1. Blake Griffin, Los Angeles Clippers
Blake Griffin is known for his thunderous dunks, but the Clippers star offers so much more than rim-rocking, poster-worthy slams. The 26-year-old is an elite scorer, solid rebounder and by far the NBA’s best passing big—and really, it’s not close. Griffin racked up 21.9 points, 7.6 rebounds and 5.3 assists, burying 50.2 percent of his field goals and notching a 22.8 PER last season.
Most importantly, the five-time All-Star has become a well-rounded and underappreciated offensive talent. Griffin exhibited an exponential improvement in his catch-to-release time, shooting form and range, which paid off in a career-best 40.4 shooting percentage from 16 feet and farther.
The Clippers finally have enough depth to sustain a difficult run toward a championship, and Griffin will continue as a preeminent force in that potential success. He’ll throw down some jaw-dropping dunks along the way, but that’s such a small part of what Griffin provides.