Power Rankings: Where Immanuel Quickley lands among NBA’s Top 30 point guards

Tier 4: All-Star Candidates (cont)

12. Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies

Another player asking for the benefit of the doubt is Ja Morant, who cycles through getting in trouble with the league and with the law for dangerously immature behavior, and injuries that take him off the court at the worst times. His absence was the primary driving factor in a lost season for the Memphis Grizzlies last season.

Morant is healthy and currently not in trouble with anyone, hopefully opening the door for him to regain his status as one of the league's most electric stars. His in-game dunking and feats of athleticism are why we watch basketball, and the Grizzlies hope he is back to the player he was two years ago, ready to lead this team deep into the playoffs.

11. Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers

In a sense, this entire tier of players are those with star-level track records -- every player has at least one All-Star appearance -- but who had down seasons a year ago. For Darius Garland, that was in part due to a struggle to fit alongside Donovan Mitchell, and in part a nasty jaw injury that knocked him out of the lineup and impacted his conditioning when he returned.

At his best, Garland is a savvy pick-and-roll maestro and elite shooter with the skillset to run the show or fit alongside another on-ball star. At his worst, Garland struggles to find his rhythm without the ball in his hands and gets eaten alive on defense. Where he settles on that continuum this season will dictate how far the Cavaliers go and whether Garland is still wearing their jersey this time next year.