NBA: The 5 biggest overachievers during the 2018-19 season

Exploring the five biggest overachievers in the NBA in 2018-19, which includes a few unlikely candidates and the rise of a potential championship contender

Less than two months left in the 2018-19 NBA season, there have certainly been a few surprises so far this year – both in terms of individual performers and overall team output. As the post-All-Star break playoff push begins, let’s take a look at the biggest overachievers thus far in the year.

Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks

Did anyone really expect the 6-foot-7, 19-year-old rookie Luka Doncic to be so good right away? Sure, he was the third overall pick in last year’s NBA Draft, but if teams thought the former EuroLeague MVP would average 20.7 points, 7.2 rebounds and 5.6 assists a game as rookie; he likely would have been drafted with the No.1 overall pick.

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Instead the Dallas Mavericks probably got the biggest steal from the class with the third overall pick. From the looks of it, it appears that the Mavs may have found their new franchise star moving forward.

Milwaukee Bucks

Most of the hype entering the 2018-19 NBA season surrounding the Eastern Conference centered around the Boston Celtics and the Philadelphia 76ers, who many believed would compete to come out of the Eastern Conference.

And with LeBron James now in the Western Conference, it made sense. So far, though, the Milwaukee Bucks, led by their MVP candidate Giannis Antetokounmpo, are sitting with the best record in the East at 44-14 and have the looks of a real championship contender.

I’m not sure if even Bucks’ fans saw that coming just a few months ago.

James Harden, Houston Rockets

Last year’s NBA MVP being on this list may surprise a number of people since we all knew he could repeat as the Most Valuable Player, but did anyone really believe he could average 36.5 points, 6.7 rebounds and 7.7 assists a game?

Harden, the league’s leading scorer, is averaging 7.6 points more than the Oklahoma City Thunder forward Paul George, who is second in the league in scoring at 28.9 points a game.

Paul George, Oklahoma City Thunder

This year Paul George has not only become a legitimate MVP candidate, but also one of the most entertaining players to watch in the NBA. He has elevated himself into the superstar conversation and has been the most important player on the Thunder roster.

Now the only question is: Could George continue playing like an MVP in the playoffs? Critics have criticized his playoffs performance as being his biggest weakness.

Indiana Pacers

Before the season, few people thought the Indiana Pacers would be leading the 76ers and Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings with about 20 games remaining. Well, surprisingly, the Pacers are hanging on to the third place spot in the East by going 8-2 in their last 10 games despite losing Victor Oladipo for the remainder of the season a month ago.