[NihochuParticipant]

 Who has really surprised you this year ? not in terms of most improved player but a guy who maybe no one expected anything as good as how he is playing. For me its probably Nikola Pekovic and Gerald Green… I mean Pekovic got selected 31st and i dnt think anybody expected him to be ever playing how is now , and Gerald Green .. even tho he is on a bad team he is still playing graet averaging 13 in 25 , i never thought he would be a good player in the league after his stints at the celtics and even in europe ….

[Tongue-Out-Like-23Participant]

Chandler Parsons

He’s the starting small forward on the Houston Rockets.  9.4 ppg, nearly 5 rpg, and 2 apg when nobody really expected anything from him, especially since we’re loading with small forwards.  He’s playing SG, SF, and PF for us and he can play them all effectively.  Not to mention, he’s a pretty good defender with his 6’9 frame.  

[HaleParticipant]

 Those are both excellent choices. Pekovic looked consistently pretty bad last year, and Green wasn’t even in the NBA until like midseason and they are both playing very well now.

I’m going to say Goran Dragic. I remember being in awe of his dynmaic performance against San Antonio in the playoffs a few years back, then it seemed like he disappeared. I knew he was traded to Houston and I just assumed he got buried at the end of the bench. Once he started getting playing time he starting playing extremely well, even better then I thought capable. Hopefully he gets to start somewhere permanently soon.

[NihochuParticipant]

Yeah i think houston have had some players really start ballin , i don’t know whether its because of the coach or not but dragic, lowry , parsons ,  have all exceeded my expectations

[iminipandaParticipant]

Easy.

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Ty Lawson

Kyle Lowry

Lester Hudson

Donald Sloan

Isaiah Thomas

[thatshitkrayParticipant]

 Andrew Bynum. He’s been able to boost his scoring 7 points per game from last season, grabbing 12 boards a game, shooting well over 50% as always. Not to mention he’s been able to stay healthy and earned his first all star appearance. 

I don’t think anyone would’ve expected him to battle Dwight for the number 1 center title

[durantula83Participant]

Nikola Pekovic, Avery Bradley, Kenneth Faried. In the first half of the season, Rubio & Lin before they both went down.

[BrxaParticipant]

Anybody who follows European basketball would tell you Pekovic is capable of this.  He just needed some consistent PT and to get used to the NBA (stop fouling so much).

[IknoBall12Participant]

that isnt suprising at all. we all knew he could score and play well. with him it was just a matter of staying healthy. My suprise is porbably avery bradley and Klay thompson. I knew Klay could light it up in college but wasnt expecting his NBA game to translate so quickly. and as for Bradley i never expected him to get as many oppurtunities as he is with the C’s but obviously with the injuries he has shined

[akhan786Participant]

I was really surprised by Kyrie Irving this year…

NO ONE thought he’d be this good this fast especially with him playing 11 games and sitting out most of the offseason to not injure his toe again.

Tbh I thought his ceiling was Mike Conley and this is coming from a Duke fan.

Boy was I wrong…

[JordanC20Participant]

 Kawhi Leonard

[truwizfan4Participant]

 Kevin Seraphin

[jmarg25Participant]

Isaiah Thomas definitely. Who guessed before this season that the 5"9 60th pick would average 15 and 5 as a starter?

 

 

[GlenTaylorSucksParticipant]

He was probably my least favorite Badger basketball player when he was. He could barely get off the bench, and when he did, all he did was stand there and draw fouls/be tall. I’m legitimately amazed that not only has he managed to get playing time, but to actually be doing well with Boston. Good for him.

[Stojakovicfor3Participant]

Nikola Pekovic
Byron Mullens
Ersan Ilyasova
Lester Hudson
Isaiah Thomas
Chandler Parsons
Danny Green

[FastAndFuriousParticipant]

 Jimmer Fredette…………….

For all the wrong reasons

The hype was tooooo crazy,people really thought he was better than Kemba at one point, I never thought that, but I did buy into his hype a little bit.

 

[NotHamedHaddadiParticipant]

I wonder what European Baller thought of Pekovic before the season?

[cabbycabParticipant]

 for me as well.  I remember watching his HS games on TV when I was living in NY and was not impressed at all and was surprised that he was a prized recruit.  Did not surprise me at all when he struggled early on at UNC.  By golly he gets drafted and ends up being a pretty good NBA player.  What do I know?

[marcusfizer21Participant]

The cousins Gerald and Danny Green have been playing wonderful basketball IMO… Danny is making his mark and helping the Spurs contend in the West… He reminds me of what Ron Harper is doing back with the Bulls, only Green is a better shooter… Gerald is trying to find his way back to the NBA even if it means being on a losing team… I’m glad to see him average 13 ppg…

[Future_Scout board]

 surprised no1 said rubio or love’s numbers.

kobe scoring champ? i woulda laughed. hes shooting poorly tho

 

[durantula83Participant]

About Jimmer, people expected too much, too soon from him. I’m still confident he can become a very good player in a couple years. Look at players like Steve Nash or Chauncey Billups, it took them years in the league before they really came into their own.  If he doesn’t become a game-changer then I’m sure he will evolve into a servicable role player like J.J. Redick.

Danny Green has evolved into a great role player for the Spurs, they’ve been my fav to win a title all year. I’ve been having the same feeling about them like back in the days when they were on top of the league. If the big 3 are all in good shape then they still are one of the most dangerous teams in the league. I also want to give props to Popovich for molding the Spurs back into a top squad. Spurs still have a nose for talent, by drafting Leonard, adding a good backup in Patty Mills, a decent journeyman in Diaw and former star Stephen Jackson.

Gerald Green has always been something special, but now, at 26, he’s got a game to go along with those freakish abilities. He’s on the same level as the best J.R. Smith right now, and will be a prize at the end of the year. There will be alot of interest and teams like Cleveland, Charlotte or Detroit should have this man high on their list.

Another one for the list: Steve Novak (he has become the ultimate 3-point shooting big man off the bench, sorry Matt Bonner)

[omphalosParticipant]

A lot of the players people are "surprised" by were beneficiaries of this lockout season. Lin, Hudson, Thomas, Green, Pekovic all had spurts where they’ve dominated because of great timing.

Lin had fresh legs because he was sitting on the bench for much of the season, but he quickly ran out of steam with his body not used to playing so many minutes and he suffered an injury, prior to his injury his production was really tapering off, he came in fresh after so many starters were already mentally and physically drained. Playing for D’Antoni helped too.

Hudson is a 27 year old player who was second in the NCAA in scoring behind Curry his senior year, he came out and produced in the absence of Irving, but he had the added advantage of diving into the schedule towards the end where regular starters are exhausted.

Pekovic is similar, he’s produced well, but he was unable to keep up his numbers because he started to get worn down. Isaiah Thomas is the same, he came in as a little ball of energy after being the leader of a UConn team, and was given a free reign by Keith Smart halfway through the season, but in the games I’ve seen lately he’s looked a lot slower and his effectiveness – especially defensively – has dropped off.

Players who genuinely surprised me because they have been able to consistently produce and stay healthy are Andrew Bynum, Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce. Since his return from injury Pierce has been consistent despite his age, Garnett has thrived with the condensed schedule, and Bynum is the healthiest he’s been in years, despite the schedule and is finally showing that he can be "that guy" after Kobe retires.

[PulseGlazerParticipant]

So far good choices.  I’m adding in Dragic.  In Phoenix, I thought he was subpar as a backup.  Never saw this coming.

[Author]

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