Gary Trent Jr. can shoot the crap out of the ball, giving him instant value to any offense. The Raptors have needed every bit of his dynamism this season. Offensively, Trent plays mostly one note: he scores. His growth as a defender, however, is what makes him stand out in the broader NBA landscape.
Finally back from injury, Gary Payton is starting to influence the Blazers’ rotation in all the ways we expected coming into the season. He’s the ultimate role player: a strong-willed defender built like a linebacker and one of the league’s most underrated connective passers.
After starting the season on the wrong foot, Norman Powell has course-corrected and emerged once more as the league’s sixth man poster child. A hyper-efficient shooter and slasher, Powell is the ultimate offensive complement to players like Kawhi Leonard and Paul George.