Polished Gems: The NBA's Most Improved Players

With less than a quarter of the season in the books, a lot is still up in the air in the NBA.

Here’s what we think we know:

The Celtics are much better than last year. The Bulls are much worse. The Magic have matured and are a real threat in the East, while the rebuilding campaigns in the Pacific Northwest are chugging along a little slower than anticipated.

Given the small sample size, large-scale, team-oriented conclusions are precarious at this point. Instead, I'd prefer to take a look at some of the individuals who've clearly turned the page from their 2006-07 campaigns.

While some of these guys are rather obvious (see: Howard, Dwight), others are more obscure.

Here are my ten gems of the young NBA season (in no particular order)...

 

1. Chris Kaman, L.A. Clippers

Last season, fans in Clipper-ville expected this giant to earn his $8.6 million dollar salary and carry an improving Clippers team to the playoffs.

So what happened?

Kaman was injured and awful in '06-'07, averaging just eight boards and 10 points while looking slow and vulnerable on the defensive end.

This year, however, Kaman has upped his numbers considerably, contributing 14 boards and nearly 19 points per contest. In his last game, Kaman dropped a dominant 22 points and 22 boards.

For a seven-footer making almost $9 million, that's more like it.

 

2. Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic

I know I know—Dwight Howard was a beast last year...so how can he be on this list?

The answer is simple: Dwight Howard might be the most complete, most athletic forward in the game right now.

Howard's numbers are up across the board, and his leadership ability has been impressive for a 22-year-old. Simply stated, Howard has emerged as a game-changing superstar that Magic opponents must scheme around. 

If Howard continues to improve at this sort of pace, we might be looking at the best power forward ever by the time 2015 rolls around.


3. Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics

Rondo's upgraded supporting cast certainly has a lot to do with his improvement—but the youngster has been the Mr. Everything floor general Boston desperately needed at the 1.

Rondo is averaging nine points, five assists, four rebounds, and two steals per game—all improvements over last year. And although Rondo has virtually no perimeter game, his shooting percentage is up to 54 percent from last year's 41 percent.

Steady with the ball and an asset on defense, Rondo has been crucial to Boston’s rise.

 

4. Ronnie Brewer, Utah Jazz

The second-year swingman out of Arkansas has made huge strides following a promising rookie year.

A great pick by Jerry Sloan, Brewer is averaging nearly 10 more points per game since seeing his minutes increase. What's more, his defense has helped the Jazz become a tougher perimeter unit.

You're currently logged into Facebook

Do you want to share your Bleacher Report activity on Facebook?