| RANK | PLAYER | RUNDOWN | LAST |
| 1 |  |
ANDERSON VAREJAO, C, CLEVELAND: He has been so good this season that people are beginning to wonder if he should start the All-Star Game. He is averaging 14.5 points and a league-leading 15.2 boards and doing all that despite the loss of Kyrie Irving. While Varejao has been improving steadily since he came into the league, his numbers this season dwarf his career averages of 7.6 points and 7.5 rebounds. It’s time the big man got the recognition he deserves for being a stud down low. | – |
| 2 |  |
JRUE HOLIDAY, G, PHILADELPHIA: He has flourished in the absence of Andre Iguodala and Lou Williams, putting the team on his back, Greg Jennings-in-Madden style. He’s scoring 18 points and dishing out 8.9 assists, almost double the 4.5 he handed out last season. Holiday put up 25 and 8 in Monday’s win over Detroit and embarrassed Brandon Knight with a crossover that would have made Allen Iverson proud. | 1 |
| 3 |  |
KEMBA WALKER, G, CHARLOTTE: Simba, as my dad (a big UConn fan) called him before he knew his real name, has been the most improved player on the most improved team in the league. He was especially impressive this past week, going for 25 points and 11 assists against the Knicks before hanging 22 and 7 on the Blazers. Charlotte has lost eight straight, but six of those losses came against winning teams, and the ‘Cats already have as many wins this season (7) as they had all of last season. | – |
| 4 |  |
O.J. MAYO, G, DALLAS: He shook off his first slump of the season by hanging 40 on the Rockets in Saturday’s 116-109 win. He has been everything Dallas could have expected this season – and more. It’s not that nobody saw this coming from O.J., but it is nice to see him finally reach his potential as a scorer. Ultimately, his candidacy could come down to whether the Mavs awake from their early season slumber and contend in the West. | 4 |
| 5 |  |
OMER ASIK, C, HOUSTON: He almost played his way off of this list by going scoreless in 24 minutes against the Spurs on Friday. But his 21-point, 10-rebound performance against San Antonio on Monday keeps him in the top five. It will be interesting to see if he will survive the week ahead with a double-double average (currently at 10.1 ppg, 11.5 rpg), especially with the suddenly imposing Knicks’ front line awaiting him next Monday. | 3 |
DROPOUTS: Chandler Parsons, F, Houston (2); Larry Sanders, F-C, Milwaukee (4).
FIVE TO WATCH: Stephen Curry, G, Golden State; Carmelo Anthony, F, New York; Chandler Parsons, F, Houston; Patrick Patterson, F, Houston; Andray Blatche, F-C, Brooklyn.
PREVIOUS RANKINGS: Most Improved | MVP | Rookie | Power
Kels Dayton is a freelance writer whose work has also appeared in Slam Magazine. You can check out more of his work at RoundballDaily.com, or follow him on Twitter @RoundballDaily.
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