Some guys will have breakout seasons, shooting well up the list or, in some cases, breaking into it for the first time. At the other end of the spectrum will be those who drop, due either to ineffectiveness, injury or the league simply shifting away from their specific skill set.
Here are those who climbed — and stumbled — the most from last season to now:
Movin’ up
Otto Porter Jr., SF, Washington Wizards
This year: 47
Last year: Not ranked
Porter picked the perfect time to have a breakout season, shooting 43.4 percent from three-point range to help the Wizards to a third playoff series victory in four seasons. In the process, Porter earned a max contract to solidify the team’s core alongside John Wall and Bradley Beal. Now the Wizards hope Porter can continue improve as he moves into his new deal, as the team looks to take the next step and make it to the Eastern Conference finals.
Nikola Jokic, C, Denver Nuggets
This year: 26
Last year: 74
Going into last season, the Nuggets were trying to figure out whether Jokic or Jusuf Nurkic should be their starting center. By the end of the season, not only had he claimed the starting job but Nurkic had been traded to Portland. Jokic is suddenly the foundation of Denver’s plans moving forward. If he can take steps defensively, he can become a superstar.
Eric Gordon, SG, Houston Rockets
This year: 49
Last year: Not ranked
Talent didn’t keep Gordon off this list a year ago; availability did. After missing significant chunks of all five of his seasons in New Orleans, Gordon played in 75 games for Houston last season and was a terrific complementary option alongside James Harden, earning sixth man of the year honors. With Chris Paul in the fold this season, he’s a strong candidate to win the award for a second straight time.
Clint Capela, C, Houston Rockets
This year: 61
Last year: Not ranked
Gordon’s teammate also made a leap up the list. Capela has seamlessly settled into a vital part of Houston’s system under uptempo-loving Coach Mike D’Antoni. He should be a big beneficiary of the arrival of Chris Paul, getting the lobs Paul used to toss to DeAndre Jordan in Los Angeles and Tyson Chandler in New Orleans. The next goal: getting his minutes up from the mid-20s to around 30 per game.
Gary Harris, SG, Denver Nuggets
This year: 66
Last year: Not ranked
Harris really came into his own in his third season, increasing his field goal percentage to better than 50 percent and his three-point percentage from 35.4 to 42. If he can keep those numbers in the same range, coupled with his defensive ability, he’ll be a top notch shooting guard for years to come. Denver, realizing this, just locked him up with a four-year, $84 million extension. The Nuggets’ core is coming together.
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Trending downJonas Valanciunas, C, Toronto Raptors
Last year: 39
This year: Not ranked
A 7-footer with offensive skills and solid rebounding would have been a central figure on any team two decades ago, or even 10 years ago. In today’s NBA, though, big guys have to be able to either stretch the floor or be elite defenders to reach that level, and Valanciunas has neither skill. He’s become the poster child for the direction the league is headed in — and how that’s leaving some players behind.
Chandler Parsons, SF, Memphis Grizzlies
Last year: 47
This year: Not ranked
The Grizzlies took a chance when they gave Parsons a max contract last summer despite the knee issues he’d previously suffered. Through one season in Memphis, it looks like things won’t break in their favor (no pun intended). Parsons was injured for much of last season, and terrible when he was able to play. At this point, he needs to prove he can become the player he was before the knee issues just to get back on the list — let alone anywhere near where he once was.
Pau Gasol, C, San Antonio Spurs
Last year: 58
This year: Not ranked
Gasol has had a wonderful career, and will certainly make it into the Hall of Fame for both his NBA and international contributions. But at 37 and having transitioned to a bench role with the Spurs, he is no longer an impact player.
Zach Randolph, PF, Sacramento Kings
Last year: 60
This year: Not ranked
Randolph completely flipped the perception of himself around over his several years in Memphis, turning the Grizzlies into a perennial Western Conference playoff team and transforming himself into a beloved veteran. That era is over, though, and he’s now become a role player. He will get minutes in Sacramento, but his bigger value is as a mentor to the team’s young players.
Rudy Gay, SF, San Antonio Spurs
Last year: 61
This year: Not ranked
This ranking comes down to not trusting Gay’s return from an Achilles’ tendon tear last season. The history for guys trying to come back from that injury is riddled with failure, and with plenty of miles already on his tires, Gay needs to prove he can be the exception to the rule when he tries to return this season. If he can get back to where he was health-wise, there’s plenty to like about the idea of him playing alongside Kawhi Leonard in Gregg Popovich’s system.
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