Marc Gasol
The race for the top spot in the Western Conference remains tight as six teams are within two games of eachother. One of those teams that has flown a bit under the radar is the Memphis Grizzlies, who currently hold a 13-9 record on the season and are two games out of first place. They might've been better off had they not gone 1-2 this past week, but they're still in good shape. Leading the way for the Grizzlies were two players. The first of which is Marc Gasol, who is currently having arguably the best season of his career. For the week, Gasol averaged 23 points, 9 rebounds, 4.3 assists, 2 steals, and 3.3 blocks per game while shooting 59% from the field and a great 56% from three-point range.
Mike Conley
The other player who has provided a huge boost for the Grizzlies not just this past week, but for the whole season, is Mike Conley. After last season ended early for Conley following a left Achilles injury and surgery for a left heel bone protrusion, Conley has bounced back in a big way and is currently putting up some of the best numbers of his career. This past week, Conley continued his great play and had one of the best stat lines in the league for the week. For the week, Conley averaged 26.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 9 assists, 1.3 steals and a block per game while shooting 41% from the field and 86% from the free throw line. Conley's best performance of the week came in a double-overtime win over the Brooklyn Nets when he put up 37 points, 5 rebounds, and 10 assists.
Joel Embiid
The Philadelphia 76ers have seen a lot of success following the Jimmy Butler trade, as they've gone 8-2 since they sent Dario Saric & Robert Covington to Minnesota for Butler. This week saw them add on to that, going a perfect 3-0 on the week. Leading the way for the 76ers this week was not Butler, but Joel Embiid, who has continued to put up MVP-caliber numbers, with this week being no exception. For the week, Embiid averaged 24.7 points, 13.7 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game while shooting 50% from the field. Embiid's best performance of the week came against the Brooklyn Nets when he put up 32 points and 12 rebounds.
Kawhi Leonard
Even though the San Antonio Spurs aren't completely terrible right now, it's clear as day that the Toronto Raptors are winning the Kawhi Leonard-DeMar DeRozan trade right now. Following last season where he only played 9 games due to "injuries", Leonard has bounced back and has shown why he was an MVP candidate just two seasons ago. With Leonard leading the way, the Raptors currently sit atop the East with not just the best record in the conference, but the entire league at 20-4. This past week, Leonard led the way as the Raptors went a perfect 4-0 on the week and extended their win streak to 8. For the week, Leonard averaged 29.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 1.3 steals, and 1.5 blocks per game. Leonard's best performance of the week came in a win over the Golden State Warriors when he dropped a season-high 37 points and 8 rebounds.
Nikola Vucevic
The Orlando Magic aren't exactly lighting the world on fire right now, but they're still maintaining a record good enough to keep them in the top half of the Eastern Conference. Currently holding an 11-12 record on the season, the Magic are 8th in the East right now, and that's mostly thanks to Nikola Vucevic. If you're wondering why Mo Bamba hasn't been playing all that much this season, it's probably because Vucevic is putting up some of the best numbers of his career, and this week was no different. For the week, Vucevic averaged 26.5 points, 12.5 rebounds, 5.8 assists, a steal and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 56% from the field, 42% from three-point range, and 89% from the free throw line as he led the Magic to a 2-2 record on the week. Vucevic's best performance of the week came in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers when he put up 31 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 blocks.
Russell Westbrook
As I mentioned earlier, the top six teams in the Western Conference are within 2 games of eachother for first place. The Oklahoma City Thunder are among those teams, and they're only half a game behind the first place Denver Nuggets & Los Angeles Clippers with a 14-7 record. Considering how they lost their first four games, that's even more impressive. What's even more impressive than that is that they were able to rebound with one of their players in Russell Westbrook missing six games. This week, Westbrook was on the floor and proved why he is so valuable, leading the Thunder to a perfect 2-0 record on the week. For the week, Westbrook averaged 23 points, 13.5 rebounds, 12.5 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 56% from the field and 44% from three-point range. Westbrook's best performance of the week came against the Cleveland Cavaliers when he put up a 23 point, 18 rebound, and 15 assist triple-double, his third of the season so far.
Anthony Davis
The New Orleans Pelicans are still trying to rebound from the departure of DeMarcus Cousins, and so far it hasn't been great. While they are 12-12 on the season, they find themselves in the bottom half of the Western Conference. On the bright side, the Pelicans are just 4 games out of first place and, if Anthony Davis keeps playing the way he has this whole season (and especially this past week) then they have a solid chance of making the playoffs. Despite the Pelicans going 1-2 on the week, Davis averaged 32 points, 13.3 rebounds, 1.7 steals, and 3 blocks per game while shooting 51% from the field, 31% from three-point range, and 90% from the free throw line. Davis' best performance of the week came in a loss to the Miami Heat when he put up 41 points, 9 rebounds, and 4 blocks.
James Harden
The Houston Rockets had a rough start to the season and while they have evened out, they're still underperforming in a lot of people's eyes. Currently 11-11 on the season, the Rockets find themselves in the bottom half of the Western Conference but, like the Pelicans, are just four games behind first place and could easily slip into the playoffs. It would more surprising if they didn't make the playoffs, especially with the reigning-MVP in James Harden leading the way for the team. This week, the Rockets went 2-2 with Harden putting up a stellar stat line. For the week, Harden averaged 33 points, 8 rebounds, 11.8 assists, and 2.5 steals per game while shooting 51% from the field, 42% from three-point range, and 85% from the free throw line. Harden's had multiple great games this week, including a 54 point performance in a loss to the Washington Wizards and a 25 point, 11 rebound, and 17 assist triple-double in a loss to the Dallas Mavericks.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Milwaukee Bucks are fighting for the top spot in the Eastern Conference right now, and this week was exactly what they didn't need. Going 1-2 on the week, the Bucks fell to 15-7 on the year, putting them 4 games behind the first place Toronto Raptors. Still, the Bucks one of the top teams in the NBA right now, mostly thanks to Giannis Antetokounmpo. This week, despite his team's struggles, was able to put up a fantastic stat line for himself. For the week, Antetokounmpo averaged 29.7 points, 14.3 rebounds, 8 assists, 2 steals, and 2 blocks per game while shooting 59% from the field. Antetokounmpo's best performance of the week came in a loss to the New York Knicks when he put up 33 points, 19 rebounds, 7 assists, and 3 steals.
Kevin Durant
And rounding out my list is my pick for the player of the week, Kevin Durant, and to be honest, it wasn't a hard choice. While his team didn't do so well over the last seven days, with the Golden State Warriors going just 1-2 on the week and dropping their record to 15-9 on the season, Durant posted a stat line that few will likely be able to match this season. For the week, Durant averaged a whopping 42.7 points, 7.7 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 1.3 blocks per game while shooting 52% from the field, 38% from three-point range, and 97% from the free throw line. Durant would also put up two consecutive games with over 45 points this past week, dropping 49 points in a win over the Orlando Magic and 51 in a loss to the Toronto Raptors, giving him a two-game stretch where he averaged 50 points per game. With that being said, I think few could argue that Kevin Durant wasn't the best player in the NBA this past week.
Thanks for reading. Be sure to share if you enjoy
Thanks for reading. Be sure to share if you enjoy
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