The Cleveland Cavaliers, Golden State Warriors and San Antonio Spurs remain the class of the NBA.
LeBron James, Steph Curry, Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant are still the game’s brightest stars.
While the status quo is indeed very much intact, that’s not to say others haven’t taken giant strides recently. As we approach Sunday’s Christmas Day festivities, here are five teams/players that have a little something extra to be thankful for this holiday season.
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The Toronto Raptors: 2016 wasn’t kind to many. Countless memes and Instagram posts openly criticize the year for being one of the worst in recent memory.
You won’t find the Raptors partaking in that hatred. From Kyle Lowry and DeMar DeRozan suiting up in the All-Star Game at the Air Canada in February to Toronto taking the Cavaliers to six games in the Eastern Conference Finals, 2016 saw the Raptors establish themselves as a true powerhouse.
Dwane Casey’s group does not appear content to settle for being the second-best team in their conference, continuing to set new franchise records in 2016-17. DeRozan and Lowry are up to their old tricks, but what makes the Raptors the envy of a number of opponents is their ability to win while still developing players. Youngsters Norman Powell, Pascal Siakam and Lucas Nogueira have already emerged as steady contributors while the likes of Jakob Poeltl, Fred VanVleet, and Bruno Caboclo continue to hone their craft by practicing with the big club and seeing game action with Raptors 905. It’s good to be the Raptors right now.
James Harden: Westbrook may be dominating the MVP discussion as we get ready to flip the calendar, but one of his former teammates is right there with him. Harden is in the midst of what will more than likely be his fourth all-NBA season, handling the scoring load for the Rockets while also dishing out a league-best 11.9 assists per game. Harden’s heroics have Houston sitting in a tie for third place in the Western Conference in a year where not much was realistically expected from the club.
Giannis Antetokounmpo: The Greek Freak has reached new heights in 2016-17. His talent has always been tantalizing, and now he’s realizing his potential. Blessed with incredible length and uncanny playmaking abilities, Antetokounmpo is putting together an all-star season for the Milwaukee Bucks at just 22 years old. The numbers speak for themselves: 23.4 points, 9.0 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.1 steals, and 1.9 blocks per game on 53 per cent shooting. If he can develop a better stroke from beyond the arc, it’s not crazy to think Antetokounmpo could soon be the best all-around player in the NBA.
Joel Embiid: It may have taken a couple years longer than expected, but Embiid has finally hit the court and looks like a beast. The 76ers are still abysmal, but at least they have a franchise cornerstone in place. The man they call “The Process” is averaging better than 18 points, seven rebounds and two blocks per game. He’s also proved capable of stepping out to the perimeter and making opposing defences pay, connecting on 41 per cent of his three-point attempts. If Ben Simmons can return from injury and contribute as expected, Philadelphia could get somewhat dangerous pretty quickly – especially with another juicy draft pick coming this spring.
The Utah Jazz: It’s been a rough stretch in Salt Lake City over the past four seasons as the Jazz have failed to reach the post-season since 2011-12. That looks primed to change this year as the Jazz sit comfortably in the Western Conference playoff picture.
Continuity has been key for the Jazz, as the likes of Rudy Gobert, Rodney Hood and Derrick Favors have developed into very solid pieces behind leading scorer Gordon Hayward, who may be one of the most underrated offensive players in the NBA. General manager Dennis Lindsey did a great job augmenting that young core this past off-season with the additions of productive veterans George Hill and Joe Johnson. As the Jazz continue to grow together, and get back to full health, they could be poised for big things in the near future.