Top 50 NBA players: #40 — DeMar DeRozan
Flying under the radar this season is DeMar DeRozan, who continues to anchor the pesky Spurs. He has adjusted admirably to the modern NBA, even without adding a prolific 3-point shot. His growth as a playmaker — 21.2 points, 7.1 assists per game — has allowed San Antonio’s offense to effectively run through him.
Top 50 NBA players: #39 — Ja Morant
Ja Morant hasn’t been notably better as a sophomore, but he continues to lead the charge for the playoff-seeking Grizzlies. He’s already one of the NBA’s best facilitators — a thoroughly unselfish star who is happy to sacrifice individual production for the betterment of the team. He gets others involved, but is still capable of turning on the jets and terrorizing the rim when opportunities arise. He’s averaging 19.0 points and 7.0 assists on 44.9 percent shooting.
Top 50 NBA players: #38 — De’Aaron Fox
The Kings are as wayward and hopeless as ever, but if there was ever a ray of light in Sacramento, it’s De’Aaron Fox. He’s averaging 24.7 points and 7.2 assists on 47.8 percent shooting, carrying the offensive burden for a team that looks better on paper than it actually is. Fox is electric in the open floor and already one of the NBA’s best facilitators. Hopefully the Kings can get him some better teammates. Or maybe a competent coach.
Top 50 NBA players: #37 — Pascal Siakam
Like the Raptors as a whole, Pascal Siakam has struggled to find his groove this season. Maybe it’s the schedule, maybe it’s the location change, maybe it’s just bad luck. Whatever the case, it’s hard to drop him too far considering his track record. Siakam is still averaging 20.6 points and 7.1 rebounds on 44.9 percent shooting — nothing to scoff at. He and his spin moves will be relevant for a while.
Top 50 NBA players: #36 — CJ McCollum
Another leap forward from CJ McCollum has cemented his standing on this list. He continues to provide tantalizing support next to Damain Lillard in the scoring department, with a nice dose of playmaking, to boot. He’s averaging 23.5 points and 4.6 assists on 44.9 percent shooting; he’s also swishing over 40 percent of his 3s. Simply put, McCollum is quietly one of the league’s premiere bucket connoisseurs.