5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Milwaukee Bucks
Okay, this one may seem a little strange at first but bear with me.
Yes, Giannis is the reigning NBA MVP from the 2018-19 season. Yes, he is arguably the best player in the comp and yes, most of his points still come from inside the paint.
But Giannis has clearly developed his game from last season. Speaking to the media over the off-season, Giannis told ESPN he believed he was “only at 60 percent of his potential,” making his desire clear to improve his game after being dismantled by Kawhi and the Toronto Raptors in the East Conference Finals last year.
Through his first 10 games, Giannis has been balling out each night with his new style and it has been flying under the radar.
He is averaging 29.7 points per game which is a career-high so far. Giannis is averaging 14.3 rebounds per game, also another career-high. He hits on almost 80 percent of shots from inside the restricted area, showing his unstoppable brute force inside the paint.
But Giannis jump shot is the development everyone has been waiting for and the statistics suggest it has arrived.
Giannis is averaging four attempts from 3-point range per game which shows his confidence to shoot the deep ball. He is only converting 31 percent of these, but it is already an improvement on last season and the main point is, Giannis is not afraid to shoot from beyond the arc anymore.
To put this into perspective, Antetokounmpo has attempted 73 jump shots so far this season through 10 games. Giannis has only attempted 66 layups through the first 10 games. If he can find consistency and rhythm with his jump-shot, then this will be a scary sight for the rest of the NBA.
So continue to keep an eye on Giannis and watch his development as the season wears on.