Point Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 4 | Westbrook keeps the top spot w/ the full slate and even though Dennis Schroder has been very productive, it won't impact Westbrook minutes at all except in blowout situations. |
2 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 4 | Curry hasn't looked back since returning from his Groin injury weeks ago. He's moving on the court like we're used to seeing him move. Expect a lot of shots, especially from the arc and dimes. |
3 | Damian Lillard | POR | 4 | Lillard missed his most recent practice for personal reasons but all signs are that he should be able to play his full slate this week. |
4 | John Wall | WSH | 4 | Wall has been involved in trade rumors for a bit now but that's not killing his motivation. He's still the Wizards top option and he's very dangerous when the Wizards are on transition. |
5 | Chris Paul | HOU | 4 | Paul continues to be the Rockets second shooting option and there are plenty of shots to go around in Houston because of their lack of depth and his legs have been healthy lately. |
6 | Mike Conley | MEM | 4 | Conley is the Grizzlies top scoring option and will command the ball a ton throughout the game. His assist-numbers should be safe w/ all of the depth he now has under the basket. |
7 | De'Aaron Fox | SAC | 4 | Fox has shown his growth all season and he's done a good job keeping the Kings offense on the run and he's used his quickness very well to get to the basket. He's the Kings top option. |
8 | Eric Bledsoe | MIL | 4 | Bledsoe's defense has been amazing this season as opposing guards have a tough time getting to the basket. He'll provide steady production w/ points, dimes and steals. |
9 | D'Angelo Russell | BKN | 4 | The Nets will continue to feature both Russell and Spencer Dinwiddie as their go-to scoring options. Russell has done a good job being a consistent scorer and he's helped w/ assists consistently. |
10 | Ben Simmons | PHI | 3 | Simmons can play multiple positions on the court and that will help keep him in the game. He's had to share the ball more w/ Jimmy Butler , but that hasn't impacted his production too much. |
11 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 3 | Walker continues to be by far and away the Hornets top scoring weapon as they have trouble scoring from under the basket. Walker has been draining a lot of jumpers and he'll provide steady dimes. |
12 | Kyrie Irving | BOS | 3 | Irving leads the Celtics guards and even though they face a lot of traffic at the position, Irving has been able to thrive producing both points and assists and he'll have the upper hand w/ minutes. |
13 | Derrick Rose | MIN | 4 | Rose and Jeff Teague are very close when it comes to their rate of production. Rose has had an incredible comeback year in which he's scored nearly 20 points per game and has helped w/ assists. |
14 | Spencer Dinwiddie | BKN | 4 | The Nets proved last week just how valuable Dinwiddie is to their squad by giving him a contract extentsion. They'll continue to give him a lot of playing time and a lot of time w/ the ball. |
15 | Dennis Schroder | OKC | 4 | Schroder will be in the running for Sixth Man of the Year just like Rose. When Westbrook was out he filled in nicely. Schroder is the priority scorer w/ the Thunder's second unit. |
16 | Jeff Teague | MIN | 4 | You can't forget about Teague even w/ Rose's awesome season. Teague has been able to stay healthy and he'll provide steady production w/ scoring and dishing assists. |
17 | Ricky Rubio | UT | 4 | Rubio has been able to keep the Jazz offense moving at a quick tempo. He'll go diving for loose balls and he's a good passer, especially when on the run. He'll also grab a lot of steals. |
18 | Reggie Jackson | DET | 4 | The Pistons mid-court has been struggling to stay healthy and Jackson to our surprise has been one of the most durable players on the team this season. He'll help w/ points and dimes. |
19 | Darren Collison | IND | 4 | The Pacers have a lot of guards, but Collison is still drawing starts and he's been able to hit knockdown three-pointers and he's done well facilitating their offense. |
20 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 3 | INJ: Lowry has missed his last two games w/ a Thigh injury and there's a chance he'l have to miss his first game of the week. The good news is that he has a couple of days to rest before his next game. |
Shooting Guard
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | James Harden | HOU | 4 | Harden keeps the top spot w/ the full slate and due to the lack of depth that the Rockets have, he'll keep playing extended minutes and continue being the Rockets top overall option. |
2 | Victor Oladipo | IND | 4 | Oladipo is healthy once again and he's played over 30 minutes in his last 2 games. It's safe to say that he's 100 percent because Indiana doesn't have any restrictions on him. |
3 | DeMar DeRozan | SAS | 4 | DeRozan has settled in nicely in his new home in San Antonio and he's been very helpful playing minutes at both SG and SF and he's done a great job grabbing steals and long rebounds. |
4 | Bradley Beal | WSH | 4 | Beal, like Wall, has been in the trade rumors as the Wizards are considering starting over. He'll provide steady production in scoring and he'll help w/ boards, dimes and steals on the perimeter. |
5 | Devin Booker | PHX | 4 | Booker is healthy once again and he shouldn't have any minutes restrictions after playing 36 minutes in his first game back. If the Suns rest him for a game it wouldn't be the biggest surprise. |
6 | Khris Middleton | MIL | 4 | INJ: Middleton missed his previous game after he had swelling in his Finger. There's no indication yet whether or not the swelling has gone down and he'll be ready to go for Monday night. |
7 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 4 | Thompson has lifted his production even w/ Curry and Draymond Green back on the court. Expect him to constantly get a high volume of shots. He'll help out w/ steals on the defensive end. |
8 | Buddy Hield | SAC | 4 | Hield continues to impress on both sides of the ball. He'll be a consistent double-digit scorer and he'll grab a lot of long rebounds. He'll also provide help w/ steals. |
9 | CJ McCollum | POR | 4 | McCollum remains the Blazers second scoring option and he'll produce a lot of points from the elbow. He'll mainly produce points for owners, but he'll also help a bit w/ boards and steals. |
10 | Donovan Mitchell | UT | 4 | Mitchell is starting to drive inside a bit more rather than just settling for long-range jumpers. He and Rubio will lead the Jazz on transition as the two speedy players on the team. |
11 | Jrue Holiday | NO | 3 | Holiday has had to fill in at multiple positions as Elfrid Payton remains injured. He'll continue to get a good amount of playing time running the point and that'll continue to help his assist-numbers. |
12 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 4 | Wiggins is a priority scorer for the Timberwolves and his production has been steady since Jimmy Butler got traded and he'll produce a lot from the arc and the elbow. |
13 | Jordan Clarkson | CLE | 4 | Clarkson will continue to spend time playing at both guard positions. He continues to be a UFO in the NBA because it's hard to determine which position best suits him. |
14 | Wesley Matthews | DAL | 4 | Matthews Hamstring issues seem to be behind him and he'll serve as the Mavs bailout shooting option and grab steals on the defensive side of the ball. |
15 | Eric Gordon | HOU | 4 | Gordon will lead the Rockets second unit as their priority scorer. He will also get some time to run the point w/ the starters when Paul needs a breather. James Ennis III being out helps his minutes. |
16 | Malcolm Brogdon | MIL | 4 | INJ: Brogdon missed his previous game w/ a Hamstring injury and there's a chance he'll have to miss his first game of the week on Monday.. |
17 | Tim Hardaway Jr. | NY | 3 | Hardaway continues to be the Knicks top scorer. The Knicks have had trouble finding consistent shooting options especially from downtown. He'll drive the lane as well, but he'll mainly shoot three's. |
18 | Jeremy Lamb | CHA | 3 | Lamb is the one other consistent scoring weapon that the Hornets have besides Walker. Lamb continues to do a great job pulling down rebounds and he'll also help w/ steals. |
19 | JJ Redick | PHI | 3 | Redick will continue being the ultimate bailout shooter for the Sixers, but he'll also look to push the ball inside. He's dishing three assists per game and he's playing over 31 minutes per game. |
20 | Zach LaVine | CHI | 4 | INJ: There's a chance that LaVine has to miss the full week of action. He'll have to miss his first game of the week on Monday. We're waiting to hear just how badly his Ankle is injured. |
Small Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 4 | The Greek Freak takes the top spot w/ the full slate and he'll continue to be a multi-category producer. He'll make an impact in all categories except for three-point shooting. |
2 | Kevin Durant | GSW | 4 | Even w/ the Warriors at full strength, Durant will still be a prioritized scorer as the Warriors are very top-heavy w/ some of their depth injured. Expect a high volume of shots in each game. |
3 | Paul George | OKC | 4 | George thinks that this has been his most productive season in his entire career which is interesting because he is now a second scoring option. He'll continue to produce on both sides of the ball. |
4 | LeBron James | LAL | 3 | James would be ranked higher if he had the full slate. He'll remain the Lakers top scoring option and he'll facilitate the Lakers offense for a good amount of the game. |
5 | Kawhi Leonard | TOR | 3 | You never know when the Raptors will rest Leonard, but it'll unlikely happen when the Raptors have a three-game week as opposed to a full slate. He's made the Raptors even more of a contender. |
6 | Luka Doncic | DAL | 4 | Doncic has had to play multiple positions as the Mavs guards have been in and out of the lineup all season long. If Dennis Smith Jr. needs to miss more time, that'll benefit Doncic's assist-numbers. |
7 | Danilo Gallinari | LAC | 4 | Gallinari is the Clippers second scoring option and he'll pick up even more shots w/ Lou Williams out of the lineup. He's also grabbed six rebounds per game this season. |
8 | Rudy Gay | SAS | 4 | Gay has done a good job playing both forward spots this season. He'll continue to call for the ball more in the post and hit mid-range jumpers. He'll rebound consistently and he's a good post-defender. |
9 | Robert Covington | MIN | 4 | Covington will provide multi-category production. He'll hit shots from the arc and slash to draw contact. He'll see his usage go up and will get more plays in the paint if Taj Gibson misses more time. |
10 | Justin Holiday | CHI | 4 | Holiday's usage will continue to go up w/ Jabari Parker out of the mix. Holiday should continue seeing a lot of minutes and he'll take a lot of shots from the arc, but will follow them up to keep plays alive. |
11 | TJ Warren | PHX | 4 | Warren has been effective at both forward positions and w/ Trevor Ariza traded, it'll benefit him. His scoring has been very balanced from the elbow, but his rebounding is what really stands out this year. |
12 | Joe Ingles | UT | 4 | Ingles will not only shoot a ton of three-pointers and be the Jazz main bailout option, but he'll also push the ball inside and grab long rebounds and steals at the arc. |
13 | Bogdan Bogdanovic | SAC | 4 | Bogdanovic hasn't looked back since returning from injury and he'll continue to be not only a prioritized scorer, but he'll also help facilitate the offense and even look to drive to draw contact. |
14 | Jimmy Butler | PHI | 3 | Butler has fit nicely in Philly as his role is very similar to the one in Minnesota. He'll get the ball at the arc and try to slash through the lane to draw the double team. He'll also provide help w/ steals. |
15 | Bojan Bogdanovic | IND | 4 | Even w/ Oladipo back in the lineup, Bogdanovic continues to be utilized heavily as the Pacers main bailout shooting weapon. Expect him to continue to get a high volume of shots. |
16 | Joe Harris | BKN | 4 | Harris is healthy once again and he'll provide consistent double-digit scoring for the Nets and he'll see time at both SG and SF. He's also done a good job grabbing long rebounds. |
17 | Cedi Osman | CLE | 4 | Osman will continue to see a lot of shots from the outside. He'll see playing time at both forward positions and Tristan Thompson being out benefits him because Larry Nance Jr. will have to play Center. |
18 | Josh Richardson | MIA | 3 | The Heat as a whole can't stay healthy and Richardson will see minutes at three different positions. Expect him to run the point a good amount w/ Goran Dragic once again dealing w/ Knee issues. |
19 | Otto Porter Jr. | WSH | 4 | INJ: Porter has missed his last three games w/ a Knee bruise. There's a good chance that he'll have to miss some action this week as well. His first game of the week is on Tuesday. |
20 | Nikola Mirotic | NO | 3 | INJ: Mirotic has missed his last two games w/ an Ankle injury. He'll have a couple of days to get ready for his first game of the week. |
Power Forward
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Blake Griffin | DET | 4 | Griffin has seen a high volume of shots as he remains by far and away not only the top producer for the Pistons, but he's been the most productive PF this season because of his scoring and rebounding. |
2 | Tobias Harris | LAC | 4 | Harris (on the other side of that Griffin trade) has been doing great as the Clippers top scoring weapon. He'll find ways to slash in the lane and he'll continue to play deep into games. |
3 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 4 | Aldridge has had to play a ton of minutes at both PF and C this season and he's done a great job getting in the lane. He's not as productive from the arc as we've seen. |
4 | Draymond Green | GSW | 4 | Green is healthy (for now) as his Toe injury has subsided. The Warriors front court lacks depth and Green will provide multi-category production, especially grabbing boards and steals. |
5 | Lauri Markkanen | CHI | 4 | Markkanen should be able to have a full week of full usage as his Elbow has recovered nicely. Markkanen will see more shots this week if Zach LaVine has to miss more time. |
6 | Harrison Barnes | DAL | 4 | Barnes will continue to see a good amount of time w/ the ball. He'll produce on both sides of the ball and especially help w/ long rebounds and steals on the perimeter. |
7 | Nemanja Bjelica | SAC | 4 | Bjelica will see more minutes and usage w/ Marvin Bagley III hurt. He'll produce not only from the arc, but he'll follow up his shots and fight for boards. He's very gritty. |
8 | Al-Farouq Aminu | POR | 4 | Aminu remains relevant because the Blazers lack depth at PF and C and he'll continue to get the ball at the arc and try to slash through the lane to draw contact. He's grabbed 8.1 boards per game. |
9 | Derrick Favors | UT | 4 | Favors continues to produce from right outside the paint. Rudy Gobert demands a lot of coverage and favors has succeeded in the post on both sides of the ball and he'll grab consistent boards. |
10 | Bobby Portis | CHI | 4 | Portis is back in action and he should see full minutes this week even playing behind Markkanen. Portis will do a lot of the Bulls dirty work in the post and he won't have to worry about Parker stealing time. |
11 | Larry Nance Jr. | CLE | 4 | Nance will see time at both PF and C while Thompson recovers and that'll help his minutes and stats. He'll produce from the low block and score and grab boards from right under the basket. |
12 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | MEM | 4 | Jackson has been the Grizzlies third scoring option this season and he's done a great job balancing his offense by shooting from the outside and driving. He's got tremendous leaping ability. |
13 | Thaddeus Young | IND | 4 | Young has been more productive lately and he's done a good job of driving the lane and drawing contact right under the basket. He'll grab consistent boards. |
14 | John Collins | ATL | 3 | Collins will be the priority big man when it comes the Hawks playbook and he'll get a lot of plays called for him in the paint. He has been able to remain healthy since returning from injury. |
15 | JaMychal Green | MEM | 4 | Green has been able to make an impact on both sides of the ball since he's returned from injury. He doesn't even need that much time to produce and he'll be spotlighted w/ the Grizzlies second unit. |
16 | Jerami Grant | OKC | 4 | Grant will benefit from the Thunder's lack of mid and front-court depth. He'll grab boards and steals on the defensive end and he'll get open a lot at the elbow to take high-percentage shots. |
17 | Dario Saric | MIN | 4 | Saric will see an uptick in minutes if Gibson has to miss more time for personal reasons. Saric can fill in at multiple positions and he'll produce points mainly from the elbow. |
18 | Aaron Gordon | ORL | 3 | Gordon will see a lot of time w/ the ball and he'll get a lot of open looks from long-range because Nikola Vucevic needs a lot of coverage in the paint. Gordon will grab consistent boards as well. |
19 | Taj Gibson | MIN | 4 | Gibson missed his previous game due to personal issues so his status for his first game of the week is currently uncertain. |
20 | Julius Randle | NO | 3 | INJ: Randle sprained his Ankle on Sunday and we are waiting to hear how much time he'll need to miss. He will likely have to miss a couple of games this week. |
Center
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis |
1 | Anthony Davis | NO | 3 | Even though he doesn't have a full slate of games, Davis still takes the top spot because of his high-volume of all-around production. He'll see more time in the paint if Julius Randle needs to miss time. |
2 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 4 | Towns has been more productive since Butler got traded and the Timberwolves don't have many other options to throw out on the court at Center. Expect full minutes, usage and three-pointers. |
3 | Andre Drummond | DET | 4 | Drummond continues to be a rebounding beast from right under the basket and he's able to draw contact and get to the basket. He has a couple of post moves, but doesn't have a good shot. |
4 | Joel Embiid | PHI | 3 | Embiid will continue producing from both inside and outside and the Sixers have made him the prioritized scorer. He'll grab a ton of boards and help out w/ blocks consistently. |
5 | Clint Capela | HOU | 4 | The Rockets lack depth in the paint and Capela has been very productive scoring inside and grabbing a high volume of rebounds. He'll continue to play deep into games and provide steady help w/ blocks. |
6 | Rudy Gobert | UT | 4 | Gobert is a hard player to keep out of the paint. He'll grab a ton of boards, score from right under the basket and he will use his awesome leaping ability to block a lot of shots. |
7 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 4 | Gasol continues to be the Grizzlies second scoring option and he'll score from inside the paint a good amount and he'll have plays in which he pops outside and takes long-range jumpers. |
8 | DeAndre Jordan | DAL | 4 | We all know about Jordan's limited offensive ability and even w/ Dirk Nowitzki coming back into the mix, it shouldn't impact Jordan's minutes too much. He'll provide a ton of help w/ boards and blocks. |
9 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 3 | Vucevic has taken his scoring to a whole new level this year and he's even been shooting shots from the arc. Once he starts his drive, it's very hard to stop him once he reaches the paint. |
10 | Deandre Ayton | PHX | 4 | Ayton has been very impressive producing points and boards in his rookie season. He'll grab long rebounds at the elbow and he'll force his way inside. Expect him to continue to play deep into games. |
11 | Jusuf Nurkic | POR | 4 | Nurkic benefits from the Blazers lack of front court depth. Meyers Leonard won't steal many minutes from him and he's done a great job of controlling the paint and grabbing a lot of boards. |
12 | Steven Adams | OKC | 4 | Adams continues to have his way in the paint as he's one of the toughest players to keep away from the basket. Nerlens Noel will back him up but never steal minutes from him. |
13 | Domantas Sabonis | IND | 4 | Sabonis is an aggressive player who doesn't need a lot of minutes to be productive. He'll score a lot of points from both at the elbow and in the paint and he'll continue to fight hard to grab a ton of boards. |
14 | Willie Cauley-Stein | SAC | 4 | Cauley-Stein will see a few more touches w/ Bagley hurt and he'll take shots from the elbow and take advantage of low-block specific defenders. He's also a consistent rebounder. |
15 | Montrezl Harrell | LAC | 4 | Harrell has done a lot of dirty work cleaning up the glass for the Clippers this season. He'll slash through the lane and draw a ton of contact. Expect consistent rebounding from him as well. |
16 | Jarrett Allen | BKN | 4 | Allen is another low-block specific Center who will score from right under the basket. He has more offensive ability than Ed Davis and he has good leaping ability that will help him produce blocks. |
17 | Myles Turner | IND | 4 | Turner has improved and his numbers reflect it. He's playing a lot more aggressively in the paint and he's been grabbing more boards. He's not focusing as much on jump-shooting and more on getting inside. |
18 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 3 | We are still trying to figure out if there is drama off the court between Whiteside and Heat's management. He's back in action and has seen minutes in the 20's since returning w/ the hope that they go up. |
19 | Brook Lopez | MIL | 4 | Even though Lopez is allergic to playing in the paint, he's done a good job serving as a bailout shooter from the elbow and arc. He'll score consistently in double-figures w/ the usual four to five boards per game. |
20 | Nikola Jokic | DEN | 2 | Jokic would be much higher in the rankings this week but Denver is the one team that drew the short slate this week. Expect full usage for the short slate of games. Nuggets are very banged up. |