Apr 30, 2014; Houston, TX, USA; Houston Rockets center Dwight Howard (12) drives to the basket during the fourth quarter as Portland Trail Blazers center
Robin Lopez(42) defends in game five of the first round of the 2014 NBA Playoffs at Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the Trail Blazers 108-98. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
1. Dwight Howard
The first spot was up for grabs, but I believe Howard’s playoff performance gave him the edge over Cousins.
Howard averaged 18.3 points per game last season, but a majority of them came at the stripe and on dunks. Howard is without a doubt a top rebounding and defending big, but he doesn’t have the offense of a Cousins or Jefferson. In the playoffs Howard played like a monster as he averaged 26 points and 13.7 rebounds per game despite losing to Portland.