Kevin Durant
Despite a loss to kick off the week, the Golden State Warriors are still killing it this season, as everyone expected them to. The Warriors went 3-1 this past week, winning all three of those games by 20 or more points and improving their record to 5-1 on the season and keeping them in the top spot of the Western Conference. Leading the way for the Warriors this past week was two players. The first of which was Kevin Durant, who continued to show why he's one of the top five players in the league this past week. For the week, Durant averaged 28.3 points, 8 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per game while shooting 59% from the field, 42% from three-point range, and 93% from the free throw line. Durant's best performance of the week came in the Warrior's win over the New York Knicks, during which he dropped 41 points, 9 rebounds, and 5 assists and shot 17/24 (71%) from the field.
Russell Westbrook
OK...the Oklahoma City Thunder's season so far has been an absolute disaster. Currently sitting at the bottom of the Western Conference with a 0-4 record, a record only the Cleveland Cavaliers can be jealous of, and look like an absolute far cry from the playoff team they were last year. Luckily, there's still a lot of time left in the season for them to turn it around, and if Russell Westbrook keeps playing the way he did this past week, they should be fine. Despite the team going 0-2 this past week, Westbrook put up some stellar numbers after missing the first two games of the season. For the week, Westbrook averaged 22.5 points, 13.5 rebounds, and 8 assists per game while shooting 42% from the field. Westbrook's best performance of the week came against the Sacramento Kings, as he dropped 32 points, 12 rebounds, and 8 assists while shooting 13/23 (57%) from the field. If Westbrook keeps playing like this, I imagine the Thunder won't stay winless for long.
DeMar DeRozan
In the aftermath of the Kawhi Leonard drama, the San Antonio Spurs likely ended up getting the best possible outcome. While they did have to trade their franchise player due to increased tensions between the team and Leonard, the Spurs were able to land another all-star player in DeMar DeRozan. While the start of the season hasn't been stellar for the Spurs (currently 3-2 on the season), DeRozan has been continuing to put up all-star caliber numbers. This is especially true for this past week, as he led the Spurs to a 2-1 outing behind his stellar stat line. For the week, DeRozan averaged 26.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists and a steal per game while shooting 47% from the field, 33% from three-point range, and 86% from the free throw line. DeRozan's best performance of the week came in a narrow overtime win over the Los Angeles Lakers when he dropped 32 points, 8 rebounds, and a career-high 14 assists.
Stephen Curry
As I mentioned before, the Golden State Warriors have been meeting expectations pretty easily to start the season. 5-1 on the season, the Warriors continued to improve their record as they went 3-1 on the week. I've already talked about how Kevin Durant helped lead the Warriors through the week, and the other player that led the way for the team was the two-time MVP, Stephen Curry. Curry was one of the top scorers in the entire league this past week as he helped keep the Warriors' momentum going through the first full week of the season. For the week, Curry averaged 34.8 points, 4 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game while shooting 55% from the field and 52% from three-point range. Curry's best performance of the week came in a win over the Washington Wizards when Curry dropped 51 points and hit 11 three-pointers, and that's without playing the entire fourth quarter.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Milwaukee Bucks have been absolutely red hot to start the season this year. Not only is the team 6-0 to start the year, but aside from their first game where the won by just one point, the Bucks have won every game they've played by at least 11. Of course, leading the way for the Bucks through their highly successful start to the season is the Greek Freak, Giannis Antetokounmpo. Antetokounmpo had a stellar week to kick off the season, and this past week was no different whatsoever, as he continued to prove why he's arguably the best young player in the NBA right now. For the week, Antetokounmpo averaged 24.8 points, 13 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2 blocks per game while shooting 53% from the field. Antetokounmpo would also record his first triple-double of the season this past week, as he recorded 32 points, 18 rebounds, and 10 assists in a win over the Philidelphia 76ers. If the Bucks can keep this momentum going all season long, they could be a big threat come the playoffs.
James Harden
This can't be how the Houston Rockets envisioned their season going so far. After posting the best record in the league last year, the Rockets have posted a 1-4 record to start the year, the second-worst record in the Western Conference right now. Still, the Rockets have a lot of time to turn this season around, which isn't unlikely as they have the reigning MVP in James Harden on their roster. While Harden would miss one game this week, he still put up a stellar stat line despite the Rockets going 0-2 in those games. For the week, Harden averaged 30 points, 4.5 rebounds, 10.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 47% from the field and 44% from three-point range. Harden's best performance of the week came against the Los Angeles Clippers when he recorded 31 points, 4 rebounds, and 14 assists. Like the Thunder, don't expect the Rockets to stay at the bottom of the conference for long with Harden keeps putting up numbers like he did this past week.
Anthony Davis
The New Orleans Pelicans' perfect season might have come to an end, but they still find themselves high in the Western Conference standings. After going 2-1 on the week, the Pelicans now hold a 4-1 record and are currently tied for second in the West with the Denver Nuggets. While their loss to the Utah Jazz is disappointing, the Pelicans have a bit of an excuse, as they were without their star player in Anthony Davis for that game. Based on his performances from the rest of the week, Davis likely would've made a big difference. For the week, Davis averaged 26 points, 13.5 rebounds, 2.5 steals, and a great 5 blocks per game. Davis' best performance of the week came in a win over the Los Angeles Clippers when he dropped 34 points, 13 rebounds, and 5 blocks while shooting 11/21 (52%) from the field.
LeBron James
The LeBron James-era for the Los Angeles Lakers has not been a smooth ride to start. After losing the first three games of the season, the Lakers have started to come together and currently hold a 2-4 record on the season after a 2-2 outing this week. They're still closer to the bottom of the Western Conference than the top, but it does look like they've bounced back from their rough opening to the season. Leading the team through that moderately successful week was, of course, LeBron James, who after a disappointing first week (for him, at least) showed just why he's considered the best player of all time by some. For the week, James averaged 28.5 points, 9.3 rebounds, 9.8 assists, and 2.3 steals per game while shooting 52% from the field. During the week, LeBron record over 30 points twice, record a double-double in three games and dropped his first triple-double of the season in a win over the Denver Nuggets, during which he dropped 28 points, 11 rebounds, and 11 assists while shooting 10/17 (59%) from the field
Damian Lillard
While they haven't had the strongest start to the season, the Portland Trail Blazers are putting up respectable performances early in the year. Following their disappointing first-round sweep in the playoffs last year, the Trail Blazers are currently sitting at 3-2 record on the season. Nothing special, but things are looking fine for the team right now. Leading the way for the Trail Blazers was Damian Lillard, who currently leads the league in scoring thanks to some stellar performances this past week. For the week, Lillard averaged 37.3 points, 7.3 rebounds, and 6.7 assists per game while shooting 49% from the field, 39% from three-point range, and 88% from the free throw line. Lillard would also drop two-consecutive 40-point games to close out the week, putting up 41 in a win over the Orlando Magic and 42 in a loss to the Miami Heat. The Blazers might have gone 1-2 this past week, but Lillard's performance this past week should keep confidence instilled in the Blazers' fans and the team.
Joel Embiid
And rounding out my list for the best players of the week is Joel Embiid. The start of the season has been a bit underwhelming for a team that ended the previous season with a 16-game win streak. Currently holding a 3-3 record, that's probably not how the 76ers wanted to start the year, as they were one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference last season and looked set to be one again this season. This week saw the 76ers' record drop following a 1-2 outing, but it did see some fantastic performances by Joel Embiid, who despite the team's struggles has continued to put up great numbers, as he has done for his entire career. For the week, Embiid averaged 30 points, 14.7 rebounds, 5 assists, and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 46% from the field. Embiid's best performance of the week came in a loss to the Milwaukee Bucks when he recorded 30 points, 19 rebounds, 6 assists, and 3 blocks. They might not look like a top team now, but the 76ers should be fine if Embiid keeps performing the way he did this past week.
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