1. Dwyane Wade

The co-leader of the reigning champs, the Miami Heat comes in at number 1. Wade is an excellent slasher, a very good off-ball defender, and a good mid-range shooter. He rises to the occasion when the game is on the line, he plays with passion, and he’s near impossible to guard 1v1. He has shown the fans and his peers alike that he is the real deal, and he can always turn the switch on when needed.

Wade is currently averaging about 19 points per game, 5 assist per game, 5 rebounds per game, almost 2 steals per game, and shooting a very impressive 55% from the field. While these stats aren’t up to par with his other years, he is still extremely efficient and seems to be “saving” himself for the playoffs. I’m sure in the postseason we’ll see the superstar Dwyane Wade back dominating like he never left.

Strength: Basketball IQ, Quickness, Clutch Gene
Weakness: Jump shot range (lacks a consistent 3 shot), Injury Prone

2. James Harden

Coming in at number 2 is the bearded assassin, the up and coming superstar James Harden. Harden is a great isolation player, he can shoot the 3 well, he can get to the hole pretty easily, and he has an uncanny ability to draw fouls. He can singlehandedly take over a game when his shot is falling and he is making it known to the rest of the league that he is a top player, and he’s here to stay.

Harden is currently putting up an impressive 25 points per game, 6 assists per game, and 5 rebounds per game, and around 2 steals per game. At the young age of 24, Harden has the potential to be one of the best players in this league someday.

Strength: Ability to draw contact, ISO play
Weakness: Defense (both team defense and 1v1 defense)

3. Monta Ellis

Coming in at number 3 is the explosive, Mississippi native, Monta Ellis. Ellis can do a little bit of everything out there on the court. He rises to the occasion when his team needs him, he can score from anywhere on the floor, he plays defense well enough, he can slash to the basket with the best of them, and he’s a very good passer. In fact, Monta is such a good passer that at times he has played point guard for long stretches of the season.

At the moment, Monta is putting up 19 points per game, about 6 assists per game, 2 steals per game, and 4 rebounds per game. He’s only 28, so he probably hasn’t reached his prime yet and if he continues to work on his craft, he can take his game to an even higher level.

Hopefully he can use his talent to help get the Mavs over the hump in order to make the playoffs.

Strength: Playmaking ability, Clutch gene
Weakness: Consistency

4. DeMar DeRozan

Coming in at number 4 is the highflying, dynamic shooting guard DeMar DeRozan. DeRozan surprised a lot of people this year by leading his Raptors team to a playoff berth. His team currently sits in the 3rd slot in the East and DeRozan is ready to prove to the world that he and his team are the real deal.

As far as skills, DeRozan is pretty solid at everything. At the moment, he is averaging around 23 points per game, 4 rebounds per game, 4 assists per game, and 1 steal per game. These stats show promise and are career highs for DeRozan. At the young age of 24, he can easily improve his game and one day prove to the rest of the league that he deserves to be up there with the best wing players in the league.

Strength: Athleticism
Weakness: Consistency

5. Lance Stephenson

At number 5 is the all-star snub, Lance Stephenson. This year was clearly his breakout year and he is putting up about 14 points per game, 5 assists per game, 7rebounds per game, and about 1 steal per game.

Right now, Lance is showing the world that he is worthy of all the praise he’s been getting. He is a very big piece to the puzzle of a very good Pacers team, and the energy and heart of the team.

As far as skills go, he’s a very good slasher, he gives his all every game, he’s a solid shooter, he gets his team morale going and his confidence is through the roof.

Like a lot of the other shooting guards listed, he is still young at the age of 23, and shows promise that he will continue to build on this year and one day become a perennial all-star in this league.

Strength: Slashing ability, Intensity
Weakness: Emotional, Consistency

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