The Raptors were — gasp! — a good team beyond Kawhi Leonard last season. Now we’re getting a taste of just how good his supporting cast was. Pascal Siakam is a top-five MVP candidate on some early boards. He looks the part of a back-to-back Most Improved Player.
Otherwise, Kyle Lowry and O.G. Anunoby have both stepped successfully into larger roles. Fred VanVleet continues to successfully guide the second unit, and there’s more depth than initially thought. The Raptors are a good squad.
Turns out, Jimmy Butler is still good at basketball. The Heat are thriving, and Butler’s resurgence as a team-friendly, unselfish lead scorer has only boosted their efforts. Justise Winslow and Bam Adebayo are taking leaps, and both Kendrick Nunn and Tyler Herro are All-Rookie candidates.
The Jazz have the league’s top defense so far, largely due to Rudy Gobert‘s lingering presence in the paint. He himself is a top-five defense. Donovan Mitchell has also made clear growth, as expected, while the added firepower of Bojan Bogdanovic and Mike Conley — despite the latter’s individual struggles — can’t be overlooked.