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The NBA is a league that is built around its stars, and the plus/minus statistic is often used as a tool to identify which stars make the most significant impact.
For example, Russell Westbrook was regularly criticized for his perceived selfish play during his lengthy tenure with the Oklahoma City Thunder, although following Kevin Durant's departure in 2016, the plus/minus stat highlighted that the Thunder were significantly better with their star point guard on the court.
Plus/minus scores change quickly during the first few weeks of the season, however, with Week 5 quickly approaching, the sample size is big enough to establish trends. On that note, here we will take a look at five NBA players with surprisingly good +/- ratings so far this season.
#5 Devin Booker - Phoenix Suns: +92
Despite missing the suspended Deandre Ayton since opening night, the Phoenix Suns have surpassed expectations to begin the 2019-20 season with a 7-4 record. They have already picked up notable wins over the Los Angeles Clippers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Brooklyn Nets, with Devin Booker once again the driving force.
The 23-year-old is averaging 25.5 points, 3.3 rebounds, 5.9 assists on 54% shooting from the field and 50% from beyond the arc, and Booker finally looks primed to make his first All-Star appearance.
While it is no surprise that the Booker possesses a positive +/- rating, the extent of how much better the Suns are with him on the court is an eye-opener. Phoenix have outscored opponents by 92 points while Booker has been playing, an amount that only Jayson Tatum and LeBron James have bettered so far this season.
It is worth remembering that this is a largely unchanged roster from a team that finished last season with a 19-63 record, and Booker's incredible plus/minus rating suggests that his heroics are going somewhat unnoticed.
#4 Dennis Schroder - Oklahoma City Thunder: +41
Following his move to the Oklahoma City Thunder last summer, Dennis Schroder quickly established himself as the best backup point guard in the league. Nevertheless, Schroder now finds himself as the third option on a rebuilding team that has made a 4-7 start to the season. Schroder's minutes per game have slightly dipped as he battles Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chris Paul for minutes, although the German has continued to impress.
While other reserve players such as Darius Bazley and Nerlens Noel possess negative +/- scores, the Thunder have outscored opponents by 41 points during Schroder's time on the court. With no other Thunder starter above +20, it is clear that the 26-year-old deserves to be more than a third option, and a rival team is likely to make a move ahead of the trade deadline.
#3 CJ McCollum - Portland Trail Blazers: +26
After reaching the 2019 Western Conference Finals back, the Portland Trail Blazers have started the new season with a 4-8 record. While Damian Lillard has delivered some of the best performances of his career to date, CJ McCollum has been criticized for his failure to step up alongside his backcourt partner. Nevertheless, despite all the criticism that he has received, McCollum's +/- currently sits at +26, which is 11 points better than Lillard's tally.
Additionally, no other member of the Trail Blazers roster has a positive +/- stat, with Anthony Tolliver's -54 among the worst in the entire NBA. Ultimately, McCollum's perceived poor start to the season seems to have been exaggerated, and there is no doubting that Portland continue to rely on their excellent backcourt duo.
#2 Kentavious Caldwell-Pope - Los Angeles Lakers: +44
Despite enduring an underwhelming 2018-19 season, the Los Angeles Lakers opted to bring back Kentavious Caldwell-Pope on a two-year deal worth $16 million during the offseason. The deal was criticized at the time, and KCP has started his third season in Los Angeles in the worst form of his career, averaging just 5.3 points on 35% shooting from the field.
Caldwell-Pope has received much criticism for his inability to offer shooting from the bench, although the Lakers have outscored their opponents by 44 points during KCP's time on the court. Admittedly, other reserve options such as Alex Caruso, Quinn Cook, and Dwight Howard have helped Caldwell-Pope's case, although it is a huge overstatement to suggest that the Lakers sink whenever the 26-year-old takes to the court.
#1 Vince Carter - Atlanta Hawks: +37
Following a surprisingly strong opening week to the season, the Atlanta Hawks have struggled to keep pace in a competitive Western Conference. Thursday's defeat the Phoenix Suns was Atlanta's seventh defeat in eleven games - and they have now dropped five games in a row.
Trae Young has been Atlanta's standout performer so far this season, although the 21-year-old's plus/minus currently stands at -19. Meanwhile, Vince Carter's tally has soared to +37 through his eight appearances. The 42-year-old has benefited from sitting out Atlanta's past two defeats, although no other player on the Hawks roster has a plus/minus above +8. Ultimately, there is no doubting that Carter is still making a positive impact both on and off the court as he finally nears the end of his Hall-of-Fame worthy career.
Guess the Lakers players!
