POINT GUARDS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | Russell Westbrook | OKC | 4 | We all know Westbrook's ability to score, but we cannot forget that he is very productive in rebounding. | |
2 |
| LAC | 3 | A lot more assist opportunities come his way when his teammates set up at different parts of the arc. | |
3 | Damian Lillard | POR | 4 | MINOR INJURY ALERT: (Heel). Lillard says he should not miss playing time, and controls the offense when on the court. | |
4 | John Wall | WSH | 3 | Continues to be the No. 1 option and gets more chances to score with Bradley Beal out. | |
5 | Eric Bledsoe | PHX | 3 | Has a reliable shot and the Suns' backcourt is can always be relied on and will be with a more inconsistent frontcourt. | |
6 | Mike Conley | MEM | 4 | Has been slashing more down the lane rather than settling for a long contested jumper. Continues to play great on-the-ball defense. | |
7 | Rajon Rondo | SAC | 3 | The offense moves a lot quicker with Rondo on the court. Very good at penetrating in the lane and it leaves someone open for a jumper. | |
8 | Reggie Jackson | DET | 3 | Outside of the paint, Jackson is relied on heavily to score and make sure the ball gets in the paint. Excellent form and can stutter-step and score. | |
9 | Isaiah Thomas | BOS | 4 | Jumper has been reliable and it is plain fun watching what he can do when flying down the lane. He creates while he is in the air. | |
10 | Jarrett Jack | BKN | 3 | Another reliable penetrater and slasher down the lane. Jack's jumper can be ice cold but he is good at adjusting when part of his game isn't working. | |
11 | Elfrid Payton | ORL | 3 | Payton's excellent passing and aggresiveness inside earns him a ton of respect. He has been improving his jumper, but is very pass happy and makes good decisions with the ball. | |
12 | Kemba Walker | CHA | 3 | Has been shooting a lot better and knows when to take advantage of laziness on defense from the opposition and drive. | |
13 | Jeff Teague | ATL | 3 | Hard to tell when he will have a big scoring night, but is excellent at reading screens and working his way inside with the ball. | |
14 | Stephen Curry | GSW | 2 | He's the best...but only has two games…again! | |
15 | Kyle Lowry | TOR | 2 | Great shooter and the Raptors' top scoring option. He only has two games on the docket. | |
16 | Derrick Rose | CHI | 3 | Rose has been seeing more playing time and has been staying somewhat healthy. Rose will definitely have games in which he is kept out from a playing time standpoint. | |
17 | Michael Carter-Williams | MIL | 2 | With his backup's hurting, MCW has been shooting and driving with a lot more confidence and knows when to pass off instead of forcing up a shot. | |
18 | Deron Williams | DAL | 3 | Williams is often left open beyond the arc where he burns teams. Teams forget that he has a reliable inside game and tear-drop shot. | |
19 | Emmanuel Mudiay | DEN | 4 | Healthy again and utilizes his transition game well as he is able to fly down the court with the ball. Needs to continue improving his shot. | |
20 | Mo Williams | CLE | 3 | Very effective when on the court at the same time as LeBron James because when James draws the extra defender, Williams is often left with a wide open lane. |
SHOOTING GUARDS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | James Harden | HOU | 4 | When the BEST Shooting Guard in the league has four games in a week…it's a GREAT thing! | |
2 |
| PHX | 3 | Always a reliable driver and has a smooth fade-away jumper. Knight is one of two reliable options on Phoenix. | |
3 | C.J. McCollum | POR | 4 | Part of a very offensively involved backcourt and with Lillard not 100 percent, McCollum could be relied on more this week. | |
4 | Jimmy Butler | CHI | 3 | The Derrick Rose factor always makes things interesting from a shot quantity stand point, but is the leader and always finds a way to get involved. | |
5 | Victor Oladipo | ORL | 3 | Looks very healthy as he continues to drive the lane from the side of the hoop. He also has been taking a lot more mid-range jumpers. | |
6 | Dwyane Wade | MIA | 3 | Staying healthy and is still a top go-to scoring option on the Heat. | |
7 | Nicolas Batum | CHA | 3 | We have been seeing a lot of focus on rebounding and getting the Hornets second chance scoring opportuntities. Coming off a week of being ill. | |
8 | Gordon Hayward | UT | 3 | Very reliable shooter and is good at find the open middle man around the paint and then cutting inside. Hayward is always moving. | |
9 | Goran Dragic | MIA | 3 | Dragic admitted recently that he is starting to get the hang of the Heat's offense. No, Goran! It's becase you are playing your natural position and don't have to shoot as much. | |
10 | Kobe Bryant | LAL | 4 | Kobe gets as many shots as he wants...Will most or even half go in? It changes each game! | |
11 | Trevor Ariza | HOU | 4 | Ariza needs to continue to use his size in transition to drive inside. He has the build and ball handling skills to take it to the hole. | |
12 | Joe Johnson | BKN | 3 | Continues to be reliable from mid and long range. Johnson is great at drawing the mis-match and burns opponents with a turn around jumper. | |
13 | Eric Gordon | NO | 3 | Very reliable shooter but it is hard to tell how many open shots he will get a game. | |
14 | Klay Thompson | GSW | 2 | Thompson has been playing much better but only has two games this week. | |
15 | DeMar DeRozan | TOR | 2 | Excellent secondary scoring option but only has two games this week. | |
16 | Kevin Martin | MIN | 3 | Looks healthy again and is still involved in the Timberwolves' offense from a long range shooting and driving standpoint. | |
17 | Tyreke Evans | NO | 3 | Evans has looked good since making his season debut and is able to have his way in the post. | |
18 | Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | DET | 3 | Continues to shoot well and get open looks. Caldwell-Pope is also not afraid to take contact. | |
19 | Monta Ellis | IND | 3 | The Pacers' offense definitely moves quicker when he is in the game and is balancing out his shot attempts and drives very nicely. | |
20 | Kyle Korver | ATL | 3 | Always looks for the outside jumper first. Kyle, we get it but take four steps inside and be that effective jumper instead of taking yourself out of the offense. |
SMALL FORWARDS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | Kevin Durant | OKC | 4 | Definitely has taken back his spot as the top scoring option in the league and has not experienced any setbacks | |
2 |
| CLE | 3 | Always reliable and fills up the stat-sheet in multiple categories. | |
3 | Paul George | IND | 3 | George has been dominant this season on both sides of the ball and can play multiple positions. | |
4 | Carmelo Anthony | NYK | 4 | Continues to shoot better and it is always nice seeing a 10-plus rebounding game from him. | |
5 | Kawhi Leonard | SAS | 4 | Continues to play excellent defense at the key and in the post and has been effective when driving and shooting. | |
6 | Thaddeus Young | BKN | 3 | Excellent lane driver and mid-post weapon who easily draws contact and is able to get to the free-throw line. Young has been great working inside. | |
7 | Tobias Harris | ORL | 3 | Harris seems over his injuries and is back to trying to control the top of the paint and get mis-matches on defense. | |
8 | Andrew Wiggins | MIN | 3 | Really only producing consistent scoring numbers. Wiggins has the ability to rebound, but plays deep outside on defense and does not challenge in the paint. | |
9 | Rudy Gay | SAC | 3 | Continues to be an excellent top of the key scoring option who uses his size and strength in the post. | |
10 | Danilo Gallinari | DEN | 4 | Gallinari is coming off a few minor injuries, but when on the court, he is by far the Nuggets' No. 1 scoring option. | |
11 | Jae Crowder | BOS | 4 | Excellent post defender with great speed. Crowder has definitely improved his jumper from the elbow. | |
12 | Jeff Green | MEM | 4 | Great on-the-ball defender, who has a good post game and driving ability. Green is not afraid to shoot. | |
13 | Al-Farouq Aminu | POR | 4 | Continues to play like Thad Young in which he always looks to slash down the lane and draw contact. | |
14 | Marcus Morris | DET | 3 | Good at taking advantage of the side of the hoop by posting up, spinning inside with his quick step and getting a layup or baby jumper. | |
15 | Wesley Matthews | DAL | 3 | Has been shooting the ball better thus getting rewarded with more playing time. | |
16 | Ersan Ilyasova | DET | 3 | Continues to be very effective with his long range shooting. His sweet spot seems to be right behind the elbow and will continue to be in a time-share when it comes to playing time. If Ilyasova continues playing effective mid-range on-the-ball defense, he will get more playing time. | |
17 | Giannis Antetokounmpo | MIL | 2 | INJURY ALERT: Suffering from a small knee injury and plays in only two game this week. I would not be surprised if he is held out. | |
18 | Khris Middleton | MIL | 2 | If Antetokounmpo is held out, Middleton picks up more playing time, shot opportunities, but still only plays in two games. | |
19 | Chandler Parsons | DAL | 3 | Hard to gauge how much playing time he will get per game. It almost looks like his playing time lives and dies with his shooting percentage. | |
20 | DeMarre Carroll | TOR | 2 | INJURY ALERT: (Knee): Unsure what his status is at this time but is going to see the doctor. |
POWER FORWARDS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | Anthony Davis | NO | 3 | Has been able to stay healthy and put up great games. Hard to defend in the post | |
2 |
| LAC | 3 | After seeing success in the post, the Clippers' coaching staff is trying to get him to take more jumpers. Hopefully it does not impact his game negatively. | |
3 | Paul Millsap | ATL | 3 | Great defender and has been an excellent slasher to the hoop. Millsap continues to be a reliable No. 2 offensive weapon. | |
4 | LaMarcus Aldridge | SAS | 4 | Seeing a lot more success when posting up rather than settling for the jumper. | |
5 | Kevin Love | CLE | 3 | Has been driving the lane and playing in the low post a lot more. That has helped his overall game. | |
6 | Derrick Favors | UT | 3 | Continues to be the dominant inside player with Rudy Gobert out and is taking advantage by constantly being fed the ball inside. | |
7 | Zach Randolph | MEM | 4 | Always reliable rebounder and great at getting put-backs on offense. | |
8 | Serge Ibaka | OKC | 4 | Always reliable blocker and inside player. Ibaka is definitely working on his jumper. He uses it sparingly. | |
9 | Pau Gasol | CHI | 3 | Well rested and ready to return to the post where he has seen a ton of success. | |
10 | Chris Bosh | MIA | 3 | Definitely a reliable shooter but does not use his body enough to work his way inside unless the lane is open. Once he does that, more points will come. | |
11 | Kristaps Porzingis | NYK | 4 | The Knicks need to give Porzingis a bit of rest and blowouts will do that. Reliable shot blocker each time out. | |
12 | Dirk Nowitzki | DAL | 3 | Continues to be the most reliable scoring option on Dallas and will bang around inside to gain position for a layup. | |
13 | Tim Duncan | SAS | 4 | You can absolutely rely more on Duncan's rebounding and blocking ability than scoring. He can still work the ball inside. | |
14 | Kenneth Faried | DEN | 4 | Drives the lane with force and even though he is raw offensively, he still grabs a lot of rebounds. | |
15 | Jared Sullinger | BOS | 4 | Uses his big body down low and has a baby hook, but needs to learn how to look up when driving down the lane. Always count on rebounds from him. | |
16 | Draymond Green | GSW | 2 | Green has been excellent on both sides of the ball, but is stuck with another two-game week. | |
17 | Greg Monroe | MIL | 2 | Minutes are being monitored while he continues to work his way back from a knee injury, but still produces when on the court. | |
18 | Marvin Williams | CHA | 3 | Williams' rebounding and defense keeps him in games. He has a baby jumper he does not use enough as he tries to post up bigger centers, often leading to him getting in trouble. | |
19 | Nikola Mirotic | CHI | 3 | Needs to post up down low more and learn how call for the ball inside. Mirotic spends too much time outside and if his jumper is hitting then great, but if not, he disappears from games. | |
20 | Robert Covington | PHI | 3 | Good mid-range jump shooter and post player. Excellent at guarding in the paint for size and will continue to get a good amount of playing time. |
CENTERS
RANK | NAME | Team | # Games | Analysis | |
1 | DeMarcus Cousins | SAC | 3 | We get it he's great! HOWEVER: Will he be traded within the next few weeks? It sure is possible. | |
2 |
| DET | 3 | Continues to play the low-post as good as any center and has been one of the best rebounders this season. | |
3 | Marc Gasol | MEM | 4 | Seeing a lot more success in the post and is less reliant on jumpers. Expecting better shooting percentages moving forward. | |
4 | Al Horford | ATL | 3 | Continues to shoot the ball well from the elbow and cut quickly inside when not open. Horford also has a great post-game. | |
5 | Nikola Vucevic | ORL | 3 | Speaking of great post-games, Vucevic is not only good at working the post and shooting, but also taking one dribble in and finding the cutter. | |
6 | DeAndre Jordan | LAC | 3 | Very dominant inside player whose purpose is to block shots and grab rebounds despite wanting to be more involved in the offense. | |
7 | Dwight Howard | HOU | 4 | Playing time restrictions are done and should be able to grab a double-double in the majority of games. Howard is also being talked about in potential trades. | |
8 | Karl-Anthony Towns | MIN | 3 | Always able to get open jumpers as his defenders think he is an inside first player. That is not the case as he starts his attack at the key instead of posting right inside. | |
9 | Jahlil Okafor | PHI | 3 | With Nerlens Noel back in action, expecting to see Okafor have an easier time of working the ball inside. | |
10 | Brook Lopez | BKN | 3 | We say it every week, the guy can shoot and score from outside of the paint, but, we need him playing INSIDE as the 7-foot-1 center. | |
11 | Hassan Whiteside | MIA | 3 | Always can be relied on defensively and grabs a ton of rebounds. Whiteside is also involved in trade rumors. | |
12 | Nerlens Noel | PHI | 3 | Noel's eye is healthy and hopefully he can see where he needs to post up in order to be able to produce. He has the big body and skillset, but there's a lot of traffic he runs into down low. | |
13 | Ryan Anderson | NO | 3 | Deadly shooter downtown who is being showcased for other teams. Anderson has good lane-driving ability as well. | |
14 | Zaza Pachulia | DAL | 3 | The only member of his team that plays consistent defense and rebounds. It is very sad! | |
15 | Tristan Thompson | CLE | 3 | With other bigger options hurt, Thompson will need to show his range and switch off playing the PF and C position. He will naturally have a tougher time scoring when drawing the bigger defender. | |
16 | Gorgui Dieng | MIN | 3 | Good enforcer down low on a team with injured big men. The playing time is his and is good in the low post, but ineffective at putting shots up in the high post. | |
17 | Mason Plumlee | POR | 4 | Drives the lane aggresively and sees a lot of success when rotating on to smaller lane drivers. Hard to tell how reliable offensively he will be per game. | |
18 | Enes Kanter | OKC | 4 | Needs to work his way into getting more playing time and using his shooting range rather than looking to pass off constantly. | |
19 | Marcin Gortat | WSH | 3 | Needs to post up and bang around more inside rather than just setting the pick and then waiting until the shot goes up. Needs to work on gaining position inside. | |
20 | Andrew Bogut | GSW | 2 | Hard to tell how much playing time he will get, but he is also a hard player to box out of the paint. |