Kyle Kuzma’s progression from fun heat-check guy off the bench to borderline star (21.3 points, 7.6 boards, 4.0 assists) has been a pleasure to observe. He can still fall prey to ill-advised shots, but he’s a much more purposeful and efficient scorer who has gotten much better at involving teammates and playing within a team context.
Scottie Barnes is a unique beast: at 6-foot-9, he can guard just about anyone, he can make every pass in the book, and he’s a real presence on the glass. His limitations as a shooter have been more evident than ever given Toronto’s offensive woes, but Barnes figures to be one of the NBA’s true Swiss Army knifes for the next decade-plus.
Al Horford, save for that ungodly season with Philadelphia, continues to defy Father Time with remarkably solid all-around production. He can still defend multiple positions if need be, or act as stopper in the post (have we seen a better one-man answer to Embiid yet? Nope.). He’s a brilliant playmaker on the elbow, a money mid-range shooter with range out to the 3-point line, and a nimble finisher in the post.