| RANK | PLAYER | RUNDOWN | LAST |
| 1 |  |
ANDERSON VAREJAO, C, CLEVELAND: He ripped down 18 boards Friday vs. the Bucks and remains the league leader at 14.6 per game. Somehow has become the center of trade speculation even though he is the only thing supporting Kyrie Irving’s brilliance right now. Cleveland should do everything it can to keep him in uniform when his contract expires in 2014. | 1 |
| 2 |  |
SERGE IBAKA, F, OKLAHOMA CITY: He has responded from a strange stint as a Spanish national team benchwarmer by becoming a true offensive threat. Posting career highs in points (14.2) and rebounds (7.6). Put up 18 and 11 vs. Kings on Friday and added an exclamation point of 25 and 17 in evisceration of Spurs on Monday. Take that, Sergio Scariolo! | – |
| 3 |  |
JRUE HOLIDAY, G, PHILADELPHIA: He remains in the top five despite foot sprain costing him two games. Listed as day-to-day, but coach Doug Collins isn’t going to send him back out there until he’s 100 percent. Has made a seamless transition from pass-first point guard to go-to-guy and playmaker. It will be interesting to see how Philly fares if he’s out for a while. | 2 |
| 4 |  |
STEPHEN CURRY, G, GOLDEN STATE: Curry has done everything but run the cartoon Jumbotron races; averaging nearly 20 points and 7 assists and doing it despite a career-low 42 percent from the field. Has made the leap management hoped he would after losing most of last season to a faulty ankle. Golden State deserves some props for sticking with him. | 4 |
| 5 |  |
OMER ASIK, C, HOUSTON: Remember how Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith dubbed Hedo Turkoglu the “Michael Jordan of Turkey?” Well, Asik is playing like the Hakeem Olajuwon of Turkey, or at least Otis Thorpe. Pulled down 16 boards vs. Wizards on Wednesday and 13 vs. Raptors on Sunday. His per-36 numbers are impressive (12 points, 13 rebounds). | 5 |
DROPOUTS: Kemba Walker, G, Charlotte (3); O.J. Mayo, G, Dallas (4).
FIVE TO WATCH: Chandler Parsons, F, Houston; Patrick Patterson, F, Houston; Kemba Walker, G, Charlotte; Larry Sanders, F-C, Milwaukee, O.J. Mayo, G, Dallas.
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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