7. Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder
Season stats: 26.7 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 3.9 apg, 2.2 spg, 0.5 bpg, 45% fg, 38% 3 pt, 83% ft
Team record: 26-16 (3rd in West)
Now, talk about your surprise candidate! Before this season, we all knew that PG could ball. The man’s been one of the very best two-way players in the league for several years now. But most of us would be lying if we said we thought he could still get better.
And he hasn’t just gotten better, he has leapfrogged Russell Westbrook and become the best player on an Oklahoma City Thunder squad that is now third in the Western Conference, but he has also established himself as a true superstar.
George is still proving that he is in contention for best defender in the league and should at least be considered for Defensive Player of the Year as well as MVP but it’s his offence that has seen the most significant jump. His offensive numbers are up across the board and he’s doing all this with a much bigger offensive workload.
If he can maintain his current pace, he could be in for a top-five finish and may even snatch up his first Defensive Player of the Year award!