The eye test doesn't lie, he's been a pest this season. locked in constantly and doesn't give up on any play. Maybe he is auditioning for a trade to a contender, seeing that the big criticism on him was his lack of defending.
I guess playing 23 minutes per game allows him to put more energy on D, but his offensive game is also still there:
Per 36 minutes hes 23/8, which is basically his MVP numbers. Him on the Clippers would be massive for their title run.