1. Andrew Wiggins – F – Minnesota Timberwolves (15.6 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.9 APG)
How about this stat: Wiggins recently climbed to ninth place on the all-time scoring list for NBA teenagers, with his 826 points just nine behind someone named Kevin Garnett. Wiggins turned 20 this past Monday, and celebrated with an appropriate 30 points and six rebounds against the Rockets, providing a little distraction from Ricky Rubio’s slaying at the hands of James Harden. He followed that up with a solid 19-point outing in a win against Washington on Wednesday night during the return of Garnett to Minnesota. Despite shooting a lousy 11 percent from three-point range in his past five games, Wiggins is still averaging 49 percent overall in the same span. His game has been on an upward climb since a breakout December, and it will be interesting to see what effect Garnett’s presence and mentorship will have on him.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FXvQXD0lSb8
2. Nerlens Noel – C – Philadelphia 76ers (8.5 PPG, 7.2 RPG, 1.9 BPG)
Noel has been taking advantage of being on a depleted roster no doubt, but his production speaks for itself. His scoring has increased to an efficient 10.3 points per game this month, even as his rebounds have dipped a bit to 6.7 per outing. Noel came within one rebound and one block of a triple-double the hard way on Feb. 20 against the Indiana, and is currently ranked sixth in the league at blocks per game. His improvement each month has come while being on an intentionally tanking team that continues to shuffle it’s roster around as team GM Sam Hinkie continues his methodical plan, and that is impressive unto itself. Noel has already become an all-around force in the league, and still has a huge amount of upside, if and when the 76ers ever decide to settle on a roster and move forward.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8T1RLYG3myE
3. Elfrid Payton – PG – Orlando Magic (7.9 PPG, 5.8 APG, 1.5 SPG)
Although he is the purest of point guards to be drafted last summer, it’s been a widely known fact all season that Payton is an offensive liability.
“Teams are trying to make me shoot,” Payton said recently. “But it’s all about not playing into their hands at the same time. Just having that meeting when it’s the shot I really want. It’s definitely something I’ve worked on.”
The work has paid off, as Payton has been averaging 44 percent from the field since January, even with Wednesday night’s 1-for-8 clunker of a game figured in. He has come within a rebound or two of a triple-double on multiple occasions this season, and stands a good chance of accomplishing the feat in the near future, especially with his increased rebound and scoring output as of late. His free-throws will continue to be an issue until he can get to at least 70 percent, a mark that seems very far of given his current 53 percent average. Until then, teams will continue to foul him, just like the 76ers did to him on Sunday night, when they sent him to the line four times in the final four minutes of a closely contested matchup, where he went 4-of-8.
4. Jusuf Nurkic – C – Denver Nuggets (7.2 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 1.3 BPG)
Nurkic has been an instant game-changer since being awarded significant playing time in mid-December, and is now quietly averaging 9.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, and 1.3 steals per game in the month of February for a Denver Nuggets team that is just trying to get the season over with at this point. He had quite the welcome-back game after the All-Star break, scoring 11 points and grabbing 15 rebounds against the Bucks on Feb. 20.
Nurkic has been masterfully taunting his opponents all season, and had perhaps his finest moment so far during last night’s loss to Phoenix, when he rewarded Markieff Morris with the ball after Morris flopped during Nurkic’s move to the basket. It is hands down the funniest moment in the season thus far (if you’re me.) Morris’ expression afterwards was priceless.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gC1gUA7D6XM
5. Nikola Mirotic – PF – Chicaog Bulls (7.2 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.1 APG)
After nearly disappearing the last four or so weeks, it seems that Mirotic is earning back the trust of Bulls coach Tom Thibodeau. Monday’s 16-point, 14-rebound, two-block outing against Milwaukee certainly helps his cause, but his shooting still needs to improve, as Mirotic has been averaging 34 percent from the field since Janurary. Despite all of this, Mirotic’s PER remains at a respectable 16.04, which is a solid mark for a rookie on a contending team.
