Most surprising and disappointing NBA players so far this season

We knew coming into the 2016-17 season that James Harden was an elite scorer, but it turns out he’s one of the NBA’s best passers also. As the point guard in head coach Mike D’Antoni’s up-tempo offense, Harden finds himself atop the league leader board in assists, averaging an awesome 11.3 per game. Now if only Harden could do something about his play on the defensive side of the floor . . .

First year Lakers head coach Luke Walton has already performed several minor miracles out in Los Angeles, and none are bigger than helping to get Nick Young’s NBA career back on track. Considered a joke of a player by many fans, Young has reestablished himself as a fixture in the Lakers starting lineup with hot shooting from beyond the arc, and is playing the best defense of his career. Moreover, “Swaggy P” has a far more mature attitude towards his effort on the court than he has had in years past.

It turns out the wait was worth it. After missing his first two seasons in the NBA recovering from foot surgeries, 76ers center Joel Embiid is now Philadelphia’s most beloved player. The third pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Embiid has dazzled fans with his touch from outside and strong physical presence around the rim. The 23-year-old is averaging 18.5 points, 7.6 rebounds, and 2.4 blocks per game in 23 minutes of actions a night. It took a while, but trusting the process is finally paying dividends in Philly.

It took a about two years, but Kevin Love finally looks the player he was in Minnesota this season for the Cleveland Cavaliers. K-Love is back to dialing up over 20 and 10 night, and even scored 33 points in one quarter in a game against the Trail Blazers. Love is also making three pointers this season at a career-best pace this season, and no longer looks lost playing alongside LeBron James and Kyrie Irving.

After struggling to find the back of the net in his first season for the Lakers, guard Lou Williams is back to being one of the top sixth men in the NBA in 2016. Williams leads the Purple and Gold in scoring at 18.7 points per game in just 25 minutes a night, and is shooting a career best 40 percent from downtown.

An afterthought most of the time in Golden State last season, Harrison Barnes' first season with the Dallas Mavericks is off to a hot start. The seventh overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Barnes is averaging a career high 20.4 points per game for the Mavs, and hardly ever turns the ball over for Rick Carlisle’s squad. The change of scenery has ignited Barnes’ career.

It’s not surprising that Avery Bradley has been producing for the Boston Celtics. However, what is surprising is that the six-foot-two guard leads the team in rebounding. In addition to having a career year on offense, Bradley is nabbing a team high 7.8 rebounds per game.

Although injuries have limited his time on the court this season, Jazz point guard George Hill has looked like an All-Star player when he has been on the court for Quin Snyder’s squad. In his first season in Utah, Hill is averaging 20 points per night on 53 percent shooting, while also playing quality defense against the opposition. If Hills can stay healthy, he will surely leading a rising Jazz team into the playoffs.

Even though longtime starter Jrue Holiday has returned to the team after missing the start of the season due to personal reasons, Pelicans point guard Tim Frazier is deservedly holding on to his starter’s status in New Orleans. The second year player out of Penn State is averaging 10.5 points and 7.3 assists per game in 30 minutes as coach Alvin Gentry’s primary ball-handler.

A career backup, Nets big-man Trevor Booker has been Brooklyn’s best player in the paint this season. The undersized center leads the team in rebounds, steals, and is putting up double-digit points a night for the first time in his career.

Someone on the depleted Brooklyn Nets roster has to score, and that player thus far has been Sean Kilpatrick. An undrafted second-year player out of Cincinnati, Kilpatrick is second to Brook Lopez in scoring, putting up 16.7 points a night.

After failing to impress all that much in his first four years in the NBA, Trail Blazers swing-man Maurice Harkless is easily playing the best basketball of his career in 2016. The 23-year-old is averaging 13 points a night on 50 percent shooting from the field, and has established himself as a mainstay in Portland’s rotation.

We’re more than a quarter of the way through the 2016-17 NBA season, and who has been the NBA’s best three point shooter? Channing Frye, of course. The Cavaliers power forward is shooting an incredible 48 percent from downtown to start the season, and is adding 11 points per game to the Cavs' nightly box score. Not too shabby for a 33-year-old whose career had largely been written off not long ago.

Despite losing Dwight Howard in the offseason to free agency, young center Clint Capela has quickly proven he’s a worthy replacement for the Houston Rockets. Originally born in Switzerland, Capela is averaging 12 points, 8.5 rebounds, and nearly two blocks per game as the Rockets starting center. Most importantly, the 22-year-old has proven to be a strong pick-and-roll partner for James Harden.

Although Devin Booker and Eric Bledsoe garner most the attention out in Phoenix, the Suns have another rising talent in T.J. Warren. The 23-year-old small forward is an efficient scorer, averaging nearly 18 points a night on 15 shots, and still has plenty of room to grow.

Who is the best point guard on the San Antonio Spurs? Well, it’s no longer Tony Parker. Instead, Patty Mills now owns that title. The Spurs' first player off of the bench, Mills is San Antonio’s assists leader, best three-point shooter, and is averaging a career-best 11.1 points per game.

After experiencing the worst season of his young career last year in Atlanta, Tim Hardaway Jr. finally appears to have earned the trust of Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer. The fourth year player is averaging 11 points per game off the bench for Atlanta, and is shooting a career high 46 percent from the field.

While there are reasons for Knicks fans to be optimistic, New York’s offseason signing of Joakim Noah isn’t one of them. Coming off of shoulder surgery, the former Defensive Player of the Year looks like a shell of himself, and is putting up some of the worst numbers of his career. Judging by the early returns, it appears the Knicks have overpaid for a one-time star player in free agency yet again.

It appears Father Time has finally caught up to Dirk Nowitzki. Arguably the greatest foreign-born player in NBA history, Nowitzki can no longer be relied upon by the Dallas Mavericks, as the 38-year-old has played in just five games this season due to an Achilles injury. Even when Nowitzki has been on the floor, the results haven’t been pretty; the future Hall of Fame power forward is averaging 12.2 points per game on 36 percent shooting.

While’s he’s still a stout defender, Lakers forward Luol Deng has been a disaster on the offensive side of the court in his first season in Los Angeles. The 31-year-old is averaging less than seven points per game, and shooting a ghastly 34 percent from the field. Considering the Lakers signed Deng to a four year, $72 million contract in the offseason, these numbers should be concerning.

Now in his second year in the NBA, Nuggets point guard Emmanuel Mudiay’s poor shooting should worry fans in Denver. The seventh pick in the 2015 Draft, Mudiay is shooting 35 percent from the field, and 26 percent from beyond the arc; numbers that simply don’t cut in the NBA from a starting guard. Additionally, Mudiay is still reckless with basketball, turning the ball over three times per game, tied for ninth worst in the league.

At one time considered the top prospect in the 2015 draft class, there are now some serious concerns over the development of Jahlil Okafor in Philadelphia. Granted, the 76ers are probably not the best fit for the young center, but Okafor appears to have taken a step back in his second season, as he is averaging six points less points a night compared to last year, and is only grabbing 4.4 rebounds per game. Considering Okafor is nearly seven feet tall, he should be able to sleepwalk his way to more rebounds than that.

While he is easily one of the NBA’s best defenders, Warriors power forward Draymond Green is off to a cold start to the season shooting the ball. Green is shooting under 30 percent from beyond the arc, and is just 43 percent from the field in total. Those numbers will likely go up as the season continues, but it’s something to keep an eye on in Golden State.

One of the best point guards in the NBA for so long, Spurs great Tony Parker is no longer an All-Star level player. In fact, Parker’s abilities have regressed quite a bit over the past two years. To start the 2016-17 season, the four-time NBA champ is averaging under 10 points a game for the first since he was a rookie, and can no longer weave his way in and out of the lane like he used to in years past. He’s still a decent player, but at 34 years of age, Tony Parker is officially past his prime.

The fourth pick in the 2014 NBA Draft, Magic forward Aaron Gordon seems to be stuck in basketball purgatory. Gordon is a bit too large to play small forward in the modern NBA, but doesn’t have the shooting touch needed to become a stretch four either. Gordon is averaging just 9.6 points per game, and a career low 40 percent shooting for a team in Orlando that has not made the playoffs since 2012.

Signed to a four year, $70 million contract by Portland in the offseason, swing-man Evan Turner has Trail Blazers fans questioning if he is worth all that money. Expected to be the Blazers first option off the bench, Turner is scoring just nine points per game due to a career worst 41 percent shooting from the field. To make matters worse, Turner’s assists and rebounds are down as well.

One of the most complicated players in the NBA, Cavs shooting J.R. Smith’s 2016-17 season is off to an awful start. Along with an embarrassing incident in which he hugged a Bucks bench player in the middle of live game action, Smith is shooting a miserable 31 percent from the field. There is still plenty of time for Smith to turn his year around, but given his erratic personality, that’s far from a guarantee.

Although he is a superb athlete, a sub-par jump shot has Kris Dunn’s NBA career off to a poor start. The fifth pick the 2016 Draft, Dunn is expected to succeed Timberwolves starter Ricky Rubio as Minnesota’s starting point guard at eventually, but considering the rookie is averaging a mere 4.2 points on 39 percent shooting, that day appears to be a long way off in the distance.

A high profile free agent signing in the summer of 2015, Milwaukee Bucks big-man Greg Monroe desperately needs a change of scenery. A player who at one time averaged a double-double for a season, Monroe doesn’t even start in Milwaukee, and is averaging career lows in points, rebounds, and shooting percentage so far this campaign.

While his aggressive defense certainly merits him an NBA roster spot, Magic point guard Elfrid Payton still cannot figure it out on offense. The third-year point guard is averaging career low assist numbers, cannot make three pointers, and is shooting an unacceptable 56 percent from the free throw line. Payton is a point guard with a broken shot, and it is something that hamstrings the Magic every game.

Hesitant to give him a long term contract due his past knee injuries, the Dallas Mavericks let small forward Chandler Parsons leave the team in the offseason, as he signed a four year, $94 million contract with the Memphis Grizzlies. So far this season, the Mavs' concerns over Parsons' health look justified. The versatile forward has played in just six games this season for the Grizz, as problems with his knees have put him on the sidelines once again.

Solomon Hill isn’t even two months into his career as a member of the New Orleans Pelicans, and already team management may be regretting signing the small forward to a four year, $52 million deal in the offseason. Hill is putting up a mere five points a night on 34 percent shooting, and looks totally out of sync with the rest of the team.

After flashing a great deal of promise in his rookie season, Pistons small forward Stanley Johnson can hardly find any playing time at the moment in Detroit. The eighth pick in the 2015 NBA draft, Johnson was expected to take a major step forward in his development in his second year as pro; instead, the former Arizona Wildcat has taken a step back.

Very little has gone right for Michael Carter-Williams since he won Rookie of the Year in 2014. After a mediocre 2015-16 campaign, MCW was traded just prior to the start of this season to the Chicago Bulls for Tony Snell, a back-up wing player. Shortly after arriving in Chicago, Carter-Williams sustained a wrist injury that has kept him sidelined for all but three games.

After opening the season as the team’s starter, center Miles Plumlee now finds himself riding the end of Jason Kidd’s bench in Milwaukee. The 28-year-old Plumlee simply has not gotten the job done for the Bucks when he has been out on the floor this season, and no longer looks like a viable rotation player.

Challenged by head coach Earl Watson to lead the Suns second unit, guard Brandon Knight looks out of place coming off of the bench in Phoenix. Knight is still putting up 13 points a per game, but career low averages in shooting percentage, rebounds, and assists suggest that Knight is not meant to be a sixth man.

Signed to a five year, $58 million contract in 2015, the New Orleans Pelicans thought center Omer Asik would open up space on the floor for All-Star power forward Anthony Davis to operate. Instead, Asik has played well below average basketball for the Pels, as the seven-footer averages only 3.4 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 0.4 blocks per game. Those are not numbers that justify Asik’s cap hit of nearly $10 million this year.

Although he has not been set up to succeed in Sacramento, fourth year shooting guard Ben McLemore is looking more and more like a player who will be out of the NBA in a few years time. The seventh pick in the 2013 Draft, McLemore is averaging career lows in minutes, points, three point shooting percentage, and assists. The 23-year-old should be hitting his stride at this point in his pro career; not seeing it circle down the drain.

Acquired last season to be a stretch four in the Wizards starting lineup, Markieff Morris has not lived up to expectations in Washington so far. In 20 games this season, Morris is shooting under 41 percent from the field, and has done little on the defensive side of the floor to merit the 31 minutes per game he is receiving. If Morris is unable to give John Wall and Bradley Beal more consistent support, the Wizards are in store for a second consecutive playoff-less season.

It appears Kyle Korver’s career is officially on the decline. An All-Star in 2015, Korver (while still a quality shooter) is no longer the lights out shot maker from beyond the arc he used to be. For Korver, 35, if his shot is not on target, he does almost nothing anymore to help the Hawks while’s out on the floor.