With a solid couple of weeks in the books, it is fair to begin acknowledging those players who are shining on the court and surmounting most expectations. We can also look at those players who are not living up to the hopes of fantasy managers, potentially causing grief and worry. In this article, we will discuss some of the most notable performers on both ends of the spectrum. We will also look at whether these trends can be expected to persist.
Overachievers
Jalen Johnson is off to a great start to his fourth NBA season, averaging career highs in points, rebounds, assists, steals and blocks per game. He ranks eighth among all players in points league production, and he is in position to continue to thrive as a top offensive option within the Hawks' lineup.
Brandon Ingram has already proven himself among the upper echelon of scorers in the league. However, he seems to be clicking in all aspects of his game this season. He ranks 12th among all players in points league production, while shooting a career-best 50 percent from the field and averaging career highs in rebounds and three-pointers made per game.
Jakob Poeltl is by no means one of the flashiest players at the center position, but he is certainly getting the job done with 15.6 points, 11.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.0 steals and 1.3 blocks per game, ranking sixth among all centers in points league production. He is also showing a major improvement in his free-throw shooting, averaging a career-best 73.1 percent from the line.
Dennis Schroder ranks ninth among guards in points league production, ahead of names like Devin Booker, Donovan Mitchell and Anthony Edwards. Schroder has emerged as an all-around contributor for the Nets and should continue to prosper among a lineup that lacks a clear star. Schroder is also shooting a career-best 50.5 percent from the field, including a blistering 49.0 percent from deep.
Jalen Suggs is off to a strong start, ranking 11th in points league production among guards, while averaging career highs across the board, with 17.6 points, 5.4 rebounds, 4.4 assists, 1.9 steals and 1.0 blocks per game. Suggs will also have the opportunity to take on a more prominent role in the offense over the next few weeks, while Paolo Banchero remains sidelined.
Jaden Ivey has shown an impressive step forward in terms of his offensive efficiency, averaging career highs of 19.6 points on 46.7 percent shooting, including 39.0 percent from deep. The third-year guard can be expected to continue his growth and could be on track to join the top tier of guards in the East.
Gradey Dick has been on fire lately, averaging 27.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists and 2.3 steals over his last four games. He has shown a massive jump from his rookie season and looks like a bona fide scoring threat from the wing, while shooting an impressive 47.3 percent from the field and averaging 2.9 made three-pointers per game. However, his production could take a hit when Scottie Barnes and Immanuel Quickley return to the lineup for the Raptors.
Scotty Pippen ranks 13th in the league with 6.8 assists per game, which is by far the highest among players who have not started a game. He is also shooting 49.3 percent from the field, including an impressive 39.1 percent from deep. Pippen should continue to shine as a leader for the Grizzlies' second unit.
Ivica Zubac ranks second in the league with a career-high 13.0 rebounds per game. He is also scoring a career-high 17.4 points per game, but he is struggling from the foul line, where he is hitting a career-low 61.1 percent of hit shots. Nonetheless, the big man should continue to pad his stats as a go-to option for the re-jigged Clippers squad.
Buddy Hield is on a roll offensively, averaging a career-best 21.9 points per game, while playing just 25.7 minutes per game off the bench. He is shooting an incredible 51.4 percent from the field, including 50.0 percent from deep, and looks to be very comfortable in the Warriors' system. He is likely to continue to build on his success and potentially even carve out a larger role.
Under-performers
Fred VanVleet is averaging 13.3 points per game, which is his lowest mark since 2018-19. He is also struggling with his shot, shooting career-lows of 33.0 percent from the field and just 27.6 percent from deep. Nonetheless, he has proven to be the type of player to battle through slumps and is likely to find a better groove before too long.
Miles Bridges averaged over 20 points per game in his last two campaigns but is averaging just 12.9 points on a career-low 36.4 percent shooting, including just 23.8 percent from long distance this season. In general, he should find a better rhythm with time, but he is no longer a clear top option on offense, with LaMelo Ball, Brandon Miller and even Tre Mann standing out as more effective scorers.
Jaren Jackson is doing a decent job in the points column, but he is averaging just 5.0 rebounds per game, which is his fewest since his sophomore season. Additionally, he has zero blocks in three of his six appearances and is shooting a career-low 66.7 percent from the foul line. His stats could be suffering as he is adjusting to playing alongside the imposing paint presence of Zach Edey, but he should eventually at least find his stroke from the foul line.
Jabari Smith is out to a modest start to the season and has not taken the step forward that many would have expected based on the trajectory set between his first two seasons. He remains in a competitive situation among a deep Rockets' frontcourt and could be at risk of losing some of his responsibilities to guys like Tari Eason, Steven Adams, Cam Whitmore or Amen Thompson.
Jusuf Nurkic is averaging fewer than 10 points per game for the first time in the last nine seasons. He is also shooting just 41.7 percent from the field, which ties his career low from his sophomore season. However, the veteran big man is coming off back-to-back games with 15 rebounds and is likely to settle into a better flow by focusing on the basics of his role.
Mike Conley is averaging a career-low 7.9 points per game, while shooting a career-low 30.0 percent from the field. At 37 years old, in his 18th season, the veteran may be simply slowing down. Conley is also averaging a career-low 23.7 minutes per game and may be at risk of losing more playing time to his younger counterparts.
Jaden McDaniels has yet to make the leap that many thought he might after his impressive third season in the league. He delivered a comparable effort last season but has been underwhelming to start his fifth NBA campaign. He is averaging his fewest points per game since his rookie season and a career-low in rebounds per game. He is also averaging career-low shooting percentages from the field and from long range, and he is shooting just 66.7 percent from the foul line, which is the worst since his rookie campaign.
Ben Simmons did not enter the season under very high expectations, but the fact that he has not scored in double digits even once in six outings is slightly concerning for the long-range outlook. On the plus side, he is providing solid numbers in the rebounds and assists columns, but the lack of ability to contribute on offense gives too much of an advantage to opposing defenses and will likely result in him seeing less and less playing time.
Gary Trent is off to a rough start with his new squad, shooting just 28.8 percent from the field, including 23.1 percent from deep as a member of the Bucks. He is averaging less than 10 points per game for the first time since his sophomore season, and he has not been able to make much of an impact in any other area of the game. When Khris Middleton eventually returns, Trent will be at best a fourth option on the offensive end.
Daniel Gafford retains a hold of the starting center job for the Mavericks, but he has not been able to make a consistent impact on either end of the floor. Aside from the fact that most of his made baskets are dunks, he is shooting a career-low 66.0 percent from the field, which would be high for most players. He is also averaging just 5.7 rebounds per game. Conversely, Dereck Lively continues to make a strong case to take over the starting job.
