4 NBA players off to amazing starts you need to watch

The best way to enjoy the NBA is by finding players you adore and supporting them no matter what. It’s fine and normal to have a favorite team — that’s the traditional way that fans associate with sports. But look, if you don’t also have a few large adult sons throughout the league, players not on your favorite team that you support unequivocally, then you’re doing this wrong.

At SB Nation, we have dozens of those players. We’re about a quarter of the way into the season, and that many sons means that some of them are off to sensational starts. In a brief roundtable, this is a chance for us to talk about our favorite players. We’re proud of them, so give us a chance to brag.

Victor Oladipo’s breakout year in Indiana is a perfect example that fit and environment really do matter in the NBA. After three years in Orlando and then a year in Russell Westbrook’s shadow, it was a return to Indiana where he had plenty of success in college, to finally hit his stride. Not only is it a return to a state where the fans already believe in him, it’s an organization that has given him keys to the team and the trust to go with it.

This right place, right time situation for Oladipo has resulted in career-high averages in four different categories for Oladipo: 22.8 points, 5.1 rebounds, 1.8 steals and 1.0 blocks per game.

Not only has he been really good, he’s been really fun too. He hit a game-winner against the Spurs.

He had a ridiculous line of 26 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 steals, and 4 blocks against his old Orlando team.

And against the Bulls he had 25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and this dunk that he made look so easy.

Oladipo has the Pacers competing for a playoff spot in the East, which is something not many thought was possible. And he has Pacers fans pretty dang excited about their future.

- Whitney Medworth

The Orlando Magic spent a season trying to make Aaron Gordon a small forward, which is kind of like trying to make a raccoon into a house cat. There were some moments where it worked better than expected, but it ultimately never was going to work. After playing 35 percent of his minutes at power forward last season, per basketball-reference.com, Gordon has put in a staggering 92 percent of his time at the four.

In turn, Gordon is having his best season ever and it’s not close: 18.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.1 steals, and 0.9 blocks. Gordon’s jump shooting didn’t scare teams last season, but he’s hitting nearly 44 percent of his shots from distance now. Even better, 75 percent of his shots come behind the arc or at the rim.

Gordon has even scored 40 twice, one of four players this season with multiple 40-point games. I’m extremely proud of him.

- Tim Cato

Everyone forgot about Brandon Ingram, the No. 2 pick in last season’s draft, because of the hype surrounding Lonzo Ball, and standout play from another rookie Kyle Kuzma. Ingram clearly was not very happy about that, so he went out and dropped 32 points against the Warriors, and almost won! He was going shot-for-shot with his positional look-a-like Kevin Durant, and that kind of night wasn’t ALL that uncommon for him this season.

He’s averaging 14 points a night along with four rebounds and three assists, and at 20 years old... that’s pretty good! Ingram was known to be a long-term project, but maybe he’s not as long-term as we thought.

- Matt Ellentuck

I’ve been rooting for Clint Capela since he tweeted this.

I wrote about the 23-year-old center last month, and he’s the Houston Rockets’ biggest chance at internal development. Through 21 games, he is developing, alright — more rebounds and blocks per 36 minutes, and better efficiency, though he’s taking slightly fewer shots. Imagine if he keeps getting better on this team that boasts the league’s second best record.

- Tim Cato