The NBA Star Power Index typically serves as a barometer for the NBA's biggest names, measuring on a weekly basis who is garnering the most buzz around the league. This week is going to be a little different. We're going to take a look at the guys who should be getting more attention than they are. Legit stars, rising stars, stars in their role, these guys are getting it done on a big-time level, whether most fans realize it or not.
Anthony Davis is getting all the love for this run the Pelicans have been on since the second week of February, and rightfully so. The guy has been amazing. But let's be clear: The Pelicans, winners of 11 of their last 13, are not in the No. 5 seed and a half-game out of home-court advantage in the first round without Holiday, who has an argument as the best perimeter player in the league that rarely gets talked about.
For starters, he hasn't missed a single game this season, and he's playing major minutes. Sliding over to the two-guard spot as Rajon Rondo has assumed the point duties, Holiday has really picked up his aggression and production as a scorer as the season has gone on. During this 13-game stretch, he's scoring over 22 points night and shooting better than 43 percent from three. All told, he's averaging just under 20 points, six assists and five rebounds in 2017-18. He's a terrific defender who can smother a pick and roll and crowds and recovers to shooters as aggressively as anyone -- only three players have contested more 3-point shots this season.
I have to admit I was wrong about Holiday for years. I thought the five-year, $126 million deal the Pelicans gave him was ridiculous, even in the kids-found-the-credit-card spending spree that was the summer of 2017. But he is just a lot more polished player, and dynamic scorer, than I ever gave him credit for. In 67 games this season, the man has only failed to reach double digits six times. And he's hitting tough shots in the half court. Strong in the lane, hand in his face; he is not just out there spotting up off Davis' doubles and feeding off the open court.
After DeMarcus Cousins went down, almost everyone, including myself, said the Pelicans were all but done without a second star next to Davis. We clearly forgot about Holiday.
Barring something unforeseen, if DeRozan doesn't finish in the top five of the MVP voting, the whole voting process should be scrapped immediately. Right now, it's a dead heat in terms of who's more under-appreciated, DeRozan or his team -- you know, the Raptors, who are the current No. 1 seed in the East and the only team in basketball to be ranked in the top five in both offensive and defensive efficiency.
DeRozan has become a much more viable threat from three this season, even if he's still not very good out there, and has become much more active as a playmaker for others. He's always been able to score and get to the line like a madman, and he still does those things in his sleep.
Get this: Since the start of last year, DeRozan has been named Player of the Week nine times, which is tied for the most in the NBA with James Harden. That's the kind of company in which DeRozan should be mentioned, but he isn't. To be honest, he should be in everyone's top-five MVP voting simply for this game-winning play alone:
One of the best shooters in NBA history is having the best shooting season of his career, and have you heard a word about it? Only recently has he fallen a tick below 45 percent from three -- by far a career high -- and he's just under 50 percent from the field, also a career high. He's only shooting 83 percent from the free-throw line, otherwise we'd be looking at him having a real shot at joining the exclusive 50-40-90 club.
Klay is always going to take a backseat to Stephen Curry and Kevin Durant, and even Draymond Green. But for as little attention as he gets in the media (to be fair, he does everything he can to remain out of the limelight), he's one of the most respected players around the league for the way he comes to work every night, particularly on the defensive end.
On Wednesday, it was reported that Thompson's right thumb injury, which was originally believed to be a sprain, is actually a fracture, and he could be out at least a few weeks. With Curry battling his ankle injuries again, this is all coming at a bad time for the Warriors, whose margin for error is shrinking before our eyes. Let's hope they can all get right for what should be a thrilling Western Conference playoff run.
To say Julius Randle is a bull in a china shop is both an understatement and a disservice to his overall scoring prowess, which is more skillful than people realize. A lot of those people who have downplayed Randle's ability are within the Lakers' organization, in fact. Luke Walton was hardly playing him easy in the season. Then he wasn't starting. Now he's probably been the Lakers' best player as they've gone on this late-season run that has people so excited about their young core.
When Randle gets the ball with a live dribble and faces up, you are in trouble. He is so quick, and so strong, and so skilled around the rim, he can bulldoze through -- or dance around with his favorite spin move as he nears the rim -- pretty much any defender. And just when you think maybe he's playing a little above his weight and will eventually come back to Earth, he just keeps getting better. Check out the numbers entering Wednesday:
- January: 15.3 points, 54.3 percent shooting
- February: 19.4 points, 58.9 percent shooting
- March: 23.1 points, 61.8 percent shooting
Personally, my basketball instinct is to cringe when a guy puts his head down and tries to run through anything in his path. But Randle makes it work. And he has better vision than you would think for a guy who's seemingly so focused on what's right in front of him. Check out this play where he stays with LeBron James one on one and contests his shot, then runs the floor, catches the pass in rhythm, smoothly Eurosteps through two defenders before kicking it out to an open shooter.
Randle is a fascinating case. For a long time it was assumed he would be let go as a restricted free agent this summer to continue clearing room for the multiple max free agents the Lakers hope to sign. But he might well be playing his way right into the Lakers' future plans. They'd have to do a few extra salary cap cartwheels to pay him what he's going to demand on the open market, but it's hard to argue he's not worth the effort at this point. This will be one of the very interesting summer cases in the league, because Randle is going to get paid one way or another.
Nikola Jokic could easily be on this list as well, but he at least gets some love for his passing wizardry and triple-double propensities. Harris is operating in virtual obscurity. He's quickly become a terrific two-way player -- a tough, active, Michigan State-style defender who's ninth in the league in deflections who's also averaging just under 18 points a game (tops on Denver) on 40 percent from three and just under 49 percent from the field.
The Nuggets don't play much defense as a team, but Harris makes them respectable. When Harris goes to the bench, they basically become the Washington Generals. This Denver backcourt of Harris and Jamal Murray is a ton of fun and could push itself into one of the elite backcourts in a few years if they keep trending the way they are.
Per Synergy, Harris is in the 85th percentile in terms of half-court production, which is incredible when you consider there was a time not that long ago when he was considered a flat-out bad offensive player and an even worse shooter. He has made huge strides, but the core of his game is still a no-frills style that lends itself to simply playing solid basketball -- nothing spectacular, just solid all around. That four-year, $84 million deal the Nuggets gave Harris last year might have seemed somewhat bloated at the time, but if he keeps improving, it might be looking like a steal before long.
When people talk about OKC's Big 3, they're getting it wrong. Carmelo Anthony is not the third member; Adams is. We know he's a monster defender and rebounder who sets medieval screens, as evidenced by his leading the league with five screen assists a game, meaning the guy who's defender was planted by Adams scores five buckets a game. What we don't pay nearly enough attention to is his offense.
Per Synergy, Adams ranks in the 95th percentile as a post-up scorer and the 82nd percentile around the basket. In other words, he's a viable option to go through as a scorer, even on a team with Russell Westbrook and Paul George. The Thunder have gotten a bit better about this at times, recognizing Adams on the block and going to him because he is really good down there. How good? Well, consider that in Westbrook's 100 career triple-doubles, nobody has finished more of his assists than Adams, and believe me, those aren't all lobs to the rim. Dude can put the ball in the bucket.
Much like Adams, Capela is the unsung hero of a star-studded team. But here's the deal: When Capela joins Chris Paul and James Harden in the lineup, the Rockets are basically unbeatable (35-2 on the season). Capela leads the league in field-goal percentage and effective field-goal percentage, and he fourth in true shooting -- the new DeAndre Jordan slamming home Paul's lobs and pick-and-roll spoon feeds.
But where Capela really makes his presence felt is on the defensive end, where he's one of the better interior defenders and rebounders in the league. What you may not realize about this Rockets team is that for all their running and gunning, they can get after you on the defensive end. In year's past, they had to outscore you, but now they can beat you in all kind of ways. They can out-tough you, they can out-defend you, they can out-scrap you, and Capela is at the heart of all that.
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