PG: Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers
After a regression last season, Holiday is finally taking the next step Philadelphia fans hoped for after his sophomore campaign. After averaging 14.0 ppg and 6.5 apg in his second year, his line fell to 13.5 ppg and 4.5 apg in the season he was supposed to break out. His shot selection was routinely questionable. With added responsibility now from head coach Doug Collins, he's playing at an All-Star level, averaging 18.4 ppg and 8.9 apg, complete with improved play on the defensive end. And the last three games while he's been injured, the team has shown they can't win without him.
SG: O.J. Mayo, Dallas Mavericks
The born scorer had fallen out of favor in Memphis, coming off the bench in every game last season and desperately needing a change of scenery. Signing with Dallas was a blessing for him, as his scoring is up eight points from last season, and his field goal percentage from .408 to .482. He's shooting an incredible .512 from beyond the arc, proving he spent long hours in the gym in anticipation of this rejuvenated stretch.
SF: James Harden, Houston Rockets
I know he's actually a shooting guard, but he's more fit for this than anyone at the SF position. He's gone from sixth man to superstar in just an offseason, and his scoring is up over eight points to 25.0 ppg, good for fifth in the Association. He's answering the questions of whether he can be a first option in an absolute manner, and he's managed to steal all of Jeremy Lin's unnecessary attention in Houston.
PF: Glen Davis, Orlando Magic
In a team stripped of talent, someone had to replace at least some of Dwight Howard's production. Becoming a nightly starter has yielded terrific results for Big Baby, and he's proven to be one of the few Magic players actually worthy of a starting role on an NBA team. He's averaging 15.7 ppg and 7.9 rpg, but he'll need to improve his shooting percentage (.439) if he wants to be big time.
C: Anderson Varejao, Cleveland Cavaliers
He's always been known as an energy guy, but its taken him until his ninth season to be mentioned for All-Star consideration. He's been a solid rebounder for the bulk of his career, but he's taken that skill to new levels this season, leading the league at 14.6 a night to go along with a career high 13.8 points. All that's left for him to do is stay healthy, as he's played in just 56 games the previous two seasons.
Bench:
Omer Asik, C, Houston Rockets
I was among the many that were stunned Rockets GM Daryl Morey offered a three-year, $25.1 million deal to a guy that looked like all he could accomplish on an NBA court was awkwardness. Turns out, for the most part, Asik can play. He's averaging a double-double after posting just 3.1 ppg and 5.3 rpg as a backup big in Chicago last year.
Kemba Walker, PG, Charlotte Bobcats
The closest thing the Bobcats have to an All-Star, Walker has taken a giant leap forward from his rookie campaign. His scoring is up six points to 18.1 a night, and he's averaging over six assists as well. Perhaps the most improvement has come on the defensive end, where's he's disrupting passing lanes, accounting for two steals a game, sixth in the league, whereas he only averaged 0.9 last year. His abysmal field goal percentage last year, .366, is up to a respectable .428 for a point guard. He's starting to make the fans in Charlotte, which have suffered through quite a bit the past few seasons, have glimmers of hope.
Goran Dragic, PG, Phoenix Suns
Taking over for Steve Nash is no small order, but Dragic has done it admirably. He's averaging 15.0 points and 6.4 assists a night, and has compiled a 20.04 player efficiency rating. On defense, while not the greatest on-ball defender, he's seventh in the NBA in steals with just under two a night.
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