The National Basketball Association regular season is less than two months away from concluding. These are five players who have raised eyebrows this season, not just for their exciting play, but for exceeding expectations as well.
5) Jayson Tatum–The Boston Celtics forward from St. Louis, Missouri has put himself in the NBA Most Valuable Player conversation. Currently averaging 23.3 points per game, Tatum has been on fire as of late as he has six games with a minimum of 32 points in February. With Tatum’s sharp shooting, the Celtics are comfortably in a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference with a record of 41 wins and 17 losses.
4) Jimmy Butler–Many thought Butler could have an impact in Miami. Just many did not think he would be carrying the team on his back. That is what Butler has been able to do, as he has averaged 20.5 points per game and 6.2 assists per game. With Butler leading the way, the Heat are in fourth place in the Eastern Conference with a record of 37 wins and 22 losses.
3) Hassan Whiteside–The Portland Trail Blazers center has had a huge impact this season while playing in the Pacific Northwest region. After five productive seasons in Miami, Whiteside ironically was involved in the offseason trade with Butler, that also included the Los Angeles Clippers and Philadelphia 76ers. What Whiteside has been able to bring to Portland is a dynamic presence in front of the basket and allow Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum to be productive offensively. He leads the NBA with 3.1 blocks per game, and has been averaging a double double (15.9 points per game and a career high 14.2 rebounds per game).
2) Kawhi Leonard–I think we can safely say Kawhi Leonard is one of the elite players in the NBA and his production last year with the Toronto Raptors was no fluke. As the star small forward on the Los Angeles Clippers, Leonard’s statistics in 2019-20 are even better than last year. He currently has career highs in points per game (27.1), assists per game (5.2) and rebounds per game (7.7).
1) James Harden–The Beard has been unbelievable in 2019-20. He is leading the NBA with 35.2 points per game, and has had 40 points or more a remarkable 19 times this season. There is no doubt the addition of Russell Westbrook has helped the Houston Rockets, and at 38 wins and 20 losses, Houston has become one of the elite franchises in the Western Conference.
