NBA Report Cards: Grades for Every Team's Star Player
As the frantic pace at which this shortened NBA season began starts to slow down, teams and players are reaching the point of the season where they are beginning to settle into roles and find out how good they really are.
We have already seen surprise teams with good records, good team with bad records and star players both struggle or exceed fans' expectations.
While the season still has a long way to go, here are some early grades for the star players of each NBA team.
Due to them being the best players on each team and putting up good statistics each night, it was difficult to give anyone a really bad grade.
Some, however, are earning high marks that should help their respective teams during the rest of the season.
Players are not ranked and are graded more on their individual performance and level of preseason expectation more so than being graded against each other.
Joe Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
1 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 18.6
Rebounds: 3.8
Assists: 3.9
Blocks: 0.4
Steals: 0.9
Grade: A-
Joe Johnson has once again been asked to carry the Atlanta Hawks and has done a good job of leading the team, especially since Al Horford left the lineup with an injury.
His scoring is above his career average, and his team's record is 12-5. Some of his other numbers are down slightly, but he is once again having a season similar to those he has had in the past with the Hawks.
Kevin Garnett, Boston Celtics
2 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 13.2
Rebounds: 7.3
Assists: 2.6
Blocks: 0.8
Steals: 0.4
Grade: B-
It is debatable as to which of the four Boston Celtics' All-Stars is actually the team's star player; it changes nightly depending on who is playing the best.
Kevin Garnett is struggling in his 17th season, and his points per game are the lowest since his rookie season.
There has been a lot of talk about the Celtics being split up, and trading Garnett may be the best option for the long-term future of the team.
Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Bobcats
3 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 15.7
Rebounds: 5
Assists: 2
Blocks: 0.5
Steals: 1.1
Grade: B+
For a team that does not have a true star on the roster, Gerald Henderson is having a breakout season for an improving Charlotte Bobcats team.
Henderson has improved his overall game and has raised his scoring into double digits.
One of his better games this season was on the road against the New York Knicks, where he scored 24 points for one of the three Bobcat wins.
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls
4 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 20.8
Rebounds: 3.5
Assists: 8.7
Blocks: 0.5
Steals: 0.9
Grade: A-
Derrick Rose is still the top point guard in the NBA, but his scoring numbers have dropped since last season. This is partly due to a toe injury that he has been battling with and partly due to not needing to score as often.
Rose's assist number is up, and he has changed his style of play to adjust to the improvements his team has made.
Even though he has missed a few games with the injury, Rose is still having a great season to follow up his MVP year.
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers
5 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 17.4
Rebounds: 3.3
Assists: 4.9
Blocks: 0.6
Steals: 0.7
Grade: B+
Kyrie Irving has started all 15 games for the Cleveland Cavaliers this season, and he has quickly become the biggest star on the team.
He is playing well, but it is difficult to give him a grade based on it being very early in his career. He is doing what was expected as the first-overall selection in the last NBA draft.
Irving is leading the Cavaliers in scoring and has led the team to a 6-9 overall record.
Dirk Nowitzki, Dallas Mavericks
6 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 17.5
Rebounds: 5.4
Assists: 2.3
Blocks: 0.6
Steals: 0.8
Grade: B-
Dirk Nowitzki is in the middle of a difficult season where he has seen most of his per-game averages drop sharply.
He is not the same unstoppable player who led his team past the Western Conference and the Miami Heat in last season's playoffs.
Nowitzki and the Dallas Mavericks are not at the same level that led them to the NBA championship last season and currently are in the seventh spot in the Western Conference.
Unfortunately for Nowitzki, his troubles continue, as he will miss the next four games to work on overcoming a knee injury.
Danilo Gallinari, Denver Nuggets
7 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 17.4
Rebounds: 5.2
Assists: 2.8
Blocks: 0.6
Steals: 1.7
Grade: A-
If there was any doubt that Danilo Gallinari is the star of the Denver Nuggets, just look at his performance against his former team, the New York Knicks.
In that game, Gallinari scored 37 points in a double-overtime victory in New York.
Between Gallinari and point guard Ty Lawson, the Nuggets are second only to the Oklahoma City Thunder in the Northwest Division, making it easy to forget about Carmelo Anthony.
Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons
8 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 15.4
Rebounds: 9.5
Assists: 2.9
Blocks: 0.6
Steals: 1.1
Grade: B+
In his second season in the league, Greg Monroe has become the quiet star of the Detroit Pistons, who need solid play and leadership from someone.
Monroe is nearly averaging a double-double, and his numbers are up from his rookie year.
He and Brandon Knight are keys pieces of the future plans of the Pistons, and he is off to a nice start this season.
Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors
9 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 23.3
Rebounds: 2.9
Assists: 7
Blocks: 0.3
Steals: 1.7
Grade: B
It is no secret that Monta Ellis is a great scorer, but that is about all that the struggling Golden State Warriors have had this season.
Ellis tried to pick up more offensive responsibility after losing fellow guard Stephen Curry for several games, but does not get much help from his team.
He plays a lot of minutes and throws up a lot of shots, but his team continues to have trouble defensively.
Looks like this season is turning out to be the same as it has been for the last several years for the Warriors.
Kevin Martin, Houston Rockets
10 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 18.8
Rebounds: 3.1
Assists: 2.9
Blocks: 0.1
Steals: 0.8
Grade: B+
Although his scoring is down a bit from last season, Kevin Martin is playing well, and the Houston Rockets are having a good season despite a nearly .500 record.
The Rockets have played one of the toughest early-season schedules this year, and Martin leads the team in scoring.
With Kyle Lowry, Samuel Dalembert or Luis Scola able to score well on any given night, Martin can continue to shoot the ball and do what he does best by being a dangerous scoring threat.
The Rockets should continue to do well as their schedule evens out more in the coming months.
Danny Granger, Indiana Pacers
11 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 16.2
Rebounds: 4.2
Assists: 1.5
Blocks: 0.9
Steals: 1.7
Grade: A-
Danny Granger has been the forgotten star of the Indiana Pacers for several seasons.
During the offseason, the Pacers went out and got some help for Granger, who does not have to do as much this season to help the team win.
With seven players averaging double figures, Granger does not have to shoulder the scoring load alone.
He is able to play with less pressure, and it shows, as the team is doing well with a record of 11-4.
Chris Paul, Los Angeles Clippers
12 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 18
Rebounds: 3
Assists: 8.4
Blocks: 0
Steals: 2.8
Grade: A-
Chris Paul has not missed a beat since coming to the Los Angeles Clippers in a trade just before the start of the season.
Playing with more talented teammates has helped Paul to better lead his team. His scoring average is up from last season, and he leads the league in steals per game.
Paul has missed a few games as he struggles with a hamstring injury, but the Clippers can afford to let him rest, as they have plenty of point guards on the bench.
When Paul does return, he will continue the solid start he has had and will lead the Clippers to more victories.
Kobe Bryant, Los Angeles Lakers
13 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 30.5
Rebounds: 5.5
Assists: 5.7
Blocks: 0.4
Steals: 1.4
Grade: A+
Kobe Bryant has done everything he possibly can for the Los Angeles Lakers this season, but is getting very little help in return from his teammates.
Of all the teams, there is not a bigger gap between the performance of the star player and the rest of the team as there is with the Lakers.
Despite battling injuries, Bryant is leading the league in scoring and has put together a nice streak of four games, scoring at least 40 points.
Unfortunately, his team is stuck in the middle of a losing streak and would miss the playoffs if they started today.
Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies
14 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 18.6
Rebounds: 6
Assists: 1.9
Blocks: 0.7
Steals: 1.5
Grade: B+
Since returning from an injury that kept him out of the Memphis Grizzlies' unexpected playoff run last season, Rudy Gay has led his team to a good record of 9-6 and a current lead in their division.
The athletic Gay has helped lead a balanced scoring attack and has worked to make up for the loss of Zach Randolph to injury.
After some early-season inconsistency, Gay seems to have things back on track.
If Gay and the Grizzlies can keep this going, they will once again be a team who could surprise a lot of teams in the playoffs.
LeBron James, Miami Heat
15 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 29.8
Rebounds: 8
Assists: 7.4
Blocks: 1
Steals: 2.1
Grade: A+
Like Kobe Bryant, LeBron James is doing all that he can to help his team to win. Fortunately for James, he is getting support from his teammates.
Despite missing Dwyane Wade for several games this season, James is averaging MVP-like numbers and leading the Heat to an 11-5 record.
Unfortunately for the Miami Heat, that record is still only good for the sixth spot in the playoff standings, as the Eastern Conference is very strong so far this season.
James and the Heat will continue to do well, and Miami will come out with one of the top records as the season evens itself out more.
Andrew Bogut, Milwaukee Bucks
16 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 12.7
Rebounds: 8.4
Assists: 2.8
Blocks: 1.9
Steals: 1.2
Grade: B
Andrew Bogut and the Milwaukee Bucks wasted no time struggling this season after starting out 2-1. With separate losing streaks of five and three games already this year, the Bucks have already returned things to last season, and Bogut is struggling.
His scoring average is about the same as his career average, but his rebounds per game have decreased, and he is not leading the league in blocked shots per game as he did last season.
Bogut has missed a few games for personal reasons, but should be back and ready to go. He did play well in a recent win against the Miami Heat, where he had 13 points and three blocked shots.
Kevin Love, Minnesota Timberwolves
17 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 24.1
Rebounds: 14.1
Assists: 1.8
Blocks: 0.6
Steals: 1
Grade: A-
As one of the best power forwards in the NBA, Kevin Love is once again playing well and is leading the league in double-doubles.
Love has picked up where he left off last season and has recorded double-figures in points and rebounds in 15 of the 16 games he has played.
He did have a rough game against the Utah Jazz one night after hitting a buzzer-beating three-pointer to down the Los Angeles Clippers.
Love, who was offered a max contract by the Timberwolves, must now decide if he wants to remain the star player in Minnesota or go elsewhere when he becomes a free agent.
If Love were to leave the Timberwolves, it would be devastating to the already-struggling team.
Deron Williams, New Jersey Nets
18 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 18.1
Rebounds: 3.5
Assists: 8.2
Blocks: 0.3
Steals: 1.1
Grade: B
Deron Williams is having a difficult season with the New Jersey Nets and looks like he can't wait to get out of there at the first sign of free agency.
Williams' numbers are down this season, but he does not have a lot of help from his teammates.
For the first time since his second season in Utah, Williams is not averaging a double-double.
Playing through trade and free agency speculation is not helping Williams, who needs to be careful to not get injured before he is able to leave New Jersey.
The only way he will stick around is if the team somehow acquires Dwight Howard, but that is looking less likely every day.
Jarrett Jack, New Orleans Hornets
19 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 16
Rebounds: 4.2
Assists: 7.3
Blocks: 0.3
Steals: 0.8
Grade: A-
New Orleans Hornets guard Jarrett Jack is quietly having a breakout season for a team that does not really have a star.
Eric Gordon was supposed to be that star after a trade that saw the team lose Chris Paul to the Los Angeles Clippers, but he has been limited to only playing in two games this season.
Jack has nearly doubled his scoring average this season as a starter and is handing out more assists than his 4.1 per game career average.
Unfortunately, his improved play is not translating into team wins, as the Hornets only have three on the season.
Carmelo Anthony, New York Knicks
20 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 25.9
Rebounds: 6.9
Assists: 4.2
Blocks: 0.4
Steals: 1.4
Grade: B
This season is no different, as Carmelo Anthony has always been able to score points, but he is not leading his team to very many victories.
Anthony recently stated that he could be the reason for the Knicks' underachieving 6-10 record this season and that he needs to pass the ball more.
Anthony is averaging more than 25 points per game, but is also throwing up 21.3 shots per game.
He must do a better job of sharing the ball and not trying to win games on his own. He has good offensive players as teammates and needs to do a better job of utilizing them.
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder
21 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 26.1
Rebounds: 7.4
Assists: 3.3
Blocks: 1.2
Steals: 1.2
Grade: A+
Kevin Durant is doing all that he can to help his team, and it shows, as the Oklahoma City Thunder are in the top spot in the Western Conference.
As he has been in years past, Durant is the leader of this team, who is currently matching the Chicago Bulls for the least amount of losses with just three.
Although his scoring average is down slightly from leading the league in scoring the last two seasons, he is among the league leaders and has a chance to stretch that to three consecutive years.
Durant is easily in the MVP conversation at this point, and his team is expected to do great things in the playoffs.
Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic
22 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 20.2
Rebounds: 16.1
Assists: 2.4
Blocks: 2.3
Steals: 1.4
Grade: A+
Dwight Howard is once again putting up great scoring and rebounding numbers and is on track for his fourth consecutive Defensive Player of the Year award.
Howard is having another great season carrying the Orlando Magic despite having to deal with trade speculation and free-agency rumors.
Howard will have a big decision to make at the end of the season, as he will become a free agent. He does have a player option with the Magic or could go to another team.
No matter where Howard ends up, he will earn a much-deserved paycheck.
Andre Igoudala, Philadelphia 76ers
23 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 13.6
Rebounds: 6.3
Assists: 4.3
Blocks: 0.6
Steals: 2.0
Grade: B+
Andre Iguodala is having an All-Star-type season overall despite a little bit of inconsistency.
His numbers may not be the highest in the league, but he and the Philadelphia 76ers are enjoying their best season in years and are leading the Atlantic Division.
Known as a great defender, Iguodala has continued to lead his team with tough defense and his athleticism.
The only question for the surprise 76ers is whether or not they can keep this going and end the season in a good playoff position.
Steve Nash, Phoenix Suns
24 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 14.8
Rebounds: 1.9
Assists: 10
Blocks: 0
Steals: 0.6
Grade: A
At nearly 38 years old, Steve Nash is leading the league and all point guards with 10 assists per game for the Phoenix Suns.
Nash is doing everything possible to help the Suns, but his team is struggling, as he is not getting much help from his teammates.
The Suns currently find themselves outside of the playoff standings with a record of 6-9, but that will not mean that Nash is not an All-Star this season.
The Suns have the potential to be a better team, but Nash has got to get some scoring help from others.
LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers
25 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 23.3
Rebounds: 8.8
Assists: 2.6
Blocks: 0.8
Steals: 1.3
Grade: A
Often forgotten and overlooked in Portland, LaMarcus Aldridge is on track to have another great season.
He is leading a balanced Trail Blazers team night in and night out in scoring and led the team to wins in five of their first seven games this season.
Aldridge is currently enjoying is the best season of his career and should be named to his first All-Star game this year.
If the Trail Blazers can once again put together some consistent wins, they will be a surprise team in the Western Conference playoffs that no one will want to meet.
Tyreke Evans, Sacramento Kings
26 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 16.6
Rebounds: 5.1
Assists: 4.4
Blocks: 0.4
Steals: 1.4
Grade: B-
It seems the fate of the Sacramento Kings rests with the play of Tyreke Evans.
When he plays well, the team does too and they get wins. When he does not play well, the team loses.
Evans has watched his scoring average decline each of the last two seasons from his rookie year, and at times, struggles on a team that has no real offensive direction.
The inconsistency for Evans and the Kings has shown, as they are beating the San Antonio Spurs one night and getting blown out by the Dallas Mavericks on another.
It is going to be another long season for the Kings in Sacramento, unless they can set up some kind of consistency.
Tim Duncan, San Antonio Spurs
27 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 12.6
Rebounds: 7.3
Assists: 2.9
Blocks: 1.1
Steals: 0.6
Grade: B
The once-mighty Tim Duncan is not having the type of season that fans of the San Antonio Spurs are accustomed to.
It is expected that the almost 36-year-old Duncan sees a decline in his production, but his numbers are down from last season, which was the lowest in terms of rebounds and scoring of his career.
Duncan, who is in the final year of his contract, will have a decision to make as to whether he continues to play or if this is the last season of one of the best power forwards ever to play the game.
Andrea Bargnani, Toronto Raptors
28 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 22.3
Rebounds: 6.5
Assists: 1.9
Blocks: 0.6
Steals: 0.3
Grade: A-
The Toronto Raptors are lost offensively without Andrea Bargnani, who is currently averaging career highs in scoring and shooting percentage.
Bargnani has missed the last few games fro the Raptors with a calf injury, and it has shown as there is no one to pick up his scoring load.
The Raptors are once again struggling through an NBA season with a 4-13 record, but it is possible that Bargnani could be an All-Star in the Eastern Conference.
Al Jefferson, Utah Jazz
29 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 18.3
Rebounds: 9.4
Assists: 1.7
Blocks: 1.5
Steals: 0.9
Grade: B+
Determining who is the real star of the team between Paul Millsap and Al Jefferson is often difficult and depends on the game.
Al Jefferson and the Utah Jazz both got off to a rough start this season, but have turned things around nicely.
After leading the team down the stretch of an ugly season last year, Jefferson and the Jazz are a surprise team in the NBA and are doing it with improved defense.
Jefferson is still a bit inconsistent at times, but it seems that when he is off, Millsap is on.
The Jazz have a record of 10-5, and Jefferson is helping them to be a team that can not be overlooked.
John Wall, Washington Wizards
30 of 30Per Game Statistics This Season
Points: 16.4
Rebounds: 5.4
Assists: 7.4
Blocks: 1.1
Steals: 1.4
Grade: B
The Washington Wizards own the worst record in the league, but John Wall has been playing well lately.
He recently recorded a career-high 38 points in a game against the Houston Rockets and was three assists short of a triple-double against the Boston Celtics.
Wall is averaging the same points per game numbers he did as a rookie, but his assist totals are down a bit.
Wall has not had much help from his teammates in putting together wins this season. He is trying to do as much as he can, but needs some help from others.
