Category: Basketball

Giannis Antetokounmpo was frustrated. Doc Rivers was frustrated. Bucks GM Jon Horst was frustrated. All the Bucks players were frustrated. Milwaukee went into training camp believing internally they could be a force in a down Eastern Conference this season, but there they were on Wednesday morning at 9-13, having not only lost four in a row while Antetokounmpo was out with a groin strain, but they had lost on Monday night with him to a struggling Wizards team.

That's when the report dropped that Antetokounmpo and his agent would meet with Bucks management to discuss his future with the franchise. That report sparked countless conversations — from front offices around the league to media broadcasts to barstools in New York City — about what an Antetokounmpo trade might look like.

Wednesday night, the Bucks players, as well as Rivers, pushed back on all that talk on a number of fronts:

• The most impressive was a win without Antetokounmpo — who left the game with a calf strain two minutes in and now reportedly will be out 2-4 weeks — beating the top team in the East, the Detroit Pistons. That's the Bucks' best win of the season and met with Antetokounmpo's approval, according to Bobby Portis.

"What's so crazy is Giannis is the first person texting in the team group message, 'Good job, fellas, way to get one,'" Portis said, via the Associated Press.

• Kevin Porter Jr. had maybe the best summation of where the Bucks locker room stands, seeing everything as outside noise until Antetokounmpo himself talks to the team, with the quote via Eric Nehm at The Athletic.

"I'll just say this: There's a lot of outside noise, that's just what comes with it," Porter said. "And Giannis does a great job of assuring (us) that he's wanting to be here with this group specifically.

"So, we ain't even worried about all the outside noise. That's my brother and I'm sure if it was something he would come to us, but he's with us and we're gonna hold it down until he's ready."

• Before the reports of Antetokounmpo meeting with management even dropped, the Bucks players held a team meeting to talk about why they had not been playing up to their own standards and what needed to be done. Here is how Portis described it, via The Athletic.

"Just trying to keep guys' minds right, keep guys together, that's a big thing in the league," Portis explained of the motive behind the meeting. "Obviously, everybody wants to get paid, everybody has different motives, whatever it is. Just making sure that we're together, right? And then, most importantly, understanding that we have to get a win. No matter how we get it. If it's ugly, if it's good, if we're knocking down shots, whatever it is, the most important thing was to win."

The Bucks got the kind of win they needed on Wednesday night.

• Doc Rivers is maybe the best salesman among the current crop of NBA coaches, and he was selling the company line on Wednesday — but there is a truth in what he is saying. Here's his full quote from pregame:

"I want to make it clear for the — I want to say one more time — for the 50th time, and clearly it's not getting to one network, for sure, Giannis has never asked to be traded. Ever. I can't make that more clear."

Rivers also went on to say that if the Bucks turn things around and start winning games again, playing to their potential, all these questions will go away.

Rivers is not lying here. The Bucks are not going to trade Antetokounmpo until he formally asks to be traded, and he has yet to do that forcefully and directly. He did pressure the Bucks to talk to the Knicks late in this summer (August), but after the Knicks re-signed Mikal Bridges to an extension, taking him off the trade table until Feb. 1, 2026. Those talks went nowhere.

This is the first big question being asked around the league, according to sources NBC Sports has spoken with: Is Antetokounmpo going to formally, officially ask for a trade? He's danced up to that line before, but never stepped over it and officially asked. He comes off as maybe wanting out but also not wanting to be the bad guy. When asked about his status, his response is always some version of what he said at this year's training camp: "I want to be in a situation that I can win, and now I'm here. I believe in this team. I believe in my teammates. I'm here to lead this team to wherever we can go."

Until Antetokounmpo stops just rattling his sabers and actually makes a trade request (or, until he doesn't sign an extension with the team next October when they can offer him a new max deal), the Bucks are going to try to find ways — including making moves at the February trade deadline — to improve the roster and win with him. The Bucks are all-in on Antetokounmpo until he tells them not to be.

• The other question being asked around the league is, if Antetokounmpo does request a trade, will the Bucks be willing to work with him and take less in return to get him where he wants to go (New York, presumably, but other teams like Miami or Golden State could be on a short list) or, are they going to take the best package regardless of where it sends the two-time MVP? Teams like Atlanta and San Antonio can put together offers far better than New York or the other reported preferred Antetokounmpo landing spots, should those teams decide to jump in and go after him. How would Antetokounmpo react if the Bucks worked out a trade with the Hawks or Spurs? Would this be like Antetokounmpo's former teammate, Damian Lillard, who didn't have Milwaukee on his trade list but was open to the idea once presented with the deal? Antetokounmpo has some leverage because he is under contract for one more season after this one and could tell a team he would not re-sign with them if they trade for him. Of course, that's what Kawhi Leonard told Toronto, they traded for him anyway, won a ring, and then he left. There are teams that would sign up for that outcome.

• The Bucks' current roster is going to ignore all that and focus instead on what matters most right now — winning games, so this becomes moot.

Welcome to the Fantasy Basketball Minutes Report. Every week, I will review each team's updated minutes per game to see which players are seeing the court more or less than in previous weeks. With this information in hand, I'll try to discuss any relevant fantasy risers or fallers; players who we should be adding off waivers or removing from our teams.

The charts below are also great for exploring on your own. You can track the minutes over the last three, five, and ten games, and for the entire season, to see which trends stand out to you.

All of this data was made accessible by Kyle Bland, who is incredibly talented and also incredibly generous, so make sure to give him a follow to check out all of his baseball data as well.

2025-26 Fantasy Basketball Top 200 Rankings: Nikola Jokić remains on top and Scottie Barnes shines

Check out the fantasy basketball rankings update as the season enters December.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Atlanta Hawks

Kristaps Porzingis has been battling an illness and has missed four straight games, so we have to hope everything is alright. Trae Young (knee) remains out and will be re-evaluated later this week. In his absence, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has been tremendous, averaging 23.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 3.5 assists over his last eight games. That's a top-50 value in fantasy basketball leagues. Jalen Johnson is dealing with a bit of a calf injury of his own, but he's been one of the best players in the league so far this year.

Boston Celtics

The Celtics' rotation has been pretty consistent for much of the season. The end-of-rotation minutes between Neemias Queta and Josh Minott fluctuate a little bit, and only three players (Jaylen Brown, Derrick White, and Payton Pritchard) have consistent fantasy value.

Brooklyn Nets

Cam Thomas remains out until the middle of December, and Terance Mann has been dealing with a rib injury, which has caused him to miss the last two games. That has allowed Danny Wolf to enter the rotation, where he has fluctuated between good and bad games. Noah Clowney has been playing better of late, averaging 18.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 2.0 assists over his last seven games. Aside from his recent stretch and the consistent production from Michael Porter Jr. and Nic Claxton, there hasn't been much to be excited about for the Nets.

Charlotte Hornets

Brandon Miller has missed the last two games while managing the same shoulder injury, which has led to an uptick in minutes for Sion James and allowed for Tidjane Salaün to enter the rotation in the last two games. Collin Sexton has also returned but remains set around 20 minutes per game, which caps his fantasy upside. Ryan Kalkbrenner did leave Wednesday's game with an ankle injury, so that's a situation to monitor because Moussa Diabaté had actually been more impactful of late and could be an interesting player if he gets near 30 minutes a game.

Chicago Bulls

Kevin Huerter went from battling through a pelvic issue to being out with a hamstring injury. Isaac Okoro has also missed the last six games with a back injury, Jalen Smith has missed three games with a hamstring injury, Tre Jones missed a game with an ankle injury, and Coby White has missed the last three games with a calf injury. That has allowed Julian Phillips to enter the rotation and allowed Matas Buzelis to be counted on for a larger role. He's averaging 12.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks over his last four games. All of Smith, White, Jones, and Okoro could be back this weekend, so this is a situation in flux.

Cleveland Cavaliers

This Cavs team has been disjointed for much of the year. We know Max Strus has yet to play at all this season, and Darius Garland has been in and out of the lineup. Now, Jarrett Allen has been sidelined with a finger injury, Larry Nance Jr. will be out until the end of the month with a right calf strain, and Sam Merrill has missed eight games with a hand injury. Jaylon Tyson continues to remain a key part of the rotation, but also Garland, Donovan Mitchell, and Evan Mobley can be counted on for fantasy value.

Dallas Mavericks

It seems that the Mavericks have found their point guard, with Ryan Nembhard averaging 17.0 points, 7.5 assists, and 2.8 rebounds over his last four games. That has also coincided with D'Angelo Russell continuing to see less playing time. Mebhard has been a top 60 player over that stretch and needs to be added in all fantasy leagues. We've also seen the Mavericks stop experimenting with Cooper Flagg as a point forward and start using him as a stretch forward next to Anthony Davis, which has been great for both of them in recent weeks. All of P.J. Washington, Dereck Lively II, and Daniel Gafford could return from their various injuries this weekend, which would mean less playing time for Naji Marshall and Dwight Powell.

Denver Nuggets

The Nuggets are dealing with injuries to Aaron Gordon and Christian Braun, which has shaken up the rotation a bit. Cameron Johnson and Peyton Watson are the big winners here, and I covered that in this video I recorded last week. Spencer Jones has left Wednesday's game with a knee injury, so that's a situation to monitor in the weeks ahead.

Detroit Pistons

The Pistons are at full strength now, which has led to an extended rotation that doesn't seem sustainable.I covered that in a video this week, but I'm concerned about what this has done to Ausar Thompson's fantasy value. He's barely been a top-160 player over the last two weeks.

Golden State Warriors

Steph Curry will be out at least another week with a quad injury, which I discussed in a video this week. Brandin Podziemski will see the biggest uptick in minutes and usage, which has led to him being a top 100 player in the small sample size since Curry has been out. Jonathan Kuminga also returned, but he has been limited to about 16 minutes in his first two games, and we should see his minutes tick up as the days go on. Gary Payton Jr. has been good in his two games with Curry out, posting 16 points, eight rebounds, and four assists, and could be worth an add in fantasy formats.

Houston Rockets

With Tari Eason out until the middle of December and Steven Adams playing fewer minutes, it's been Reed Sheppard who has moved into a bigger role. He's also been really good over the last two weeks, posting 14.7 points, 4.0 rebounds, 3.5 assists, and 2.0 steals over his last six games, which has been good for top-75 value. He should be added in more leagues.

Indiana Pacers

T.J. McConnell is doing a lot in limited minutes so far. Over the last two weeks, he's averaging 11.7 points, 5.1 assists, 2.9 rebounds, and 1.7 steals per game in seven games. That's been good for top-100 value. Jay Huff has also snuck into fringe fantasy consideration as the primary big man in Indiana and is averaging 3.1 blocks per game over his last seven games.

Fantasy Basketball Week 2 Injury Report: Luka Dončić, Anthony Edwards headline the list of sidelined stars

The Pacers, Lakers and Thunder are among the teams with lengthy injury reports at the halfway point of Week 2.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Los Angeles Clippers

The Clippers have been a disaster, and things got even weirder when they sent Chris Paul home in the middle of the night on Wednesday. Right now, only James Harden, Kawhi Leonard, and Ivica Zubac are fantasy-relevant, and this whole team needs a reset in a bad way.

Los Angeles Lakers

Luka Dončić missed one game due to the birth of his child (congrats), and Marcus Smart has missed three games with a back injury, but things have remained remarkably consistent otherwise for the Lakers.

Memphis Grizzlies

Zach Edey has returned and been tremendous over his last seven games, posting 15.3 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2.1 blocks. He's a borderline top-50 player and is underappreciated, but not as underappreciated as his teammate, Vince Williams Jr., who has been filling in at point guard with Ja Morant out and has been a top-50 player over the last two weeks as well. The increased usage of those two and led to a smaller role for Cedric Coward, who remains talented but is no longer as involved in the offense.

Miami Heat

Norman Powell missed the last game with an ankle injury, but everything else has been status quo since Tyler Herro returned. As we expected, Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Kel'el Ware have seen their roles reduced. Even with Herro back, Andrew Wiggins has been arguably Miami's best player, averaging 18.8 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.0 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game, which has made him a top-50 player in fantasy basketball.

Milwaukee Bucks

We just found out on Thursday that Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss two to four weeks with a calf injury. It's a brutal blow for the Bucks, but we've seen what will happen when he's out. We know Kyle Kuzma and Kevin Porter Jr. are going to see an uptick in usage, while Bobby Portis will be a key member of the rotation, and Jericho Sims will likely play more minutes as a backup big man.

Minnesota Timberwolves

I say this every week, but Minnesota has probably had the most consistent lineup and rotation of any team in basketball this season. Not much is changing here, except that Terrence Shannon Jr. is entering the fringe of the rotation.

New Orleans Pelicans

Stop me if you've heard this before, but Zion Williamson is hurt and will be out at least three weeks with an adductor injury. I covered the repercussions of that in a video this week, but the injury is a big boost for Derik Queen and Saddiq Bey.

New York Knicks

The Knicks have moved Josh Hart back into the starting lineup, where he has thrived. With OG Anunoby nearing a return to action, the Knicks will have an interesting decision to make regarding their starting five. However, their rotation has remained consistent, and we know that everything runs through Jalen Brunson, Karl-Anthony Towns, Mikail Bridges, and both Hart and Anunoby when they're healthy.

Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder got Jalen Williams back this week, but lost Isaiah Hartenstein to an injury.I covered the Thunder rotation in a video this week, but I think we might not see how this rotation truly shakes out until next week when Hartenstein returns.

Orlando Magic

Paolo Banchero could return this weekend, which would lead to fewer minutes for Anthony Black and less usage for Franz Wagner. However, the Magic have been playing really well of late, so we need to see how things shake out when Banchero is back in the fold.

Philadelphia 76ers

The 76ers seem to be oscillating between missed games for Joel Embiid and Paul George as they look to keep the knees of both aging veterans healthy. VJ Edgecombe also missed three games with a calf injury and has had limited minutes in his return. Perhaps those minutes will tick up in the coming weeks, and it will be curious if those minutes come at the expense of Jared McCain.

Phoenix Suns

Devin Booker injured his groin this week and will be out up to a week.I recorded a video this week covering what the fallout of that would be, but it's good news for Collin Gillespie, who has already been a top-60 player over his last seven games and should continue to produce solid, across-the-board usage with Booker out.

Portland Trail Blazers

Jrue Holiday remains out, and Scoot Henderson will be out til the end of December, so that has led to more minutes for guys like Caleb Love. Shaedon Sharpe also returned after missing four games and has averaged 15.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, 2.8 assists, and 1.3 steals in his four games back, good for top-115 value in fantasy leagues. Donovan Clingan has also spiked some usable games but has been splitting time with Robert Williams III, who is now battling a knee injury.

Sacramento Kings

Domantas Sabonis will be out for around a month with a knee injury, and I covered all the repercussions of that in a video here. Maxime Raynaud has seen the biggest minutes increase and just scored 25 points on 10-of-15 from the field on Wednesday, so he could be a name to watch. Keegan Murray has also been a top-60 fantasy player since he returned from injury and could be the most reliable option on this team while Sabonis is out.

San Antonio Spurs

Dylan Harper returned to a bench role, and Stephon Castle could return this weekend, so it will be interesting to see how the Spurs divide their minutes with all three guards healthy. Victor Wembanyama is still likely out for another two weeks, which means continued playing time for Luke Kornet. We've also seen Keldon Johnson provide solid value over the last two weeks, but you have to wonder if that would take a hit when Castle returns.

Toronto Raptors

RJ Barrett is still dealing with a knee injury, and Jakob Poeltl has been missing games here and there to help manage his back injury, but the rest of the rotation remains pretty consistent in terms of minutes and usage.

Utah Jazz

Jusuf Nurkić is dealing with a rib injury, which has led to a few more minutes for Kyle Filipowski. We also saw Kyle Anderson return, but he seems to be playing every other game at this point, which makes his role inconsistent at best.

Washington Wizards

Tre Johnson and Corey Kispert are still battling injuries they suffered last week, and now Bilal Coulibaly is going to miss "multiple weeks" with yet another injury. Ca, Whitmore, Bub Carrington, and Justin Champagnie should see more minutes with all three of Coulibaly, Johnson, and Kispert sidelined, but none of them have produced consistent value at this point in the season.

Mere hours after it was reported that he and his agent were meeting with the Bucks to discuss his future with the franchise, which head coach Doc Rivers denied, Milwaukee Bucks star forward Giannis Antetokounmpo suffered a non-contact lower-body injury during the first quarter of Wednesday's win over the Pistons. He would exit immediately, and given injuries to the likes of Boston's Jayson Tatum and Indiana's Tyrese Haliburton, one would not be blamed for fearing the worst.

The Bucks' official announcement on Wednesday was that Giannis suffered a strained right calf, and Rivers said after the game that an Achilles tendon injury had been ruled out after a preliminary MRI. On Thursday, ESPN's Shams Charania reported that the calf strain was expected to sideline the star forward for approximately two to four weeks. While the trade rumor mill will continue to churn, fantasy managers need to figure out how they're going to compensate for Antetokounmpo's absence.

Who will replace Antetokounmpo in the starting lineup?

This is an interesting question. Based on production, one would assume that Kyle Kuzma (21 percent) is first in line to fill the void, with Bobby Portis (27 percent) being another possibility. However, it was Jericho Sims (one percent) who started the second half of Wednesday's game, and he had his best game of the season.

In 30 minutes, Sims did not miss a shot, scoring 15 points (7-of-7 FGs, 1-of-1 FTs) to go along with 14 rebounds and one assist. The double-double was his first since the 2022-23 season as a member of the New York Knicks, so the question will be whether he can sustain that production if allowed to start. Kuzma and Portis are safer streaming options with Giannis unavailable, but deep-league managers should not overlook Sims.

Fantasy Basketball Week 7 Injury Report: Stephen Curry, Zion Williamson among the key absences

Williamson may not be back until Christmas, which is optimistic, while Curry is out at least three more games.

• Raphielle Johnson,

Who else is impacted by Antetokounmpo’s absence?

He's the unquestioned focal point of the Bucks' offense, and Giannis' athleticism is impactful defensively as well. His absence will impact everyone in the rotation. Kevin Porter Jr. (47 percent) and Ryan Rollins (57 percent) will have added fantasy value out of necessity due to their ability to create offense for themselves and their teammates. While these two are off the board in deeper leagues, managers in 12-team formats will want to make sure Porter and Rollins aren't sitting on their league's waiver wire.

Another player to watch is Myles Turner (97 percent), especially if Rivers decides to move Sims into the starting lineup rather than a forward. While he hasn't been an elite rebounder, Turner would likely lose out on boards if Sims starts; he grabbed three in 20 minutes against the Pistons on Wednesday (foul trouble was also a factor). According to the NBA's data, the Turner/Sims partnership has produced a net rating of minus-17.0 in 42 minutes played over nine games.

While the defensive rebounding was good, with the Bucks grabbing 82.2 percent of opponents' missed shots, the offensive rating (97.8) was poor. While we may see them paired up for longer stretches with Giannis out, it may not be the default lineup used.

Further down the list, AJ Green (16 percent) and Gary Trent Jr. (five percent) will have opportunities to contribute more, with the former already in the starting lineup. How will Antetokounmpo's absence impact the quality of Green's shots? And can he do enough to create a few more looks on his own? He has provided solid late-round value this season, but a boost to Green's offensive production is obviously not guaranteed.

With most teams having played at least 20 games, the NBA season has reached its quarter mark, so it’s time to take stock of what we’re seeing. Yesterday, we covered seven teams that stood outwith surprising starts to the 2025-26 NBA season. Some for better reasons than others. Today, we're going to look at which individual players have provided some of the most impressive breakouts of the early season.

Austin Reaves - Guard, Los Angeles Lakers

Entering this season, Austin Reaves and the Lakers had to figure something out heading into his free agency next summer: Could he thrive and be the No. 2 offensive option they needed next to Luka Doncic? Twenty games into the season, the only question is how much the Lakers will have to pay Reaves next summer to keep him. He is averaging 28.1 points and 6.6 assists a game, has shown he can work next to Doncic when the Slovenian is healthy, and more importantly, showed he can take over the offense when Doncic is out — and even hit a game-winner.

"There's a cadence right now to his game," Lakers coach J.J. Redick said of Reaves. "He's got a great understanding of when he has a good matchup. He's got a great understanding of how to play with Luca [Doncic]. And so the flow state that every athlete kind of searches for. He's just in that right now."

Reaves should be an All-Star this season and will be in the All-NBA conversation as well. All of which is going to earn him a massive pay raise this summer.

Jalen Duren - Center, Detroit Pistons

Last summer, when the Pistons and Jalen Duren talked about an extension to his rookie contract, Duren and his agent threw a big number on the table. Detroit balked. The Pistons had questions about how well Duren fit with Cade Cunningham and if he could defend the paint well enough as a big man.

Looking back, the Pistons probably should have taken Duren's offer, because his play so far this season has earned him an even bigger payday. Duren is averaging 19.6 points a game on 66% shooting, plus he's pulling down 11.8 rebounds a game. However, the raw numbers don’t begin to tell the story of how he fits on offense. Duren has become Cunningham’s best pick-and-roll partner: Detroit scores a league-best 1.45 points per possession when he is the pick-and-roll screener, and he is shooting 83.3% when he gets the ball back on the roll (stats via Basketball University).

Then there is the key reason Duren looks like a first-time All-Star (and is maybe the frontrunner for Most Improved Player) — his defense. He has transformed from the guy teams tried to isolate against into a solid, physical defender that helps anchor the Pistons' second-ranked defense. Duren is going to get paid this summer, and he will have earned it.

Alex Sarr - Center, Washington Wizards

Another big man who deserves to be getting more attention is Wizards center Alex Sarr. Yes, the Wizards are bad, but Sarr is part of an exciting future they have there (along with Kyshawn George,who Eric interviewed earlier in the season).

Last season, Sarr was the 2nd overall pick in the NBA Draft but looked overmatched as a 19-year-old. He averaged 13 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.4 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game but shot just 39.4% from the field and was taking over five three-pointers a game, despite shooting a 30% clip from deep. This season, he has become a far more efficient and effective scorer, averaging 19.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists, and 2.0 blocks on 51.5% shooting.

Sarr is now taking almost six shots per game in the restricted area and shooting 74% on those looks after taking just 2.9 shots per game from that close last year and shooting 63.5%. He’s also being used as a pick-and-roll screener 24% of the time with the team scoring 1.05 points per possession on those looks, which is up from the 0.79 points per possession they scored on his 26.3% pick-and-roll usage last year. He’s also become a strong rim protector, as his 50.8% block rate ranks seventh among all NBA starters, and his 11.0 contested shots per game rank 2nd among all centers. Considering he’s only 20 years old, the ceiling is getting considerably higher for Sarr.

Ryan Rollins - Guard, Milwaukee Bucks

There is perhaps no better story in basketball this year than Ryan Rollins. The Bucks guard has taken the long and winding road to get to this point. He was a second-round pick in 2022 out of Toledo and barely played for a veteran-led Warriors team. He was then traded in 2023 with Jordan Poole to Washington, where he played 10 games before being released because he was caught shoplifting. The Bucks then signed him to a two-way deal in 2024 when he had averaged about 5.5 minutes per game in 25 career games over two years. He wasn’t asked to do much last year, but played well in limited opportunities when Damian Lillard was injured, so the Bucks re-signed him to a three-year, $12 million deal. Bucks general manager Jon Horst said at the time that Rollins could outplay that deal, and boy has he ever.

With Kevin Porter Jr. hurt to start the year, Rollins was given a chance to start at point guard, and he hasn’t looked back. The 23-year-old is averaging 17.9 points, 5.9 assists, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game. He’s shooting 48.5% from the field and 39.4% from beyond the arc on 6.0 three-point attempts per game. He has earned the admiration of his teammates, like Giannis Antetokounmpo, and looks ot be a real part of the Bucks’ future, whether that future contains Giannis or not.

Deni Avdija - Forward, Portland Trail Blazers

There are a few front office people around the league watching this breakout season from Deni Avdija in Portland and cringing, thinking about how their team had a chance to land him while Washington didn’t realize what they had, but their teams chose another direction.

Portland did, and now they are benefiting from a physical 6’8” forward who can run the floor, run the offense, and is leading the surprising Trail Blazers by averaging 25.8 points, 7.1 rebounds, and 6.1 assists a game, all while shooting 38% from 3-point range. He leads the league in drives, averaging 19.4 a game — that’s more than Shai Gilgeous-Alexander — and he’s shooting 50% when he does put his head down and go hard to the rim. On the other end of the court, he has fit in well with one of the high-pressure defense-into-offense teams around the league, and he’s been asked to guard bigger wings and has thrived in that role.

Even in the deep West, Avdija has to be a first-time All-Star this season. On a Portland team starting to build something serious, Avdija has become a cornerstone.

Keyonte George - Guard, Utah Jazz

It’s a bit of a lost season in Utah with Walker Kessler out for the season, and Lauri Markkanen the subject of plenty of trade rumors. However, the Jazz have to be happy about what they’ve seen from third-year guard Keyonte George. The 22-year-old has become a far more effective scorer on his drives and mid-range, which has led to him upping his scoring from 16.8 points per game to 22.8 points per game on 44.6% from the field, which is up from an identical 39.1% in each of his first two seasons. He’s also getting to the free-throw line far more often, averaging 7.0 attempts per game after being at 4.3 last season.

A big component of that is his newfound aggression. George is averaging 10.7 drives per game and shooting 47.1% on those drives. Last season, he averaged just 8.6 drives per game and shot 42.8% on them. What’s more, 76.5% of his drives end in points this year, which is a big increase from a 62.2% mark last year. George is now taking 5.5 shots per game in the paint after taking just 3.4 last year. He’s also connecting on 50.9% this year after making just 41% of those last year. We’ve also seen growth in his mid-range game, with him now taking 2.4 mid-range shots a game and connecting at 43.8%, which is a huge step up from last year, when he took just 1.2 mid-range shots a game at a 35.4% clip. Yes, George remains a subpar defender, and that will likely always be a component of his game, but his offensive improvements can’t be denied, and that’s at least something for Jazz fans to be excited about.