is flowing smoothly and the ball is being passed around the perimeter. Jackson will be much more of a passer on teams with weak frontcourts. 
14Ricky RubioMIN4When you put stock in Rubio, you are paying for assists, steals and a few rebounds and need to view any scoring he does as an added bonus. 
15Jeff TeagueATL3Teague is a very quick and skilled guard, but is in a major timeshare at the position and it is hard to tell whether or not he will play 32 minutes in a game or 18. 
16Tony ParkerSAS3Parker has quietly shown that he still has a great step in the lane and quick scoop and reverse layup and he has been utilizing it a lot more in recent weeks. 
17George HillIND4Hill is a good passer and perimeter defender and has been an excellent bailout option for both Monta Ellis and Paul George as he frequently finds himself open. 
18D'Angelo RussellLAL3Russell is getting the green light to have a bit more control with the Lakers offense and has been excellent at running the floor. With Kobe by his side, it is hard to tell how many shots he will get in a game. 
19Lou WilliamsLAL3Williams is a good change of pace guard who is not afraid to take contested jumpers and drive the lane against multiple big men. 
20Darren CollisonSAC4Collison has been a great shooter for the Kings as he has one of the most accurate corner jumpers in the league. As soon as Cousins, Gay or even Rondo draw the double team, he is often the open player. 

SHOOTING GUARDS

RANKNAMETeam# GamesAnalysis
1Jimmy ButlerCHI5Butler has five games and the Bulls are in a tight race to make the playoffs and he should be in for a lot of minutes per night. 
2 
Kyrie Irving
CLE4Irving has been driving the lane a lot more and shooting a lot better, especially from mid-range, I just question some of his decision making when driving in the lane. His style could result in more turnovers. 
3James HardenHOU3Harden continues to play through an inconsistent offensive flow each night. Harden often does everything by himself and is the best lane-attacker on his team.
4Klay ThompsonGSW4Thompson has been getting a lot of open looks and he has played a bit more inside the key to get better shorter jumpers. I am expecting more plays for him at the elbow. 
5Victor OladipoORL4MINOR INJURY CONCERN: (Wrist) Oladipo is leading a Magic team that has suffered from a lot of injuries and he has been getting more time with the ball, but if the Magic have to sit him for a game they will. Another de facto No. 1 option. 
6Dwyane WadeMIA4Wade continues to be a No. 1 scoring option on the Heat. My one concern is playing time because it has been rotating from in the 30's to in the 20's a lot lately. 
7C.J. McCollumPOR4McCollum is the undisputed No. 2 scoring option and has become more of a slasher in recent weeks. There will always be shot opportunities for him. 
8Gordon HaywardUT4Hayward will always be one of the first players back on defense and he hustles as good as anyone in the league, but sometimes, his offensive ability is limited, especially when the Jazz look to utilize their frontcourt a bit more. 
9Bradley BealWSH4Beal is healthy for now, but you never know when another injury will hit. He has been hanging right by the elbow and is often the recipient of open jumpers. 
10Goran DragicMIA4Dragic has good wing options and that should take the pressure off of him a bit when it comes to shooting. He can be more of a slasher again. 
11Avery BradleyBOS4Bradley's defense has been great and he not only has an accurate long range jumper, but he helps secure rebounds and steals as well.
12Nicolas BatumCHA3Batum has been playing a lot better in the high post and has been utilizing his step-back jumper. He can be relied on for rebounds as well.
13Trevor ArizaHOU3Ariza is another solid perimeter defender who has become more of a spot up shooter and James Harden's bailout option when he is doubled in the paint. 
14Will BartonDEN4Barton will continued to get featured in the high post because the Nuggets need scoring and Mudiay driving and Jokic posting up is not getting the job done. Barton and Gary Harris will continue to get more jumpers. 
15Monta EllisIND4Ellis will continue to be featured as the change of pace guard and has had a more diciplined shot selection this season and is never afraid to take it to the rack. 
16J.J. Redick LAC4Redick has been shooting the ball very well and has been the top three-point shooter in the league. Redick has even become a late-game option as he hit a buzzer-beater last week.
17Rodney HoodUT4Hood is the Jazz change of pace guard, who has a very accurate long-range jumper from the top of the key and the Jazz will keep feeding him if he is hot. 
18Gary HarrisDEN4As stated above, the Nuggets need scoring and Harris has become a very reliable wing option and has been seeing more shot opportunities. 
19Kobe BryantLAL3Do I even need to say it? Kobe Bryant, when on the court, will continue to take as many shots as he wants. 
20Kentavious Caldwell-PopeDET3KCP will continue playing an excellent high post game and will back up three steps and take an open three-pointer. When Jackson fakes the drive, the defender goes for it and KCP is able to find himself open. 

SMALL FORWARDS

RANKNAMETeam# GamesAnalysis
1LeBron JamesCLE4LeBron continues to utilize his strength and force himself in the lane rather than settling for jumpers.  
2 
Kevin Durant
OKC4Durant continues to score in the 30's and secure double digit rebounds in games.
3Thaddeus YoungSAS5Young is technically a co-No. 1 scoring option on the Nets, but he often runs into the double team and has to pass off.
4Paul GeorgeIND4George has been taking a bit more shots in the last few weeks and can play multiple positions and should never worry about his playing time being limited. 
5Kawhi LeonardSAS3MINOR INJURY CONCERN: (Quad): If Leonard plays he is a top option, but the Spurs love resting their players. 
6DeMar DeRozanTOR4DeRozan has been excellent working through the middle of the paint, and his jumper has been a lot more on point in the last few months. 
7Carmelo AnthonyNYK4Anthony has been shooting the ball well and has been more aggressive in the lane. You can count on him for at least seven rebounds in a game. 
8Giannis AntetokounmpoMIL3Antetokounmpo has been playing multiple positions and is finding a ton of success when drives his lanky body through the lane and when he starts in the post.
9Khris MiddletonMIL3Middleton is a great compliment to Antetokounmpo because he serves as not only the bailout option when defenses collapse, but he has a very accurate long range jumper.
10Rudy GaySAC4Gay has been playing a lot more inside in recent weeks, and seems to be the only member of the Kings that has any interest in crashing the boards.
11Matt BarnesMEM4Barnes has been the lone healthy option on Memphis and has been utilizing the pick and roll and driving a lot more. Barnes has a very good post game in which he finds a lot of success backing down defenders. 
12Kent BazemoreATL3Bazemore takes a ton of shots and often finds himself open when the other guards on the opposite side of the court begin driving. 
13Tobias HarrisDET3Harris has been good in the high post and the Pistons often utilize him right at the foul line and let him work his way inside. 
14Andrew WigginsMIN4Wiggins is an excellent scorer, but that is the majority of his game and does not have a crisp enough pass. He has great driving skills.
15Wesley MatthewsDAL4Matthews has found himself a lot more playing time and shot opoortunities with Chandler Parsons out for the season and Deron Williams hurt and will need to utilize his post game more when matched up against smaller guards. 
16Luol DengMIA4Deng has been helping out not only with his good perimeter defense and scoring, but also on the glass as well and has not lost any playing time since the Heat signed Joe Johnson. 
17Otto PorterWSH4Porter has been an excellent mid-range defender and has improved his mid-range jumper on the other side. The Wizards are trying to utilize him as a stretch 4. 
18Evan TurnerBOS4Turner has been a great compliment to Avery Bradley and will continue to get a lot of shot opportunities until Jae Crowder returns. 
19J.R. SmithCLE4Smith is the KING of taking wild shots and hitting them and is very skilled at ball handling, driving and drawing contact. 
20Evan FournierORL4Somebody has to score on Orlando with their lack of big man depth and have a hurt Oladipo, so Fournier will be relied on heavily and he loves to shoot. 

POWER FORWARDS

RANKNAMETeam# GamesAnalysis
1Draymond GreenGSW4Green will continue to slash down the lane and will pass off to an open cutter when in the high post.
2 
Pau Gasol
CHI5Gasol is still testing out his knee, but is the Bulls' best skilled big man and has five games this week. 
3Kevin LoveCLE4Love is a lot better and more of an offensive threat when he sets up in the post for the majority of games. If he spends more time hanging out by the key, that's a problem. 
4Paul MillsapATL3Millsap continues to show his improved offensive game and is one of the best players in the league at attacking the basket. 
5LaMarcus AldridgeSAS3Aldridge has been excellent at the elbow and in the high post and you know he will have a highly productive game if Tim Duncan is rested.
6Dirk NowitzkiDAL4Nowitzki has been shooting the ball very well in recent weeks and has even utilized his post game a bit more to show he does play in the paint and will continue to get a ton of shots especially with Chandler Parsons done for the season. 
7Derrick FavorsUT4Favors has been excellent on both sides of the ball and like Aldridge and Duncan, Favors and Rudy Gobert play an excellent 1-2 punch down low. 
8Zach RandolphMEM4INJURY CONCERN: (Ankle): This is another situation in which if Randolph plays he is the de facto No. 1 scoring option. 
9Kristaps PorzingisNYK4Porzingis has been showing that he may be over the wall of fatigue as he has been playing a lot more inside and getting points off tip-ins. 
10Serge IbakaOKC4Ibaka is most effective when he stays in the lane and it is frustrating because he has Enes Kanter who is more effective outside, but Ibaka is determined to be a jump shooter….Not his game!
11Greg MonroeMIL3I do not understand how Monroe fits on this Bucks team because they've started him and brought him off the bench. He has had great footwork all season, but just has not flowed well with the offense. 
12Aaron GordonORL4Gordon has great defensive prowess and has great leaping ability, but he needs to develop a more consistent jumper and post game so he can get in the lane and draw contact, and is especially needed with Nikola Vucevic hurt. 
13Kenneth FariedDEN4Faried has been dealing with a small back injury, but will get the ball in his hands due to lack of scoring options and can be relied on for rebounds and steals. 
14Nikola MiroticCHI5Mirotic needs to play more inside against smaller teams and not always settle for long-range jumpers. He has the frame to push on the block and if he stays outside, his scoring will be feast or famine.
15JaMychal GreenMEM4Green needs to develop a post presence as there are games in which he only gets long rebounds, and is freqently blocked from entering the low block. He needs to make quicker moves to the basket. 
16Gorgui DiengMIN4Dieng has been an excellent compliment to Karl-Anthony Towns as he continues to score points off of putbacks, grab a lot of rebounds and keep plays alive for the Wolves. 
17Marvin WilliamsCHA3Williams continues to post up in the high post and turn and shoot and follow his own shot to give himself a rebound and a second-chance scoring opportunity. 
18Jared SullingerBOS4Sullinger continues to be very rebound dependant and has not found as much success when posting up or even when getting open looks at the basket. He is a very tentative shooter. 
19Jabari ParkerMIL3Parker continues to show improvements in driving the lane and rebounding, but he needs to command the ball more in the post and hit open jumpers. 
20Robert CovingtonPHI3Covington has been playing like he is completely over his concussion symptoms and will be playing deep into games due to lack of frontcourt options. 

CENTERS

RANKNAMETeam# GamesAnalysis
1DeMarcus CousinsSAC4Cousins does have a couple of issues with his feet, but as of now, the Kings have no plans of shutting him down. 
2 
Brook Lopez
BKN5Lopez is a No. 1 (technically co-No. 1 option w/ Thad Young) option and is the best shooter on the Nets and has the extra game. It is hard to tell how many rebounds to expect from Lopez.
3Karl-Anthony TownsMIN4Towns continues to show why he is the premier center for years to come and can score from all spots on the court.
4Andre DrummondDET3Drummond continues to be the best rebounder and low block presence in the league. It has become hard to predict what kind of scoring night he will have. 
5Al HorfordATL3Horford continues to burn defenders that give him even two feet of space to work with and he always finds a way to get open on the elbow.
6DeAndre JordanLAC4Jordan can absolutely be relied on for rebounds and blocks, but he lacks a ton of offensive ability, especially in the post. 
7Hassan WhitesideMIA4Whiteside is also very rebound dependant and when in foul trouble, finds himself having to become far less impactful as he can't play as aggresively. 
8Robin LopezNYK4Lopez has been commanding the ball a lot more in the post and has been getting a ton of second chance scoring opportunities. He has an excellent one-handed hook shot.
9Jonas ValanciunasTOR4Valanciunas continues to burn defenders in the post and with an accurate mid-range jumper that he has developed, the Raptors make plays for him so he can utilize that jumper.
10Dwight HowardHOU3When Howard WANTS to play on a given night, he can be the most aggressive big man in the game, but lacks desire, and direction when on the court. 
11Marcin GortatWSH4Gortat has been playing a lot more in the lower block and will not get fed as much when both Wall and Beal are on fire. Not enough shots to go around. 
12Rudy GobertUT4Gobert can be relied on for rebounds and blocks and has great leaping ability, but lacks a post presence on offense, and will score mostly on putbacks. 
13Taj GibsonCHI5Gibson has five games this week and should be ranked higher, but it is hard to tell how much playing time he will get in a given game, even with minutes open in the Bulls frontcourt. 
14Nikola JokicDEN4Jokic has been playing a lot more efficiently in the post and has been seeing a bit more success, but will often get trapped with  the ball and have to pass off. 
15Zaza PachuliaDAL4Pachulia continues to be the only consistent rebounder on the Mavericks and is one of the few players on this list who can command the ball in the post and score and rebound in the low block. 
16Enes KanterOKC4Kanter continues to shoot well from beyond the arc and has been playing a bit more inside and can be relied on for rebounding. He should shoot more and Ibaka should shoot less. 
17Myles TurnerIND4Turner definitely has a future with the Pacers and has been a great option from right outside the paint, and is excellent at cutting to the basket. 
18Al JeffersonCHA3Jefferson is DEFINITELTY still hurt as he has not been unable to even play over 25 minutes consistently and we are used to more dominant games from him from a scoring and rebounding standpoint. 
19Ryan AndersonNOR4INJURY CONCERN: (Groin): He is the only skilled big man left on this team, but there is still a chance he can miss at least two games this week. 
20Nerlens NoelPHI3INJURY CONCERN: (Knee): Noel has a bone contusion and is in a ton of pain, but is in a situation in which he is all the Sixers have left for big men. He could miss a game or two this week.