The 2019-20 NBA season is upon us, and with the first week (well, five days) in the books, it's time to look at who were the best players in the league during that time. Now, in the past I've done the best players of the week and just that. However, I've come to realize that the way I ranked the players favored big men a lot more than guards. That would explain why Dwight Howard was getting player of the week spots over guys like DeMar DeRozan, a player few would argue that Howard was better than in 2018. So now, I'm doing a "Team of the Week", similar to what Pro Football Focus does with the NFL. So with that out of the way, this is the NBA's Team of the Week for the past week.
Point Guard: Trae Young
While they haven't faced the toughest competition to start the season, the Atlanta Hawks come out of the gates hot, winning both of their games in the first week. That success is mostly thanks to Trae Young, who has had one of the best starts to the season of anyone in the league. For the week, Young averaged 38.5 points, 7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 59% from the field and 55% from three-point range. Young would put up near-identical stat lines as he led the Hawks to wins over the Detroit Pistons on opening night, and then the Orlando Magic two days later.
Reserves:
Kyrie Irving: 38 PPG, 5 RPG, 6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 48% FG, 41% 3FG, 94% FT
Russell Westbrook: 26 PPG, 13 RPG, 10 APG, 1.5 SPG, 47% FG, 40% 3FG
Shooting Guard: Luka Doncic
Like the Hawks, the Dallas Mavericks have rebounded from a lackluster 2018-19 season and have started off hot, winning both of their first two games of the season. A big part of it is the return of Kristaps Porzingis, but the key to their success so far, like the Hawks, has been their second-year rising star in Luka Doncic. For the week, the reigning Rookie of the Year averaged 29.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 6.5 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 58% from the field and 39% from three-point range. Doncic would start the season off with a 34 point, 9 rebound performance against the Wizards before recording a 25 point, 10 rebound, 10 assist triple-double two days later against the Pelicans.
Reserves:
Malcolm Brogdon: 26 PPG, 10.5 APG, 1 BPG, 55% FG, 60% 3FG, 92% FT
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: 27 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 50% FG, 46% 3FG
Small Forward: LeBron James
The Lebron-AD era for the Los Angeles Lakers wasn't perfect, but it was perfectly fine. A 1-1 start probably wasn't what people were expecting, but it's definitely better than last season's 0-3 start. Both LeBron James and Anthony Davis put up good numbers in the opening week of the season, but it was LeBron who's getting the nod from me for the team of the week. For the week, LeBron averaged 25 points, 8.5 rebounds, 9 assists, and a steal per game while shooting 46% from the field. Despite a lackluster season opener, James rebounded and recorded 32 points, 7 rebounds, and 10 assists on 55% shooting in a win over the Utah Jazz.
Reserves:
Brandon Ingram: 27.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.7 BPG, 53% FG, 53% 3FG
Kawhi Leonard: 26 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 8 APG, 1.7 SPG, 51% FG, 36% 3FG
Power Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Following their best season in nearly 30 years, the Milwaukee Bucks were looking to start the season off hot to continue their dominance of the NBA. While a big upset loss to the Jimmy Butler-less Miami Heat in overtime prevented them from leaving the first week undefeated, they're still 1-1 and looking strong. The strongest player of the week for them was, unsurprisingly, the reigning MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo. For the week, Giannis averaged triple-double with 29.5 points, 15 rebounds, and 10 assists per game, while also putting up 2 steals and 1.5 blocks per game and shooting 61% from the field. Giannis would kick off the season with a 30 point, 13 rebound, 11 assist triple-double in a win over the Houston Rockets before recording 29 points, 17 rebounds, 9 assists, and 3 steals in the close loss to the Heat.
Reserves:
Pascal Siakam: 28.7 PPG, 10.7 RPG, 46% FG, 47% 3FG, 95% FT
Anthony Davis: 23 PPG, 8 RPG, 1.5 SPG, 3.5 BPG, 40% FG
Center: Karl Anthony Towns
After two seasons where they underwhelmed in the first season and MAJORLY under-performed in the second, the Minnesota Timberwolves started off the season hot and won both of their first two games this season. The Timberwolves finally looked like they were playing up to their potential, and the main factor in that was Karl-Anthony Towns, who had arguably the best stat line of anyone in the league this past week. For the week, Towns averaged 36.5 points, 14.5 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 3.5 steals, and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 60% from the field and 61% from three-point range. Towns dropped 36 points, 14 rebounds, 3 steals, and 3 blocks to help spoil Kyrie Irving's 50 point performance and beat the Nets in overtime to start the season before he put up 37 points, 15 rebounds, 8 assists, and 4 steals per game to help blow out the Hornets.
Reserves:
Andre Drummond: 22 PPG, 15.7 RPG, 2.3 SPG, 2.3 BPG, 63% FG
Nikola Jokic: 21.5 PPG, 13.5 RPG, 7 APG, 1 BPG, 50% FG, 43% 3FG
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