The 2021-2022 NBA regular season has been playing for half a month. The performance of the teams and players this season is very dramatic. The Heat, Bulls, Raptors and other teams have all played better than last season, and the Nets and Lakers, who have high hopes, have not played a corresponding dominant performance, and even some struggles. And the performance of the stars is also heaven and earth, Harden, Lillard in this season's state can be said to be very bad, whether it is the three-point shot, or the organization, not as sharp as in the past. Of course, there are also many stars who play well, especially last season, which was a bit too "ordinary", and this season once again proved themselves and played the level of top stars. So, let's take stock of which stars surprised the media and fans.
1. Paul George
In fact, in last season's playoffs, after Cowhi Leonard was absent due to injury, George came out of his best form and helped the Los Angeles Clippers achieve a "zero" breakthrough in the Western Conference Finals. This season, The little card has determined that it will be difficult to return, so the heavy responsibility of the team's offensive and defensive ends has all been put on George's body, and this is also a perfect opportunity for him to prove himself.
In fact, George did, and even so far his performance has reached the peak of his career. At present, the 31-year-old George has contributed 28.9 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 3 steals, shooting 50.7% from the field, and a staggering 42.2% from three-point range, many of which are career highs, and at the same time, in the current scoring list, George has surpassed Curry and Morant, ranking first in the league. You must know that a few years ago, he had only experienced a major injury that could destroy his career, but the returning George had unleashed more powerful abilities than before the injury. Now George can be said to be the barometer of the Clippers, and whether he can win depends on George's state.
So far on the offensive end, almost no players have been able to limit George, and on the defensive end, George has also shown his famous defensive ability, averaging 3 steals per game, which is also the first of all players. The Clippers are currently 3 wins and 4 losses, which is not satisfactory compared to the various unpromising media in the pre-season media.
2. Jimmy Butler
This year's Heat team showed more ability than the team that reached the Finals the year before, and in addition to the addition of players such as Lowry and Pj Tucker, the fiery state of the team's core Jimmy Butler is also a key factor.
So far, the 32-year-old Butler has averaged 25 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.6 assists, 2.9 steals per game, shooting 51.3% from the field, and all the data except assists is a career high. Like George, Butler started out on defense in his youth, so now he is synonymous with "attack and defense". It has to be said that with the addition of Lowry, Butler no longer needs to focus on the organization of the offensive end, but can concentrate on beating the opponent with a mid-shot, in addition, his ability to attack the frame is still strong, and most players are difficult to limit Butler in one-on-one. Defensively, Butler, Adebayor, Pj Tucker and other players formed the current Heat's steel defense, and the team's defensive efficiency is now the first in the league.
If the team can maintain its current state, this year for the Heat, it may even be able to impact the championship, and this is behind Butler's strong performance.
3. Demar DeRozan
The former King of the North, after being traded to the Spurs, although he still remained in good shape, but the post-Duncan Spurs had difficulty playing a dominant performance and had missed the playoffs for two seasons. This is not enough for DeRozan, who is aiming to win the championship, especially after a group of veterans left the team last season, deRozan also had a heart to go. The Spurs also did a good job, sending DeRozan to the Bulls. Just when many people are not very optimistic about this Bulls team, DeRozan has a strong chemical reaction with Ravin, Vucevic, and Bauer.
This season's Bulls, both offensively and defensively, are sound and colorful, at least one notch stronger than last season. On the offensive end, in particular, the options become more abundant. DeRozan is also successful in Donovan's system, currently averaging 27 points, 6.1 rebounds, 3.6 assists and shooting 50.6% from the field. There is no doubt that after 3 years of ups and downs in the West, DeRozan's personal ability has reached the point of pure fire, especially organizational ability, Under Popovich's tutelage, deRozan can be said to be all-round on the offensive end, except for three points. It is also because of the strong teammates that DeRozan's efficiency has steadily improved, even more powerful than in the Raptors era. It is also with his help that the Bulls are likely to become the biggest spoilers in the East.
4. Cameron Anthony
Although the Los Angeles Lakers are not performing as expected and the current state of the team is quite average, there is still good news, that is, the 37-year-old veteran star - Cameron Anthony, his current state can be said to be full of firepower. As the sixth man on the bench, Anthony showed his best form in four years. He currently averages 16.5 points and 3.6 rebounds per game, shooting percentage and three-point shooting rate have reached career highs, and the three-point shooting rate has even reached a terrifying 52.9%, and currently ranks third in the entire league.
The team recently mentioned a wave of three consecutive wins, and Melon contributed 24 points, 23 points, 15 points respectively, his performance looks at the entire league of substitute players, it is difficult to have such a good state, and to know that Melon's age is about to retire. Whether it's a mid-range shot, a three-pointer, or a threat from a breakthrough that doesn't lose to the young players in the league, Anthony has done a great job. Unlike the past, the melon is bent on winning the crown, and the dirty work can be grasped with one hand. It is precisely because of this that he is closer to the championship than ever before.
5. Tyler Hiro
Unlike the previous four, Hiro is only 21 years old now, but he definitely qualifies for this list. Last season's playoffs were arguably Hiro's worst defeat to date, with the team swept four by the bucks, who had lost to their former players. In these four games, Hiro averaged only 9.3 points per game, which is definitely a bad state for himself who wants to break through. As a result, Hiro did some devil training this summer.
In the new season, Hiro's perfect performance really proved his great progress. Currently the sixth man on the bench, he is averaging 22.3 points, six rebounds, 4.4 assists per game, a perfect top guard stat sheet. And you know, Hiro's position in the team is a shooter, to be able to ensure such a stable state, every game can send enough contribution to the team, for the young Giro, it is not easy. Lowry, Butler and Adebayo's strong containment on the offensive end gave the young man room to play, and he also repaid lee and escorted the team with excellent performances. If Hiro had kept him in this state, the best sixth man of the year could even be awarded to him in advance, and being selected as an All-Star was no longer a distant dream.