It's Monday, you know what that means! It's time to take a look back at the past week and see who the best players were around the league. Click here to check out last week's if you missed it. If not, let's get into this.
Point Guard: Stephen Curry
After a rough start to the season, the Golden State Warriors have been able to rebound somewhat this past week, picking up their first two wins of the season after going 2-1. They're still at the bottom of the West with a 2-3 record on the year and have some glaring issues that need to be fixed (I'm looking at you, Kelly Oubre Jr. and your 4% three-point shooting), but things are looking a lot better than they did a week ago. A big part of that was, unsurprisingly, Stephen Curry, who has had to take on the role as the team's sole all-star at the moment, and this week, he didn't disappoint. For the week, Curry averaged 31 points, 5 rebounds, 5.7 assists, and 1.3 steals per game while shooting 47% from the field, 39% from three-point range, and a perfect 21/21 from the free-throw line. While the week ended with a blowout loss to the Trail Blazers, Curry started the week off hot with two 30+ point performances, dropping 36 in a narrow win over the Bulls before scoring 31 against the Pistons two days later.
Honorable Mentions:
John Wall: 25 PPG, 5 RPG, 7.5 APG, 2 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 46% FG
Damian Lillard: 28.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 5.7 APG, 47% FG, 39% 3P, 96% FT
Shooting Guard: James Harden
Shooting Guard: James HardenThe disarray that has surrounded the Houston Rockets both this offseason and during the season hasn't translated to the court, as the Rockets maintain a 2-2 record on the year after going 2-1 this week. You could chalk it up to the strong play of John Wall or a standout week for Christian Wood, but it's hard to argue that the big reason the Rockets performed well these last seven days is because of James Harden. While the last month or so has been plagued by trade rumors and a COVID-19 protocol incident for the former MVP, Harden is still putting up great numbers when he's on the court. For the week, Harden averaged 33.5 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists per game while shooting 50% from the field, 45% from three-point range, and 90% from the free-throw line. While he only played in two of the Rockets' three games this week, Harden was able to lead the team to victory over the Kings after recording 33 points, 6 rebounds, and 8 assists.
Honorable Mentions:
Bradley Beal: 29.3 PPG, 4 RPG, 5 APG, 44% FG, 95% FT
Jaylen Brown: 26.3 PPG, 4.5 RPG, 2.5 SPG, 63% FG, 45% 3P
Small Forward: Kawhi Leonard
While the Los Angeles Clippers are not undefeated anymore, they still find themselves at the top of the West early in the season, currently sitting at 4-2 on the year after a 2-2 week. While this week did see the team suffer the worst defeat in the history franchise history, they were able to cushion the blow with a .500 record for the week, and it was Kawhi Leonard who led the way for the team during the week. After missing the first two games of the week thanks to a mouth laceration he suffered during a Christmas night match-up, Leonard returned for the final two games of the week and showed out. For the week, Leonard averaged 24 points, 9.5 rebounds, 8 assists, 1.5 steals, and 2 blocks per game while shooting 47% from the field and 56% from three-point range. In the one win Leonard played in this week, Leonard provided a much-needed spark to push the Clippers over the Trail Blazers, as he dropped 28 points and added 7 assists and 3 steals along the way.
Honorable Mentions:
Kevin Durant: 30 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 BPG, 52% FG, 45% 3P
LeBron James: 24.8 PPG, 8.5 RPG, 7.3 APG, 1.5 SPG, 46% FG, 36% 3P
Power Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo
The Milwaukee Bucks haven't had a great start to the year. While the do or die nature of this season is out the window now that their star player is locked down until 2026, a 3-3 start to the year isn't ideal for a team looking to compete for the championship. A 2-2 outing this week isn't necessarily bad, but you'd expect more from a team that worked to strengthen their core this offseason. Still, their aforementioned star player in Giannis Antetokounmpo has been continued to play well, not that that is surprising whatsoever. While his early numbers haven't been as top-notch as his two-MVP winning seasons were, Antetokounmpo is still performing at a high level compared to the rest of the NBA, especially this week. For the week, Antetokounmpo averaged 22.8 points, 11 rebounds, 7.3 assists, and 2.8 steals per game while shooting 51% from the field. While he disappointed in the Bucks' 47-point blowout win over the Heat, his performance in their 30-point decisive win against the Bulls stood out, as he dropped 30 points, grabbed 12 rebounds, and dished 8 assists.
Honorable Mentions:
Tobias Harris: 21.5 PPG, 9.5 RPG, 4.3 APG, 2.3 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 56% FG, 59% 3P, 100% FT
Anthony Davis: 22.3 PPG, 9.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 51% FG, 50% 3P
Center: Joel Embiid
Despite the rough ending to the previous season and most people writing them off as legit contenders, the Philadelphia 76ers have come out of the gate strong with a league-best 5-1 record after a 3-1 outing this past week. The 76ers currently sit at the very top of the NBA, and a lot of that is thanks to Joel Embiid. Philadelphia is currently undefeated when Embiid is on the court, their only loss coming against the Cavaliers while Embiid sat with a back injury, and when you look at how he's played this year, especially this week, you can see why. For the week, Embiid averaged 23 points, 13 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game while shooting 54% from the field and 30% from three-point range. In the three games Embiid played in this week, he recorded two double-doubles and a near double-double against the Magic, the best of which came against the Raptors when he recorded 29 points and 16 rebounds in the win.
Honorable Mentions:
Nikola Jokić: 20.7 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 13.7 APG, 2 SPG, 63% FG, 56% 3P, 90% FT
Nikola Vučević: 23 PPG, 10.3 RPG, 59% FG, 52% 3P, 100% FT
Sixth Man: LaMelo Ball
Despite the offseason addition of Gordon Hayward, the Charlotte Hornets haven't had the strongest start to the year, currently sitting at 2-4 on the year. While this week did see them pick up their first wins of the season, a 2-2 outing wasn't enough to push them above .500 on the year. But there is still hope & potential with this team, especially based on how LaMelo Ball played this past week. Anyone who reads this blog or follows me on Twitter knows that I'm not a fan of LaMelo Ball, but I can't deny his strong play this past week. Despite the incredibly rocky start to his career, Ball had a strong week coming off the bench for the Hornets, averaging 14 points, 5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 45% from the field and 47% from three-point range. While he underwhelmed in the first of the Hornets' wins this past week, Ball bounced back in a big way in the team's big win over the Mavericks, dropping 22 points, 8 rebounds, and 5 assists.
Honorable Mentions:
Derrick Rose: 16 PPG, 5.5 APG, 2 SPG, 43% FG
Terrence Ross: 22 PPG, 47% FG, 40% 3P
Rookie: Tyrese Haliburton
Now, obviously, if LaMelo Ball, a rookie, is my pick for the Sixth Man of the Week, then by default he would also be the Rookie of the Week. However, for the pure sake of having more to write about this week, I'm going with Tyrese Haliburton from the Sacramento Kings. The Kings didn't have the strongest performance this week, going 1-3 and dropping their record to 3-3 on the year so far, but the performances of the 12th overall pick in the draft was a definite bright spot for the team. For the week, Haliburton averaged 13 points, 4.3 assists, and 1.7 steals per game while shooting 61% from the field and 67% from three-point range. In the three games Haliburton played this week, he scored in double figures each time, with his best performance coming in a win over the Nuggets when he recorded 13 points, 6 assists, and 3 steals off the bench.
Honorable Mentions:
Deni Avdija: 8.8 PPG, 6 RPG, 3.3 APG, 1.8 SPG, 45% FG, 39% 3P, 100% FT
Desmond Bane: 10.7 PPG, 3 RPG, 41% FG, 39% 3P, 100% FT
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