Point Guard
NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
Russell Westbrook | OKC | 2 | Westbrook stays at the top of the rankings with two games this week. Incredible Oscar Robertson-like season for him complete with all-around production. |
Isaiah Thomas | BOS | 3 | Thomas moves up due to the third game and he has proven this season that he can handle the duties of being a No. 1 player and scoring option. |
John Wall | WSH | 2 | Wall has been the backbone of the Wizards offensive production and they need him to play a ton of minutes and rest should not even come into mind. |
Stephen Curry | GSW | 2 | Curry continues to be productive with a strong No. 1 option in Kevin Durant on his team and he has done a great job of balancing scoring with playmaking. |
Jeff Teague | IND | 3 | Teague moves up due to the third game and because Paul George is a very good team player, Teague gets a ton of time with the ball and a lot of shots. |
Kyle Lowry | TOR | 2 | Lowry has done a great job of acting more as the playmaker this year due to the growth in DeMar DeRozan's game and continues to be a big scoring help. |
Damian Lillard | POR | 2 | The Blazers frontcourt is a complete mess and the Blazers will continue to rely heavily on Lillard to handle most of the scoring responsibilities. |
Kyrie Irving | CLE | 2 | Irving is an excellent driver and he can hit shots from all over the court. My one concern is a fatigue factor as you see he tires out towards the end of games. Less minutes? |
Kemba Walker | CHA | 3 | Walker has been an excellent No. 1 scoring option for the Harnets this season as most of their offense comes from their back court. |
Eric Bledsoe | PHX | 2 | Like Walker, Bledsoe is in a similar situation in which most of the scoring needs to come from the guards and he by far has the most time with the ball. |
James Harden | HOU | 1 | It says a lot for Harden to be this high up in the deepest position with only one game, but like Westbrook, he has been highly productive in all categories. |
Mike Conley | MEM | 2 | Conley continues to do a good job with control as he will creep in the lane and get a wide open tear drop, or someone will be cutting and he will get the assist. |
Jrue Holiday | NO | 2 | Holiday has been an excellent 2nd option for the Pelicans and even though he is in the trade rumors, he has one of the best drives in the league and has great court vision. |
Goran Dragic | MIA | 2 | Dragic has needed to step up and be the constant on offense when it comes to scoring because the team has faced various injuries at their SG/SF spot all season. |
George Hill | UT | 2 | With Rodney Hood still out, expect more shots to come Hill's way as he continues to be the ultimate bailout option for Gordon Hayward on the drive. |
Dennis Schroder | ATL | 2 | Schroder has matured a ton this season and has a good dual-attack of taking open shots, and driving and has been excellent at reading screens. |
Ricky Rubio | MIN | 2 | Rubio should see a bit more scoring with LaVine done for the year, but as always, Rubio's specialties are assists and steals. |
Marcus Smart | BOS | 3 | Smart has been getting a ton of minutes with Avery Bradley out and he has been a good scoring spark off the bench and can control the offense. He needs to keep the turnovers down. |
D'Angelo Russell | LAL | 2 | Russell has been playing better and is starting to show control when setting up the Lakers offense and he has been a lot better on hitting the bailout option on the drive. |
Reggie Jackson | DET | 2 | Jackson has been hot and cold and that is because in certain games, he focuses on shooting way too much, but he will continue to have the most time with the ball. |
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Shooting Guard
NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
DeMar DeRozan | TOR | 2 | DeRozan is fully healthy and once again playing deep into games. DeRozan has proven thus far that he may actually be a No. 1 all-around NBA option. |
Gordon Hayward | UT | 2 | Hayward has done a great job balancing scoring and utilizing the toughness of Rudy Gobert inside and he has been rewarded with even more assists. |
Nicolas Batum | CHA | 2 | Batum is the other productive piece of the Hornets offense as he has not only been effective from inside and beyond the arc, but he has also been a big help on the glass. |
C.J. McCollum | POR | 2 | McCollum handles so much offensively and because of the Blazers lack of scoring options, his job is to out run his defender and get open for long mid-range jumpers. |
Bradley Beal | WSH | 2 | Beal has done a better job of moving around the court when Wall is driving and he has seen a lot more openings because of it. It has helped his offensive production. |
Klay Thompson | GSW | 2 | Thompson is a pure shooter for the most part, but won't be afraid to drive with the ball and he has been great at cutting through the middle on the give 'n go. |
Wilson Chandler | DEN | 2 | Chandler can play multiple positions and with the Nuggets constantly suffering from injuries at various positions, expect him to get a ton more playing time. |
Victor Oladipo | OKC | 2 | Oladipo has become a bit scoring dependant and has not been as much of a help with the Thunder's overall game, but he is still the 2nd shooting option and will get a ton of shots. |
Devin Booker | PHX | 2 | Booker has been taking advantage of his opportunities and he has improved his offensive game a ton since the beginning of the season by taking better shots. |
Dwyane Wade | CHI | 2 | Wade is suffering from a Wrist injury and may have to miss a game this week. |
Lou Williams | LAL | 2 | We can always rely on Williams to be effective at both guard spots, hit corner three-pointers, and to fight on the boards with the big boys. He has earned his spot in the Lakers rotation. |
Wesley Matthews | DAL | 2 | Matthews has a good post-game that he uses versus smaller defenders and he see's a ton of success, but when he gets a high screen, he will often see a lot of un-contested jumpers. |
Tyler Johnson | MIA | 2 | Even though Johnson has been in and out of the starting rotation, he will still play a ton of minutes and get a good amount of shots and chances to drive with the ball. |
Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | DET | 2 | KCP has been most effective from the elbow as he can hit turn-around jumpers and will even cut back door and get a few openings in the lane. |
C.J. Miles | IND | 3 | Miles, as always will look to get open on the perimeter, but he has done a great job lately of not retreating on defense and rebounding to keep plays alive. |
Gary Harris | DEN | 2 | Harris is a bit banged up, but due to the Nuggets injuries, they will need Harris to look to shoot, especially when Nikola Jokic gets doubled. |
Sean Kilpatrick | BKN | 2 | Kilpatrick will continue to see time at both guard spots and he will always be involved in the scoring scheme and he will be a minor rebound and assist help. |
J.J. Redick | LAC | 2 | The hustle continues to be there for Redick as he always looks to get open, shoot three's and tire out his defender and with Paul still out, he will get more time. |
Dion Waiters | MIA | 2 | Waiters is suffering from an Ankle injury and may have to miss a game this week. |
Tony Allen | MEM | 2 | Allen's defense will always keep him in games, but, he has been a bit more active on offense due to all of Memphis injuries. |
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Small Forward
NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
Paul George | IND | 3 | We are putting a ton of confidence in George by giving him the top spot. We will need a couple of 30 plus scoring outings from him this week complete with rebounding and steals. |
LeBron James | CLE | 2 | It was hard not giving James the top spot, but he is still elite at his position and an all-around producer. |
Kevin Durant | GSW | 2 | It was also hard not putting Durant ahead of George because despite having other stars around him, he is still a top producer for his team and the league. |
Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 2 | With Jabari Parker done for the year and Khris Middleton coming back slowly, as always, it will ALL fall on the Greek Freak and he will produce at multiple positions. |
Kawhi Leonard | SAS | 3 | Leonard's outside game has been his biggest asset this season because in the past, he was a strict mid-range player. By widening his shooting range, it gives him more time with the ball. |
Jae Crowder | BOS | 3 | Crowder has been dealing with family issues and it is hard to tell whether or not he will be active in all three games he has on the slate this week. |
Otto Porter | WSH | 2 | Porter is a known strong defender, but his offensive ability and growth has made him into one of the top SF's in the league and he is confident in his outside shooting ability. |
Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 2 | Wiggins will be taking a lot more shots with LaVine out for the rest of the season. He will need to do a better job forcing the ball inside to show he can do more than just chuck. |
Harrison Barnes | DAL | 2 | Barnes has been an excellent scorer and seems to be the only Maverick who can stay healthy. Barnes will continue his balanced att ack of shooting and driving. |
Jimmy Butler | CHI | 2 | Butler is dealing with a heel injury and may have to miss at least one of his two games on the slate this week. |
Tobias Harris | DET | 2 | Harris has been very productive, especially against other second units in the league. He produces well from the elbow, he attacks the rim, and he is a good defender. |
Robert Covington | PHI | 2 | Covington's hand is all better and especially with Joel Embiid hurt, he will have to step it up a bit more inside. Expect scoring and rebounding with a ton of playing time. |
Ersan Ilyasova | PHI | 3 | Ilyasova will also benefit even more from Embiid's injury and he complimets Covington's style very nicely and he can shoot well from the outside. |
James Johnson | MIA | 2 | Johnson has been an aggressive player in the lane as he is always looking to drive and draw contact and even when the Heat finally regain full health, they will need his body inside. |
Evan Fournier | ORL | 2 | Like it or not, Fournier is still the No. 1 shooting option on the Magic and he will always get a ton of time and a ton of shots to take, especially from the outside. |
Will Barton | DEN | 2 | Barton has picked up the aggresiveness in the post and has seen more openings to the basket and with Danilo Gallinari out, he will get even more playing time. |
Carmelo Anthony | NY | 1 | Carmelo is a very good scorer and somehow winds up grabbing rebounds despite playing a limited amount of defense. He has one game on the slate this week. |
Michael Kidd-Gilchrist | CHA | 2 | MKG is an excellent defender and will help on the blocks and steals front and he will grab long rebounds. Scoring is an added bonus. |
Moe Harkless | POR | 2 | With the Blazers trading Mason Plumlee, Harkless will need to attack the middle of the paint more and should get more offensive opportunities as the Blazers need all the help they can get. |
Terrence Jones | NO | 2 | Jones is suffering from a thumb injury and it is uncertain whether or not he will need to miss a game or even both. |
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Power Forward
NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
Anthony Davis | NO | 2 | As always, it is very difficult dethroning AD from the top of these rankings due to him being one of the strongest all-around producers. |
Blake Griffin | LAC | 2 | Griffin will need to take on most of the offensive burden with Chris Paul still sidelined and he is being encouraged to shoot more….Yikes! |
Draymond Green | GSW | 2 | Green is an excellent inside player and is the only player who doesn't need to score 10-points to get a triple-double. He got one only scoring 4 the other night. |
Paul Millsap | ATL | 2 | Millsap continues to be the No. 1 option for the Hawks offense and has been a major help from the elbow this season. |
Nikola Jokic | DEN | 2 | Jokic has really improved since the start of the season and with Kenneth Faried out, he controls the entire paint and will continue to be hard to defend inside. |
LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 2 | Aldridge continues being most beneficial at producing from the elbow. Because he is so effective from the outside, it draws out the bigger defenders. |
Serge Ibaka | ORL | 2 | Ibaka spends too much time hanging out at the key and if he developed his post game a bit more, both his scoring and rebounding averages will improve. |
Julius Randle | LAL | 2 | Randle seems to be the Lakers only consistent inside player as he is good at positioning himself for boards and produces well from the bost. |
Markieff Morris | WSH | 2 | Morris mid-range game has improved a ton and it's added another consistent shooting weapon to the Wizards and Wall frequently finds him open. |
Trevor Booker | BKN | 2 | Booker continues to be the Nets one aggressive player inside as we can always expect rebounds from him and scoring from right under the basket. |
Zach Randolph | MEM | 2 | Randolph's shooting has been needed and he is still able to cut inside and catch defenders asleep. He continues to be very difficult to box out. |
Gorgui Dieng | MIN | 2 | Dieng has developed a mid-range shot, but his specialty is keeping plays alive and he will spend most of the time cleaning up the garbage in the middle. |
Dirk Nowitzki | DAL | 2 | Nowitzki is staying healthy and even though he looks a bit slower, he is still getting a good amount of shots and is fighting for rebounds consistently. |
Greg Monroe | MIL | 2 | Monroe will be needed to not only play more with Parker out, but his post game will be needed and he will see time to create with the ball. |
Marcus Morris | DET | 2 | Morris has been an excellent slasher and is great at drawing contact inside, and he has also developed a stronger post game, giving him more offensive opportunities. |
Al-Farouq Aminu | POR | 2 | Due to the departure of Plumlee, Aminu will get a ton more playing time and will need to attack the rim due to the lack of big man depth on the team. Expect scoring and rebounding to rise. |
Marvin Williams | CHA | 2 | Williams has been getting a bit more playing time and time with the ball on offense with Cody Zeller out of the lineup with a quad injury. Expect top of the paint scoring from Williams. |
Taj Gibson | CHI | 2 | Gibson has a good inside game and always fights for boards. His post game has been effective in getting the opposition to foul and he does have a baby hook. |
JaMychal Green | MEM | 2 | Green has still been getting minutes and has been attacking the rim a lot more to compliment Randolph's slow post play. Teams have to watch for the cut. Expect scoring. |
Kevin Love | CLE | 2 | Love is productive when in, but he will miss at least one game this week with a Knee injury. |
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Center
NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
DeMarcus Cousins | SAC | 2 | Hard to dethrone the King and Boogie has been very productive in all categories and will even bring up the ball and drive coast to coast. |
Al Horford | BOS | 3 | Horford gets the boost with the third game and continues to be a match up problem because he spends a ton of time at the key. |
Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 2 | Towns mid-range shooting will be needed even more with LaVine done and he will take open three-pointers. Once he has the ball in the post he is a hard man to stop. |
Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 2 | Whiteside has controlled the paint on both sides of the ball virtually by himself, and unless he is in foul trouble, it hard to keep him off the glass. |
Myles Turner | IND | 3 | Turner gets a boost with the three games this week and has been more effective in the post and positions himself nicely for rebounds, especially on offense. |
Andre Drummond | DET | 2 | Drummond is limited offensively, but because of his size and rebounding, it is hard to keep him out of the lane and he will score from right under the basket. |
Rudy Gobert | UT | 2 | Gobert has improved a ton on offense and even has a drive game now. His best attribute is being able to follow up shots and he crashes the boards as good as any Center. |
Marc Gasol | MEM | 2 | The finess game from the post and perimeter continues to be very beneficial in order to spread the offense. Gasol is a strong defender, who does not move in the post. Hard to draw fouls. |
DeAndre Jordan | LAC | 2 | Jordan is instant defense, and will clean up the garbage and dunk the ball back in. Expect rebounding and blocks consistently. |
Dwight Howard | ATL | 2 | Howard has been a lot more aggressive in the post this season and has returned to top form. Always expects blocks, rebounds and high percentage shots. |
Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 2 | Vucevic is on the trading block and he continues to impress with his footwork and up and under moves in the post on a team that lacks offensive ability. |
Marcin Gortat | WSH | 2 | Gortat continues to cut more and defenders have had to close down the lane even more. He has a baby hook that has helped his post game. |
Brook Lopez | BKN | 2 | Lopez is instant offense and is the most reliable scoring Net, but as I always say, we want consistent rebounding from our Centers. |
Jonas Valanciunas | TOR | 2 | Mid-range and post game on offense have been great. He is also cutting to the basket when the wings have the ball in the post and he has been getting better positioning. |
Steven Adams | OKC | 2 | The gritty Adams continues to be all the Thunder has for big men right now and he will contiunue to fight for rebounds, help with putbacks and take contact. |
Tristan Thompson | CLE | 2 | Thompson can always be relied on for rebounding and good defense in the most. Most of his offensive game consists of layups off good passes. |
Tyson Chandler | PHX | 2 | Currently suffering from an ankle injury and he may have to miss a game this week. |
Robin Lopez | CHI | 2 | Lopez does have a small post game and he utilizes the pump fake nicely. Because of his height, it is hard to contest his hook shot. |
Jon Leuer | DET | 2 | Leuer has a strong game from the elbow and can hit turnaround jumpers while in the post. He always follows his own shots. |
Frank Kaminsky | CHA | 2 | With Zeller hurt, Kaminsky has drawn more playing time and he has a decent outside game and is starting to shoot better inside the key. He needs to use his size to attack the paint more. |