Top 4 Small Forwards
- Kevin Durant ($10,300) vs. Oklahoma City Thunder
- Paul George ($8,800) vs. Golden State Warriors
- Michael Beasley ($6,400) vs. Boston Celtics
- T.J. Warren ($6,000) vs. Portland Trail Blazers
Rationale:
- The case for Kevin Durant as the Defensive Player of the Year keeps building. With two rejections against the L.A. Clippers Thursday night, Durant extended his streak to five games with two blocks. Durant is averaging a career-high 1.9 blocks per game and his 99 rejections are just six shy of matching the highest output of his 11-year career. If Durant manages to block one shot against his former team, the Oklahoma City Thunder, he will join Kristaps Porzingis and Anthony Davis as the only players in the league with 100 or more blocks this year.
- In the five games since All-Star forward Kristaps Porzingis tore his ACL, Michael Beasley has struggled to find consistency as the primary performer for the New York Knicks. The averages of 16.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game don’t truly reflect the massive swings Beasley has experienced. Against the Washington Wizards just before the All-Star break, Beasley attempted a season-high 24 shots and in the next game against the Orlando Magic, he took just four shots, his fewest all year when playing 10 or more minutes.