1. FRED VANVLEET, DELON WRIGHT (Raptors): It really helps Toronto to have these two guards healthy and back in the lineup. In the last three games, VanVleet has scored 34 points and provided 17 assists, while Wright has scored 26 points and added nine rebounds. Having this stellar backup guard play is a huge boost to the Raptors’ bench productivity and creativity. Depth has been a real strength of the Raptors for a while and these two guys make that bench crew go. They’re starting to settle into a nice groove.
2. DWYANE WADE (Heat): How cool was it to see him drop 35 points, five rebounds and six assists against the Raptors Sunday night in a losing effort? It was turn-back-the-clock night and fun to watch. Wade has had a hall-of-fame run and, even in the final year of his career, he can still dial up some vintage games. Wade was a sensational scorer with explosive burst in his game in his prime. Sunday was a nice reminder of his greatness.
3. JAREN JACKSON JR (Grizzlies): The Memphis rookie has been fun to watch, providing sound effort each night with 13.1 points and 4.6 rebounds while shooting 51.9 per cent from the field and 34.9 per cent from three. He’s a big time rim protector, averaging 2.2 blocks per game, and was a beast Sunday night with seven blocks in a loss to the Knicks. His energy is infectious and he’s been a terrific addition to their organization.
4. DERRICK FAVORS, RUDY GOBERT (Jazz): Coach Quin Snyder finally adjusted his lineup, breaking up the unwieldy front court duo to shift to a more modern and efficient lineup with only one big at a time. The result: 133 points on 53 per cent shooting along with 30 assists in a blowout win over the improved Sacramento Kings on the road. It looks like Snyder has found one of the many solutions needed to fix their early season woes.
5. MONTREZL HARRELL (Clippers): Who saw this coming? L.A. (not LeBron and the overhyped Lakers) has the best record in the Western Conference with a fun team that plays hard and together. Harrell is the heart and soul of their group. No one outworks him. He’s absolutely relentless, averaging 15.8 points and 7.4 rebounds a night while shooting 64 per cent from the field. He’s also getting it done on the defensive end, averaging close to two blocks per game. He’s effective around the basket and plays within himself. He makes spark-plug plays that ignite and inspire his team. It’s fun to watch him compete.