Ranking the 10 Most Surprising Players of the 2014-15 NBA Season’s Early Portion

December 12th, 2014 by Stephen Babb Leave a reply »
Admit it.

You probably didn't expect Jimmy Butler to become one the league's 10-most prolific scorers in just his fourth season. Once billed as something of a defensive specialist, few saw this kind of output coming. We all knew he was good, and we were reasonably certain he'd continue getting better.

But an 8.4-point per-game increase over last season's already-solid mark (13.1 points per game)? 

Even Butler's most ardent believers should be wowed by that.

Few stories are as compelling as Butler's, but he's hardly this season's only eye-opener. We've ranked the young season's 10-most surprising performers, highlighting some individual trends our preseason forecasts may not have anticipated.

It's an admittedly subjective exercise, so suggestions are always welcome in the comment section. This list is the result of several variables—outlying numbers, lesser-known names on the rise and guys who seem to be developing more quickly than expected.

Put simply, these are the kind of players who keep things interesting.

 

All statistics and records current as of games played on De ...

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