This article is part of our NBA Barometer series.
RISERS
Carl Landry, PF, PHI - While his recent contributions have gone largely unnoticed because of the mediocrity around him, Landry earned "M-V-P" chants from the crowd in leading the 76ers to a rare victory Tuesday. In addition to achieving the extraordinary feat of winning a game in Philadelphia, the veteran sixth man has put up 17.4 PPG and 6.8 RPG while shooting an impressive 64.3 percent from the field and even knocking down all four of his 3-point attempts over the last five games. Landry has only been playing 24 minutes per game in that stretch, so there's actually room for improvement if the 76ers look to do the smart thing and attempt to stay in the win column by playing their hottest player more.
J.J. Barea, PG, DAL - Barea has been a revelation since moving into the starting lineup for the streaking Mavericks, averaging 25.3 PPG and 5.3 APG in leading Dallas to three consecutive victories. Regular starter Deron Williams is still dealing with a sports hernia on top of an abdominal injury, meaning Barea should continue getting starts in the meantime. Head coach Rick Carlisle will have a decision on his hands when Williams does come back, as the recent form of both Barea and the Mavericks makes it hard to justify reducing his role.
Thomas Robinson, PF, BKN - Robinson has provided a spark in an otherwise painful time for the Nets, posting four consecutive double-doubles in increased minutes. That playing time
RISERS
Carl Landry, PF, PHI - While his recent contributions have gone largely unnoticed because of the mediocrity around him, Landry earned "M-V-P" chants from the crowd in leading the 76ers to a rare victory Tuesday. In addition to achieving the extraordinary feat of winning a game in Philadelphia, the veteran sixth man has put up 17.4 PPG and 6.8 RPG while shooting an impressive 64.3 percent from the field and even knocking down all four of his 3-point attempts over the last five games. Landry has only been playing 24 minutes per game in that stretch, so there's actually room for improvement if the 76ers look to do the smart thing and attempt to stay in the win column by playing their hottest player more.
J.J. Barea, PG, DAL - Barea has been a revelation since moving into the starting lineup for the streaking Mavericks, averaging 25.3 PPG and 5.3 APG in leading Dallas to three consecutive victories. Regular starter Deron Williams is still dealing with a sports hernia on top of an abdominal injury, meaning Barea should continue getting starts in the meantime. Head coach Rick Carlisle will have a decision on his hands when Williams does come back, as the recent form of both Barea and the Mavericks makes it hard to justify reducing his role.
Thomas Robinson, PF, BKN - Robinson has provided a spark in an otherwise painful time for the Nets, posting four consecutive double-doubles in increased minutes. That playing time is there to stay with Brook Lopez and Thaddeus Young both out for the remainder of the campaign, making Robinson likely to stay hot down the stretch. He's not going to block many shots, but the big man's combination of scoring and rebounding make him an effective option nonetheless.
Karl-Anthony Towns, C, MIN - Towns' 20 points and 12 rebounds in Tuesday's remarkable victory over the Warriors were just about par for the course, as the impressive rookie is averaging an eye-popping 20.5 PPG during his 13-game double-double streak. The future is now for the top overall pick in this past draft, as his ability to both bang inside and punish slow defenders with a smooth outside jumper has turned him into an elite fantasy option over the past month.
Hassan Whiteside, C, MIA - Whiteside may be ineligible for the sixth man of the year award, but that hasn't stopped him from posting 15.0 PPG, 13.8 RPG and 4.3 blocks per game in his last four appearances. Miami has been leaning more heavily on the mercurial big man with Dwyane Wade ailing a bit, and that's unlikely to change as the Heat will probably lessen their veterans' workloads in preparation for the playoffs. With a weak closing schedule ahead, expect Whiteside to heat up even further moving forward.
INJURIES
Kristaps Porzingis, PF, NYK - Porzingis' shoulder injury might be enough to put an end to his rookie campaign, as the Knicks have no motivation to rush him back due to their unenviable position in the standings. Fill-in starter Derrick Williams is a former top-five pick in his own right, but he lacks the height and versatility that made the Latvian such a sensation in his first year in the Big Apple.
Khris Middleton, SG, MIL - Middleton has missed two straight games for the Bucks, leaving owners in a precarious position down the stretch. It's tough to gauge the severity of his thigh injury based on the information available, and the Bucks are in no hurry to rush him back with the playoffs out of reach. There's a chance Middleton's back by their next game, but it also wouldn't be surprising if rookie Rashad Vaughn closes the season as the team's starting shooting guard due to Middleton's unavailability.
Thaddeus Young, PF, BKN - While not injured, Young has been ruled out for the remainder of the campaign by the Nets. They want him healthy next season, so they're shutting down Young early rather than risk injury in the rather meaningless remainder of 2015-16. With Brook Lopez also done for the year, there's plenty of playing time to go around in the Brooklyn frontcourt.
FALLERS
D'Angelo Russell, PG, LAL - Russell hasn't been particularly effective since the Nick Young recording fiasco, even with the Lakers attempting to force-feed their prized rookie minutes down the stretch. With the trust of his teammates wavering and his shots not falling, there are plenty of reasons to stay away from Russell at the moment.
DeAndre Jordan, C, LAC - Jordan's offense has taken a noticeable nosedive since Blake Griffin's return to the lineup. In two games with Griffin sharing his space inside, Jordan is averaging just 9.5 PPG after previously taking his offense into unchartered waters with routine mid-teens performances in the wake of Blake's quad injury. The springy center is also dealing with a tweaked ankle suffered Sunday against the Wizards, depressing his value even further at the moment.
Rudy Gay, SF, SAC - Gay hasn't been bad when called upon recently, putting up solid scoring and rebounding numbers, albeit on horrendous shooting. The problem is he's being rested all too often of late, having missed two of the last five games for that purpose with more surely to come. As is the case with a number of veterans on losing teams, it's hard to trust Gay to get requisite playing time when the team's priority is merely keeping him healthy for next season.
Kyrie Irving, PG, CLE - Irving is being pulled early from blowouts as the Cavaliers prioritize rest heading into the postseason, creating a difficult situation for owners. Cleveland has the capability to pull away from almost any opponent on any given night, making it difficult to predict when Irving will see his full share of playing time. Two games with 27 or less minutes and a rest day among his last four suggest the point guard is more likely than not to disappoint.
