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Already forgotten all the mayhem from the NBA's offseason? Probably, but you shouldn't have. Ryan Anderson is exactly who the Houston Rockets need him to be. Important update: Featured option Harrison Barnes is still a thing halfway through the season. It wasn't a dream: The Orlando Magic really gave Bismack Biyombo $17 million annually to join a frontcourt that already included Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic. If Luol Deng's last three outings are any indication, he may have regained the offensive swagger established with the Miami Heat last season. He's averaging 14.7 points on 51.5 percent shooting, including a 50 percent clip from long distance. Back in November, with his Golden State Warriors tenure less than 10 games old, Kevin Durant was on track for one of the most efficient seasons in NBA history. Al Horford is doing Al Horford things with the Boston Celtics. Dwight Howard is starting to look like a weird fit with the Atlanta Hawks. Serge Ibaka's numbers since joining the Magic are fine—really good, even. Here's a novel concept: Maybe the New York Knicks shouldn't have paid Joakim Noah $72.6 million to play Kristaps Porzingis' best position—especially when they could have kept Robin Lopez, who is three years younger and earning almost $4 million less per year. It's too early to tell whether Chandler Parsons' max deal will be a bust. Derrick Rose might be indispensable to New York's offensive livelihood. Old age doesn't look bad on Dwyane Wade.

We've had a half-season to monitor the league's most lucrative free-agent signings and acquisitions. Now it's time to hunker down and see how the most expensive pacts are panning out. Finding new digs is always riskier than returning to old ones, so our scope will be limited to players who switched teams during the summertime frenzy.

We will also be focusing on the priciest annual salaries, sorted alphabetically, that resulted from the spending craze—because, you know, more money equates to stronger feelz.

More than 61.0 percent of Anderson's field-goal attempts are coming from long range, on which he's shooting a career-best 41.1 percent. Plop this efficiency alongside James Harden, and magic happens. As Tom West of FanRag Sports underscored:

Almost 46 percent of Anderson's buckets have been assisted by Harden, but he's not exclusively dependent on the MVP candidate. He maintains his shooting percentages in the scant time he plays without Harden.

Just over 50 percent of Anderson's looks come as spot-up opportunities, and he's swishing 45.5 percent of his wide-open triples. The offense doesn't ever need to run through him, but defenses have to plan their schemes around him.

That's the understatedly huge part of Anderson's value: He fits any Rockets lineup—and is thus, to this team, worth every penny of his $18.7 million salary.

This dramatic uptick in usage has not coincided with a stark downgrade in efficiency. Barnes is averaging over 20 points per game with shooting percentages comparable to last season's performance. Even his turnover percentage is down.

Barnes, in fact, is on pace to record the second-best turnover rate (6.5) of anyone in NBA history to match his usage. Only the 2014-15 version of Anthony Davis was better.

This isn't cause for celebration.

Limiting turnovers isn't hard when a league-leading 27.8 percent of your touches come in isolations. Barnes' passes per minute (0.86) are down from last season (0.98) despite assuming a more prominent role, and his free-throw rate ranks 78th among 104 high-volume players. Assembling a hypereffective offense around this play style isn't easy. Dallas' attack is a statistical wash with Barnes on the floor—which is to say it's still bad.

While he seems to be earning his $22.1 million keep, it remains unclear whether Barnes can be a cornerstone for a Mavericks team that doesn't rent out the Association's basement.

Biyombo is starting for the Magic, so there's that. But he has the lowest net rating of the three bigs and isn't having the intended impact as a shot-swatter and defensive rebounder.

Surround him with enough shooters, and Biyombo becomes a dangerous diver and screener—a measurable offensive plus. But the Magic don't have the means to make that happen; they rank 27th in three-point accuracy and 25th in catch-and-shoot efficiency. Where Biyombo averaged 1.18 points per possession as a roll man with the Toronto Raptors, he's down to 0.88 in Orlando.

Additional volume isn't an excuse for this plunge. The Magic have neither the frontcourt makeup nor sweet-shooting wings to incorporate Biyombo's skill set.

Until they do, this doesn't look like $68 million well spent.

"When I agreed to come here the main idea was this is going to be a process," Deng said, per Lakers Nation's Serena Winters. "The main thing is really sticking with it. It's hard when you've got basically a new system and a new team and you have a lot of young guys."

Those young guys will cut further into Deng's role as time wears on. Rookie Brandon Ingram, like Deng, is a combo forward. And he's improving fast.

Playing the two together is fun in theory, but the partnership has been ineffective thus far. Then there's Julius Randle and, when healthy, Larry Nance Jr. to consider. One of Deng or Ingram can't be a full-time 4 when those other quality players factor into the rotation as well.

The Lakers may get by this season playing the patience and process cards. Next season, too. But unless they envision that two of their frontcourt kiddies will eventually play with Deng on a regular basis, his purpose has peaked—making their decision to tab him as their highest-paid player that much more bizarre.

Durant's true shooting percentage—the cumulative measurement of two-point, three-point and free-throw accuracy—sits at a career-best 64.8. That mark has been matched on just nine other occasions through the 353 times a player averaged at least 25 points per game for an entire season.

And get this: Durant's offense hasn't been the most impressive part of his game.

He was always going to approach never-miss status playing beside Golden State's gaggle of All-NBA talents; his defense for a top-four fortress is the real revelation. Draymond Green is the only Warriors player who has saved more points on the less glamorous end, according to NBA Math. Durant is holding opponents to 48.4 percent shooting around the rim, a top-12 rate among those who have challenged as many point-blank looks—and one that's boosted knowing the spindly MVP is an actual deterrent.

Rival offenses average significantly fewer attempts per minute inside five feet of the hoop when Durant is in the game. Don't be surprised when he gets some second- and third-place Defensive Player of the Year votes.

It's safe to say the Warriors don't miss Barnes.

Horford's field-goal percentage is at an all-time low, but he's still putting down 45-plus percent of his attempts while launching more threes than ever. The mere threat of his range is all Boston needs—its effective field-goal rate jumps from a cruddy 49.5 to a blistering 54.4 whenever he's on the court.

Integrating Horford into what was a top-five defense last year has been more of a challenge.

The Celtics have locked down for games at a time but are not nearly consistent enough. They place 20th in points allowed per 100 possessions and are worse off when playing Horford.

Crafty offenses will try to force Isaiah Thomas and Horford to switch assignments. That often leads to obvious disorder—crazed rotations and uneven help amid multiple mismatches. And while Horford is a serviceable rim protector, he doesn't dissuade attacking guards and wings or drum up rebounding totals.

Still, there's a lot to like about the Celtics defense. It doesn't relinquish a ton of corner threes, and the perimeter pests do a nice job cutting off drivers before they reach the basket. Add a more imposing giant to the interior rotation, and they'll be fine.

Getting Horford was a huge boon for the offense and has allowed the Celtics to chase the East's No. 2 seed. They should have no regrets.

According to NBA Math, though, Howard still profiles as an above-average contributor on offense. He joins Paul Millsap and Mike Muscala as Atlanta's sole plus performers on both ends of the floor.

The mounting weirdness has everything to do with the Hawks' situation. They just sent Kyle Korver to the Cleveland Cavaliers and were primed to sell until they abruptly pulled Millsap off the chopping block, per The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski.

"I just know that we feel strongly about this group, we feel good," head coach Mike Budenholzer said, per ESPN.com's Ohm Youngmisuk. "The collection of guys, the way they fit and play together, we have shown an ability to play well for long stretches and against good teams. We just have to maintain that for the rest of the year and we are excited about the group."

Stick with what remains of their core, and the Hawks needn't second-guess their decision to give an over-30 Howard $70.5 million. But Tim Hardaway Jr. (restricted), Thabo Sefolosha and Millsap (player option) are all slated for free agency over the summer, so this won't be the last we hear of a potential fire sale.

With the prospect of a midseason reset still in play, Atlanta's current pursuit of the East's fourth-best record isn't enough to justify the Howard addition as a worthwhile investment.

You can even get on the board with the price Orlando paid the Oklahoma City Thunder for Ibaka. Ersan Ilyasova didn't have a future with the team, Victor Oladipo was due for a massive payday and Domantas Sabonis, while a lottery pick, didn't fit the team's vision for playoff contention.

Except the Magic aren't viable postseason hopefuls.

They are four games back of the East's eighth and final playoff spot, and Ibaka is going to command a max deal over the summer. Orlando has no choice but to pay him; otherwise the trade becomes a disaster. Then again, investing more money into a blobby frontcourt isn't good business either.

Shipping out Vucevic ahead of the Feb. 23 trade deadline helps perception, but it's not a cure-all.

Biyombo and Ibaka complement one another on defense, and the latter chucks enough threes to make it work on offense. But neither is a deft shot creator or passer, and moving Vucevic does little to help power-forward-who-should-play-some-center Aaron Gordon escape his small forward prison.

Maybe the Magic end up figuring out their cluttered rotation in due time. Until then, any frontcourt-related items will, at best, grade out as "meh."

New York's defense is 2.1 points per 100 possessions better with Noah on the bench. That's while spending more than 75 percent of his minutes next to Porzingis, who allows him to cover less ground while protecting the paint.

Sub out Noah's security blanket, and the Knicks are a different kind of screwed. They cough up more than 120 points per 100 possessions when he plays without Porzingis, according to NBAWowy.com—an unfathomably terrible mark.

So in sum: Noah is blocking Porzingis from playing his best position, and he also needs the 21-year-old for him to have a puncher's hope of making a positive impact.

There will be nights when Noah delivers like he did for the Chicago Bulls in years past, but it's never been more painfully obvious that New York tethered a huge chunk of its future to a player who doesn't exist anymore.

Parsons missed the first six games of the season while recovering from right knee surgery. Six outings into his return, he suffered a bone bruise in his left knee. Another 18 games later, Parsons made his second comeback. While he has yet to play more than 17 minutes in a single tilt or see time on the second night of a back-to-back, he's at least in the rotation.

But the silver lining ends with his availability.

In eight appearances since returning to the lineup, Parsons is a demonstrative minus on both offense and defense, with the worst net rating among Memphis' everyday rotation players.

Career-worst shooting percentages can be chalked up to rust, and Parsons has looked much better during recent wins over the Utah Jazz and Warriors. Plus, the Grizzlies have the means to bring him along slowly. They're on course for almost 50 victories and are only two games off the West's No. 4 seed.

At some point, though, Parsons needs to go from liability to luxury. The Grizzlies didn't make him their second-highest-paid player to be someone they win in spite of.

When Rose is on the floor, New York is scoring 107.6 points per 100 possessions—a top-eight clip. That number nosedives to 99.8 once he leaves the court, which would rank 29th overall.

Carmelo Anthony remains capable of being an offensive lifeline, but the Knicks score more efficiently with just Rose than they do when No. 7 is on his own, according to NBA Wowy.

Never mind that Rose, like Anthony, is a defensive sieve. Forget that he's not an exceptional passer or finisher around the basket. Disremember that he often forgets Porzingis exists. The Knicks could live with all of this—or at least try to—if it wasn't for the fact that Rose, unlike the rest of the world, fancies himself a superstar ahead of his foray into free agency.

"Some close to Rose have told friends he will seek a max contract this summer," wrote ESPN.com's Ian Begley. "For Rose, that pact would be for five years and nearly $150 million."

Shelling out max or near-max money for a point guard who can't shoot threes, doesn't play consistent defense and won't notify his employer of abrupt departures is beyond stupid. But the Knicks don't have an alternative in waiting, and as a league laughingstock, it's unlikely they poach another point guard in free agency.

No suitor is giving Rose a long-term max; team president Phil Jackson has that going for him. In reality, though, there isn't a price that's reasonable enough for the Knicks to retain a player who keeps them on the fast track to nowhere.

Wade's company? Eric Bledsoe, Stephen Curry, Kyle Lowry, John Wall, Russell Westbrook, Antetokounmpo and Cousins.

Despite Chicago's Rajon Rondo problem, Wade appears to be a motivating presence for his teammates—or at least Jimmy Butler.

"I can't let D-Wade down," Butler said after spearheading the Bulls' Jan. 4 victory over the Cavaliers, per the Chicago Tribune's K.C. Johnson. "D-Wade has been doing that for years. The fourth quarter is always go time. I want to show I belong here."

It's too bad Wade isn't having as profound an impact on the rest of the group. The Bulls are statistically better on both offense and defense when he takes a seat, and his "improved" three-point shooting isn't a remedy to clunky spacing.

Indeed, Wade has been good on an individual level. But his efforts aren't translating into wins or an overall prettier product—a predictable dilemma the Bulls face after making their oldest asset their highest-paid player.

        

Dan Favale covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @danfavale.

Stats courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com or NBA.com and accurate leading into games on Wednesday, Jan. 11.

The NBA's power forwards, they are a-changin'.  Age: 29 Age: 33 Age: 29 Age: 31 Age: 29 Age: 38 Age: 26 Age: 24 Age: 24 Age: 27 Age: 26 Age: 22 Age: 27 Age: 29 Age: 28 Age: 24 Age: 28 Age: 28 Age: 27 Age: 25 Age: 21 Age: 27 Age: 26 Age: 31 Age: 21 Age: 31 Age: 27 Age: 28 Age: 26 Age: 28

With Kristaps Porzingis, Julius Randle, Jabari Parker and other youngsters on the rise, the power forward slot is in great shape. And we can't forget about established studs such as Kevin Love, Blake Griffin and LaMarcus Aldridge. 

By analyzing the work these players have done in 2016-17, as well as their reputations from previous seasons and the expectations going forward, we're putting the top 30 power forwards in order. The goal is to identify the players we'd most want to build around for the remainder of the campaign, so long-term upside and prowess in the distant past are irrelevant.

Advanced Metrics: 15.9 PER, minus-3.87 TPA, 1.37 RPM

Ever since Ersan Ilyasova made his early-season transition from the Oklahoma City Thunder to the Philadelphia 76ers, he's justified the stretch 4 label. Knocking down 38.1 percent of his three-point attempts while taking 5.7 per game, he's added a new element to the Philly offense—one it desperately needed while playing so many young contributors with shooting limitations.

Ilyasova's defense has been atrocious, and he fails to contribute much when the outside shot isn't falling. But his presence alone has taken the Sixers to a new level on the scoring end. 

Without the 29-year-old, Philadelphia has earned an embarrassing 96.1 offensive rating, which would trail every other team by at least 4.4 points per 100 possessions. It's still bad when he plays, but at least the 101.9 offensive rating would top the marks earned by five other squads. 

Honorable Mentions: Sam Dekker, Jared Dudley, Wesley Johnson, Nikola Mirotic, Marvin Williams

Advanced Metrics: 18.6 PER, 38.55 TPA, 0.74 RPM

David Lee is far from washed up. 

The former All-Star looked like his career was coming to a close during the end of his Golden State Warriors tenure and his brief stint with the Boston Celtics. Now, he's proving the way he closed 2015-16 with the Dallas Mavericks was no fluke. 

Lee's positional defense has been stellar in a limited run for head coach Gregg Popovich, and he remains quite good at cleaning the glass to prevent second-chance opportunities. But it's even more important that his finesse offense has returned, allowing him to thrive with touch finishes around the rim and knock down plenty of shorter jumpers.

Thrusting Lee into a large role would be a mistake, but he's proved he can be an exemplary reserve on a top-tier squad.

Advanced Metrics: 16.7 PER, 39.75 TPA, 1.29 RPM

James Johnson has served as one of the Miami Heat's few bright spots in 2016-17, and not just because he posterized Stephen Curry. 

The 29-year-old has contributed across the board for his new organization. If the Heat need him to buckle down on defense, he's capable of doing so while playing a number of different positions. If they need him to become a high-quality rebounder while Hassan Whiteside rests, he can do that. If they need him to make plays for his teammates, that's doable. 

And though he couldn't hit triples in prior seasons, he's finding nylon at a 38.2 percent clip while taking 3.5 attempts per game (his previous career high was 1.7) for Miami. 

"I knew I had a three-point shot. But it also comes with confidence—confidence within, confidence from your coach and confidence from your team. I feel like everyone on this team and everybody on this staff has confidence that I work on my game enough that I can take those shots," he told Manny Navarro of the Miami Herald.

Advanced Metrics: 16.4 PER, minus-12.7 TPA, minus-1.02 RPM

Taj Gibson still doesn't offer much on offense outside of easy finishes around the bucket and putback opportunities. He's recording more turnovers than assists yet again (last year was the only season of his career in which he didn't do so) and connecting on just 40.7 percent of his shots from outside 10 feet. 

The Chicago Bulls need floor-spacing for their plethora of guards who thrive inside the arc, but Gibson just can't provide it. And yet head coach Fred Hoiberg continues to play the veteran 4 because he's so good on the defensive end. 

Gibson has long been a strong-bodied defender willing to bang in the paint with other bigs, and that hasn't changed as he moves further from his 30th birthday. He's a physical presence on the interior, but he's also capable of sliding out to ice pick-and-rolls or defend spot-up shooters.

Advanced Metrics: 16.3 PER, 27.59 TPA, 0.13 RPM

Trevor Booker labors away in relative anonymity. After filling a reserve role with the Utah Jazz for the last two years and then signing with the Brooklyn Nets this past offseason, his name doesn't exactly resonate on a national level. 

But a lack of coverage doesn't equate to a lack of value. 

Booker is having the best season of his career, thriving as a tremendous per-minute rebounder and mid-range sniper while playing even better defense. It's not advisable to leave him alone around the rim as the last safeguard, but his versatility and athleticism have allowed him to take on a number of tough matchups. 

The veteran's assignments typically shoot 46.4 percent from the field elsewhere, but their field-goal percentage drops to 44.2 when he's covering them.

Advanced Metrics: 14.5 PER, minus-21.5 TPA, minus-2.69 RPM

Dirk Nowitzki should start playing better as he finds his rhythm, and that's why he finds himself ranked at all. He has not, thus far, performed like one of the NBA's 30 best power forwards, even if we can reasonably assume we haven't seen the best from this 38-year-old future Hall of Famer. 

But it's also quite clear Nowitzki's days of making a superstar impact are long gone. 

His defense is so limited, he requires adjustments from teammates and to the rotation. His rebounding necessitates a strong board-crashing presence next to him. And even his offense is starting to decline as he's forced to rely more on contested jumpers from inefficient zones. 

Nowitzki's mere presence continues to warp the opposition and draw off-ball defenders closer to him, but he has to start converting soon.

Father Time eventually comes for everyone. 

Advanced Metrics: 12.7 PER, 24.36 TPA, 0.22 RPM

JaMychal Green has been a defensive revelation for the Memphis Grizzlies—so good, in fact, Bleacher Report's Dan Favale made him December's Defensive Player of the Month:

While it would be nice if Green could develop into a stronger interior finisher and improve his mid-range game, the Grizzlies can't complain with the production they're getting from this third-year big.

Advanced Metrics: 16.6 PER, 30.87 TPA, minus-1.23 RPM

Tobias Harris is a solid player in a number of different areas, but he must improve two facets of his game to become invaluable to the Detroit Pistons. 

First, his defense. 

The 24-year-old can hold his own in situations that allow him to use his size and physicality, but his positioning hampers the Pistons. He cheats off his man too often, which is part of the reason he ranks in the 43.2 percentile for spot-up defense. And if you ask him to guard a roll man, he falls to the 31st percentile. 

On the other end, Harris has to fix his three-point stroke in order to become a viable option in head coach Stan Van Gundy's four-out, one-in system. He does plenty else that's positive, but his 34.6 percent shooting from downtown is problematic.

Advanced Metrics: 15.9 PER, 26.88 TPA, 0.99 RPM

Somehow, this feels like the floor for 24-year-old Larry Nance Jr. 

Before a bone bruise in his left knee—and the concussion that came prior to that injury—knocked him out of the lineup, he was on his way toward asserting himself as a key part of the Los Angeles Lakers' rotation.

Using his dazzling athleticism and aggression, Nance was quickly becoming one of the few standout defenders under head coach Luke Walton. He could protect the rim like he'd grown a few inches, display lateral quickness while staying with smaller players and position himself properly on the interior of Los Angeles' schemes. 

Nance will need to develop some semblance of a jumper to truly fit in with the NBA's general direction, but his defense alone guarantees him a future as an important rotation piece.

Advanced Metrics: 19.8 PER, 16.06 TPA, 0.03 RPM

Kenneth Faried's role has been variable throughout the Denver Nuggets' 2016-17 campaign. 

He began the season in the starting five, then came off the bench to provide energy to the second unit. Once he returned to the opening quintet, he expressed just how much he preferred that role:

"That's my spot. I don't like people taking my spot. I didn't take kindly to that. Coach knew that. My teammates knew that. I was outspoken about it. I was really upset. But I wanted it, and I worked for it. That’s why I wanted to get back. When I came out of that starting spot, it kind of gave me a wakeup call like 'Hey, you need to get back to who you are.'"

Since then, Faried has moved back to the bench, but he's remained one of the positives in Denver. His defense has been better than in previous seasons, and he's been able to dedicate his incredible energy reserves to fewer minutes, thereby increasing his momentary effectiveness. Whether he's cool with it or not remains to be seen, but both he and the Nuggets are benefitting at the moment.

Advanced Metrics: 19.3 PER, 24.37 TPA, 0.46 RPM

If only the New York Knicks could give Kyle O'Quinn more run...

Take a peek at the full list of qualified players who are averaging at least 14 points, 12 rebounds, two assists and two blocks per 36 minutes while shooting no worse than 50 percent from the field: Kyle O'Quinn

Seriously. That's it. 

If we remove the assist requirement, Hassan Whiteside is the only man to join the club. Without worrying about blocks, just four more players gain entry to the party. 

O'Quinn may not be able to maintain these levels if he played 25 minutes per game, but his combination of skills is unique and highly impactful. New York should recognize that before too long if it continues to drop games and is forced to look at new lineup combinations.

Advanced Metrics: 16.7 PER, 11.11 TPA, 0.12 RPM

Julius Randle still isn't particularly comfortable driving to his right and using his weak hand to finish plays, but he's found a new way to keep defenders honest. Instead of diversifying his offensive game, he's working on his passing skills, to the point he's been able to rack up a pair of triple-doubles during his second full NBA season. 

You don't have to watch the Los Angeles Lakers for long to realize just how talented Randle has become. 

He's capable of contributing in myriad ways and looks more comfortable than ever handling the rock. It's also been key that he's upgraded his shooting efficiency from beyond 10 feet, thereby preventing opponents from sagging off and waiting for the inevitable assaults on the rim. 

Randle's 2015-16 campaign sunk his stock to the point that it appeared he was on a bust trajectory. But he's rebounded nicely and now seems to be tracking toward the top 10 at his position. Once he cuts back on the turnovers and expands his range, he could get there. 

Advanced Metrics: 16.5 PER, 41.78 TPA, 1.89 RPM

Even without a reliable three-point stroke, Jon Leuer has made the Detroit Pistons far better when he's on the floor: 

	Offensive Rating (Rank)	Defensive Rating (Rank)	Net Rating (Rank)
With Leuer	104.0 (No. 21)	100.9 (No. 1)	4.9 (No. 7)
Without Leuer	102.6 (No. 22)	108.3  (No. 26)	Minus-5.7 (No. 29)

The big difference comes on the defensive end, which is (surprisingly) where Leuer has feasted. 

He's forcing opponents to shoot 1.5 percent worse than normal against him, and his work in the Detroit schemes has been even better. You'll rarely find Leuer out of position, which is one reason why some of the advanced metrics sell his work on defense short. He might not finish the plays, but he prevents his mark from doing anything with the ball. 

Leuer isn't getting much hype in the Sixth Man of the Year race, but perhaps he should. He's been that valuable even without scoring much.

Advanced Metrics: 15.0 PER, 28.04 TPA, 2.33 RPM

Amir Johnson is posting the worst field-goal percentage of his career, and he's still making 53.2 percent of his attempts. But fear not, because he's making up for the difference with an increased willingness to loft shots from beyond the arc, where he's hitting at a 38.7 percent clip. 

Add everything together and his 59.1 true shooting percentage is only slightly lower than his career mark (60.2). 

This is important, but Johnson's primary value will never come from his scoring. Instead, his worth is dependent on his high-quality interior defense and rebounding in traffic. He's doing exactly that, even holding opponents to 49.5 percent shooting at the rim while guarding 9.1 attempts per 36 minutes. 

Johnson's name doesn't carry much weight, especially when it's viewed in conjunction with his positional peers who provide similar value. 

But that doesn't negate his effectiveness. 

Advanced Metrics: 14.4 PER, 24.28 TPA, 1.1 RPM

Thaddeus Young at No. 16 is emblematic of the NBA's power forward talent and depth today. 

Just as he's been for years, the 28-year-old is a solid player who falls short of stardom. His defensive intensity and improving three-point stroke (career-high 43 percent) push him to the cusp of that elusive status, but he's a bit too inconsistent and passive as he plays next to the Indiana Pacers' bigger names.

To his credit, Young's had an incredible impact on the team's fortunes, helping the net rating improve from minus-6.0 to 2.8 when he's on the floor. But it can be hard to separate his impact from that of the standouts with whom he often shares the court. For example, the net rating sinks to 1.0, per nbawowy.com, when he plays without Paul George. 

Until he displays more of a takeover gene, he'll be stuck outside the top 15—if only barely. 

Advanced Metrics: 18.2 PER, minus-38.97 TPA, minus-0.88 RPM

There's no denying Harrison Barnes has developed into a frightening scorer. 

He's adept at breaking down opponents in isolation or out of the post, thriving when he can go to work as a featured option putting up shots in volume. One year removed from serving as a quaternary option for the Golden State Warriors, he's averaging 20.8 points for the Dallas Mavericks while shooting 47.6 percent from the field, 36.2 percent from downtown and 86.5 percent from the charity stripe. 

But outside of the points he provides, he doesn't do much else.

He's not capable of thriving on the glass and often produces more turnovers than assists. He's been a significant defensive liability, regardless of whether he's lining up at the 3 (48 percent of his minutes) or the 4 (52 percent). The Dallas Mavericks are stretching him too thin, unable to provide the necessary help that would ease his scoring burden and allow him to contribute elsewhere.

And until that changes, he's just about reached his peak. 

Advanced Metrics: 16.0 PER, 9.47 TPA, 0.98 RPM

Danilo Gallinari served as the Denver Nuggets' featured scorer at the lowest points of the team's rebuild, and he was always miscast in that role. He didn't have the ability to stave off double-teams and maintain his efficiency while taking so many shots per game. 

The 28-year-old remains the team's most dangerous scorer, but the increasing depth in the Mile High City and Nikola Jokic's facilitating ability have made his life easier. Gallinari's true shooting percentage has risen from 58.2 in 2016-17 to 59.7 this year, leaving him as one of just 14 qualified players to clear 59 while scoring at least 17 points per game. 

Gallinari is a liability on defense, especially when tasked with guarding opposing 5s. He's not much of a facilitator, either. 

But so long as he can get to the free-throw stripe so effectively, he'll remain a deadly offensive threat.

Advanced Metrics: 14.2 PER, minus-10.14 TPA, 1.74 RPM

Ryan Anderson was born to play under head coach Mike D'Antoni and alongside James Harden. 

Does it matter that he struggles immensely on defense and should never be asked to serve as the last line between an opponent and the rim? Nope.

Is it relevant that he has difficulty finishing around the hoop and prefers to avoid taking mid-range shots? Not really.

Do the Houston Rockets worry that he's not a facilitator and shouldn't have the ball in his hands unless he's shooting? Absolutely not. 

Anderson can fire away from the perimeter, regardless of whether he's spotting up in one of the corners or preparing himself on the wings from five feet beyond the arc. The 28-year-old is taking 6.8 triples per game and hitting 41.1 percent of them. Not only are just three other qualified players hitting those marks in 2016-17, but only five have completed such a campaign throughout NBA history. 

Advanced Metrics: 10.1 PER, 23.88 TPA, 2.91 RPM

Over the last few years, the Toronto Raptors have constantly been linked to power forwards floating around the trade market. That's always the position they need to upgrade in their quest to become title contenders. 

Turns out, they have a pretty good one already. 

Patrick Patterson may not be enough of a rim protector to fix the defense around Jonas Valanciunas, and he can't space the court like Kevin Love or Ryan Anderson. But he does all the little things and contributes well enough in those areas that he's still a valuable piece. 

Without Patterson, the Raptors outscore their opponents by one meager point per 100 possessions. When he's on the court, that net rating skyrockets to 13.6.

Advanced Metrics: 14.2 PER, minus-18.13 TPA, minus-1.37 RPM

Derrick Favors has not been himself this season. 

He's appeared in just 25 of the Utah Jazz's first 40 contests, and he hasn't looked 100 percent even while on the floor. His defense has regressed noticeably in all areas of the half-court set, and he's struggling to make even half of his shots after shooting 51.5 percent or better in each of the three previous campaigns. 

But we're willing to give Favors the benefit of the doubt as he deals with a troublesome left knee that just won't heal quickly enough. Once he's fully healthy, he should resume his status as one of the league's more dangerous up-and-comers at the position.

Just looking at ESPN.com's real plus/minus for power forwards, he finished No. 10 in 2014-15 and No. 19 in 2015-16 (he was once again dealing with injuries).

There's no reason to believe his fall to No. 69 has staying power.

Advanced Metrics: 20.1 PER, 30.07 TPA, 0.76 RPM

Jabari Parker has arrived. 

It's impossible to watch the Milwaukee Bucks without noticing his incredible combination of spring and finesse. Whether he's creating his own looks via silky jumpers or scoring in transition with a thunderous dunk—somehow, he seems to have gained athleticism in the recovery from the ACL tear that ended his 2014-15 rookie campaign—he's putting up big totals. 

But it's also impossible to watch the Bucks and avoid taking note of his porous defense. 

For all the good Parker adds on the scoring end, he's been nearly as bad defensively. Unfortunately, that prevents him from rising any higher during a season that should end with some serious love in the Most Improved Player race. 

Advanced Metrics: 18.4 PER, 16.66 TPA, 0.87 RPM

According to NBA Math's total points added, Serge Ibaka joins Elfrid Payton as one of only two members of the Orlando Magic to add value on each end of the court. He hasn't been a game-changing presence on either side, but his solid two-way ability has prevented his team from devolving into a total disaster after last offseason's questionable moves. 

Ibaka remains one of the league's elite shot-blocking threats, though his defensive dominance hasn't translated to the painted area. NBA.com's SportVU data shows he's allowing opponents to shoot 51.3 percent at the basket, and that's far from an elite mark. 

But he's also proved quite adept at knocking down three-point jumpers (37.8 percent), though his inability to pass prevents him from getting as involved as head coach Frank Vogel might like. 

The good comes with drawbacks which prevent Ibaka from surging any higher in this discussion. 

Advanced Metrics: 14.3 PER, 39.27 TPA, 1.53 RPM

Don't be fooled by Gorgui Dieng's lack of scoring. He plays on a team that features three players capable of regularly going for at least 20 points, and his other box-score contributions are quite valuable to the Minnesota Timberwolves. 

Besides Dieng, only Giannis Antetokounmpo, DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant and Draymond Green are averaging at least seven rebounds, two assists, one steal and one block. If we look throughout all of NBA history, just 88 different qualified players have ever provided that line—an average of fewer than three per season since blocks and steals were first recorded. 

But Dieng is more than a statistical anomaly. 

He's also a strong interior defender (one of the few bright spots on Minnesota's lackluster defense) and a deadly mid-range shooter who can open up driving lanes for Zach LaVine and Andrew Wiggins. He might not be the Timberwolves' most glamorous player, but he's pretty darn important.

Advanced Metrics: 20.4 PER, 47.28 TPA, 1.61 RPM

LaMarcus Aldridge may rank just one spot ahead of Gorgui Dieng, but we've undergone a tier shift as we move between the two. The 31-year-old San Antonio Spur leads off the class of seven elite power forwards—though the No. 1 finisher may admittedly be in a realm of his own. 

Adjusting to the Spurs has taken some time and required a few sacrifices: Aldridge can't hold onto the ball so frequently as he seeks out mid-range looks, and he's asked to be a bit more mobile on defense than he was with the Portland Trail Blazers. He also isn't the No. 1 option, deferring to Kawhi Leonard and taking on Robin responsibilities more than he ever did with Damian Lillard next to him. 

But the alterations are working. 

Especially now that he's knocking down threes and working as a facilitator, Aldridge is having one of the most efficient offensive seasons of his impressive career. 

Advanced Metrics: 18.4 PER, 17.01 TPA, 2.13 RPM

Kristaps Porzingis can do everything, but it's his willingness to block shots and knock down attempts from long range that makes him so unique. Those two elements of his game have already allowed him to surpass Carmelo Anthony as the New York Knicks' best player, even if he's far from reaching his sky-high ceiling. 

Not only is Porzingis blocking two shots per game, but he's also allowing opponents to shoot just 42 percent at the rim. Among the 75 players guarding no fewer than four shots at the hoop per contest (he's defending 7.5), no one is stingier. 

And on offense, he's doing more than averaging 5.2 three-point attempts; He's hitting them at a 41 percent clip and has even created a handful off the dribble this season, which would be scary if it becomes a real part of his game.

Porzingis is the only player in the league averaging a pair of blocks and a pair of triples. In fact, he's the only player in NBA history to do so. Now, just imagine what would happen if the Knicks committed to playing him at the 5 (his stronger position) rather than drawing him away from the basket on defense.

Advanced Metrics: 18.2 PER, 72.33 TPA, 5.41 RPM

We could wax poetic about Paul Millsap's ability to contribute in every area imaginable, whether he's using his devastating pump fake or finding open teammates with his improved passing chops. We could talk about his defense, which leaves him on the cusp of earning Defensive Player of the Year consideration despite standing "only" 6'8". 

But instead, let's just show you how the Atlanta Hawks fall apart without him: 

	Offensive Rating (Rank)	Defensive Rating (Rank)	Net Rating (Rank)
With Millsap	104.1 (No. 20)	98.9 (No. 1)	5.2 (No. 7)
Without Millsap	99.1 (No. 29)	107.6 (No. 24)	Minus-8.5 (No. 30)

Millsap remains one of the league's more under-the-radar superstars. He gained prominence when the Hawks put him on the trading block for a few days, but he'll settle back into relative anonymity if he's never moved. 

Perhaps he likes it that way; His game certainly hasn't suffered for it.

Advanced Metrics: 22.2 PER, 70.15 TPA, 2.87 RPM

Before Blake Griffin went under the knife for arthroscopic surgery on his right knee, he was playing like he was finally healthy. 

Rather than settling for as many mid-range jumpers as he had in previous seasons, he'd attacked the basket furiously, showing off his ridiculous athleticism and burgeoning touch around the hoop. His post-up moves may not look pretty, but they still get the ball to fall through the twine quite frequently. 

But will that change when he returns to the court? 

The Los Angeles Clippers are best when Griffin is in attack mode, keeping defenses on their heels with his athleticism and then either scoring or picking apart schemes with his impressive passing.

If he's settling for jumpers, he's playing into their hands. 

That uncertainty is all that keeps him from ascending even higher.

Advanced Metrics: 23.6 PER, 53.32 TPA, 5.17 RPM

This is the Kevin Love that the Cleveland Cavaliers wanted. 

He's learned every nuance of the defensive system and always positions himself well, making up for his lack of vertical ability with strength and quick hands. ESPN.com's DRPM actually ranks him as the No. 8 defensive power forward after he finished No. 14 and No. 25 in 2015-16 and 2014-15, respectively. 

He's also thriving as a spot-up shooter.

Waiting patiently on the wings for his opportunities, he's capitalized on the attention opponents invest in Kyrie Irving and LeBron James. Though his scoring in the post has helped, his biggest offensive plus is the ability to shoot 39.3 percent from downtown while taking 6.9 treys per game. 

Love still plays third fiddle to the superstars, but that just gives Cleveland a luxury for which most front offices would sell their souls.

Advanced Metrics: 17.9 PER, 158.87 TPA, 6.37 RPM

"That's something that I want to win," Draymond Green told ESPN.com's Chris Haynes in mid-November, referring to the Defensive Player of the Year trophy. "And if there’s anything I've ever been selfish about, it's that award. Like, I want that award."

Even with Rudy Gobert serving as stiff competition, he deserves it. 

ESPN.com's DRPM ranks Green as the league's most impactful defender by a wide margin, regardless of position. NBA Math's defensive points saved concurs, and he'd have a larger lead if not for the boost provided by Russell Westbrook's jaw-dropping numbers on the defensive glass. 

Green's also helped spark a Golden State Warriors unit that's starting to find itself among the league leaders in defensive rating. Not only does he depress his matchups' field-goal percentages by 4 percent, but his presence has coincided with the Dubs reaching even loftier point-preventing territory.

And it's not like he's a one-way player. 

Green might not score many points, but he doesn't need to. It's far more important that he help space the floor and distribute the ball effectively.

Advanced Metrics: 27.2 PER, 214.6 TPA, 5.49 RPM

It may seem strange to view Kevin Durant as a power forward when he opens games next to Draymond Green and Zaza Pachulia. But the Golden State Warriors have trotted out smaller lineups enough that Basketball-Reference.com has 57 percent of KD's minutes coming at the 4. 

That gives the Dubs a monopoly at the 4—as good as Green is on defense, Durant is that strong on the other end. 

It's taken the former MVP virtually no time to adjust. He's averaged 26 points while shooting a staggering 53.4 percent from the field, 38.7 percent from downtown and 86.1 percent from the charity stripe. And though he may not get to create his own looks as often, he's thrived as a spot-up threat and reallocated his energy to other areas. 

Durant has always been a strong passer, but he's elevated his game by averaging 4.6 dimes and just 2.3 turnovers. Plus, he's playing the best defense of his career, thriving as he protects the rim in small lineups and guarding overmatched opponents on the wings. 

This is the most complete we've ever seen Durant, terrifying as that may be for the rest of the league. 

Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.

Unless otherwise indicated, all stats from Basketball-Reference.com, NBA.com, ESPN.com or NBA Math and accurate heading into games on Jan. 11. Positional designations determined by Basketball-Reference.com's minute splits at the end of 2016. Quotes obtained firsthand unless otherwise noted.    

Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban has reportedly drawn the ire of the National Basketball Referees Association, which alleged he has attempted to gain an edge by directing "threats and intimidation" toward officials, The Vertical's Adrian Wojnarowski reported Thursday.

Seham added the following, per Wojnarowski: "We consider the threat to the integrity of NBA basketball presented by Mr. Cuban's misconduct to be real and growing."

Wojnarowski also shared a statement from NBA spokesman Mike Bass: "We have no specific response to Lee Seham, the lawyer who represents the referees union. This approach is just the latest in a series of steps Mr. Seham has taken in an attempt to undermine the necessary transparency we have brought to our game."

With regard to the union's allegation that Cuban has tried to extract a competitive advantage by denigrating referees, Seham provided the following examples to illustrate the referees' point, per Wojnarowski:

Cuban replied to the NBRA's assertions in an email to The Vertical:

Cuban, 58, has a history of criticizing the league's officiating. He's reportedly racked up more than $1 million in fines for taking officials to task publicly. According to ESPN.com, he was slapped with a $500,000 punishment in 2002 for saying referee Ed Rush "might have been a great ref, but I wouldn't hire him to manage a Dairy Queen" and that Rush's "interest is not in the integrity of the game or improving the officiating."

The Mavericks owner and Shark Tank star also came out in support of the NBA's Last Two Minute Reports when the league announced it was making an effort to be more transparent with its officiating.

"No one ever wants or expects perfection, but when you're not transparent, people tend to think you're hiding something," Cuban said in January 2014, according to ESPN.com's Tim MacMahon. "And I think that hurts us. That hurts just the connection we have with our fanbase. That's my opinion."

More recently, Cuban didn't shy away from putting referee Ken Mauer on blast after he missed a double-dribble call against the Brooklyn Nets' Bojan Bogdanovic during a Nov. 29 game against the Los Angeles Clippers.

"Suspend him, demote him, make him ref a game in the D-League," Cuban said, per MacMahon. 

Although the missed call didn't affect his team, Cuban explained why he takes intense interest in the performance of officials across the league.

"Because the quality of officiating matters in this game, you know?" he said, per MacMahon. "Standings are impacted. Mistakes happen. Lots of calls are hard, but not all of them. Some of them are just lack of focus and attention, and that's the one thing you should be able to avoid at all times, particularly from such an experienced ref."

Cuban's Mavericks, who are in the midst of a three-game losing streak, are 11-27 on the season and occupy the Western Conference cellar entering Thursday night's game against the Phoenix Suns.