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. Selections are based mostly on the player's stats, but their team's record during the week is also taken into consideration. Click here to check out last week's if you missed it. If not, let's get into this.
Point Guard: Luka Dončić
After a rough patch knocked them down in the Western Conference standings, the Dallas Mavericks have managed to correct the course and are approaching a .500 winning percentage once again. After winning just two of their last nine games, the Mavericks now find themselves with lots of momentum on their side following a perfect 3-0 week, improving their record to 13-14 on the year. This week did see a huge jump by Kristaps Porziņģis, but the obvious leader is my frequent selection for the top point guard of the week; Luka Dončić. For the week, Dončić averaged 33.3 points, 8.7 rebounds, 9 assists, a steal, and a block per game while shooting 50% from the field and 36% from three-point range. Dončić would notch his seventh triple-double of the year in a narrow win over the Hawks, where he put up 28 points, 10 rebounds, and 10 assists, before closing out the week with a career-high 46 point performance against the Pelicans, adding 8 rebounds and 12 assists to go with it.
Honorable Mentions:
De'Aaron Fox: 35 PPG, 5 RPG, 8.5 APG, 51% FG
Stephen Curry: 32.8 PPG, 5.5 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 56% FG, 45% 3P, 91% FT
Shooting Guard: Devin Booker
After last season's heartbreaking ending where they went a perfect 8-0 in the Bubble but just missing the playoffs, the Phoenix Suns are looking to come back with a vengeance and make the playoffs for the first time in over 10 years. While their start to the year was alright, they've been on a roll the last few weeks and are 16-9 on the year after a perfect 4-0 week. Devin Booker, coming off his first all-star selection last year, has been the big reason the Suns have been so good this year, and this past week was his best of the year. For the week, Booker averaged 30 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 6.5 assists per game while shooting 53% from the field and 46% from three-point range. During the week, Booker put up 30 or more points in three of the four games this week, including dropping a season-high 36 points twice, first against the Cavaliers, then five days later against the 76ers.
Honorable Mentions:
Zach LaVine: 35.7 PPG, 6 RPG, 5.3 APG, 56% FG, 55% 3P
Donovan Mitchell: 28.8 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 7.5 APG, 41% FG, 33% 3P
Small Forward: LeBron James
Again, the Los Angeles Lakers might not be the best team in the West right now, but they're right on the tail of the top-seeded Utah Jazz. After a less than stellar record for the week two weeks ago, the Lakers have been unstoppable and currently find themselves at 21-6, and on a league-best seven-game win streak, a streak bolstered by a perfect 3-0 performance this week. This came without Anthony Davis for most of the week, which leaves LeBron James as the main man for the team this week. Another frequent selection I make for the best small forward of the week, James averaged 27 points, 9.7 rebounds, 9 assists, and 2 steals per game while shooting 51% from the field. James opened the week with his third triple-double of the year, putting up 28 points, 14 rebounds, and 12 assists in an overtime win over the Thunder.
Honorable Mentions:
Kawhi Leonard: 29.7 PPG, 8 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 54% FG, 43% 3P
Khris Middleton: 21.7 PPG, 5 RPG, 9 APG, 1.3 SPG, 47% FG, 33% 3P
Power Forward: Pascal Siakam
After a rough 2-7 start to the season, the Toronto Raptors have mellowed out a bit. They're not quite good or even at the .500 mark, but they've managed to improve their record to 12-14 after a 2-1 outing this past week. The season has seen its ups and downs for the Raptors, and one of those ups and downs has been Pascal Siakam. After beginning the season putting up good, but underwhelming numbers, Siakam has seen a huge jump in production over the last few weeks, and this past week saw him put up some of his best numbers of the season. For the week, Siakam averaged 27 points, 4.7 rebounds, and a steal per game while shooting 56% from the field and 63% from three-point range. Siakam opened the week with a 32-point performance to pick up the win over the Memphis Grizzlies.
Honorable Mentions:
Giannis Antetokounmpo: 35.3 PPG, 11.7 RPG, 1 SPG, 1.7 BPG, 58% FG
Zion Williamson: 28.3 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 74% FG
Center: Nikola Jokić
The battle for the title of the league's best center continues to be a two-man race between Joel Embiid and Nikola Jokić. After Embiid got my pick for the spot the last two weeks, Jokić is getting the nod for the third time this season. This came after the Nuggets rebounded from an underwhelming week to go 2-1 this past week and now hold a 14-11 record this year. As usual, Jokić was dominant on both ends of the court and stuffed pretty much every category of the stat sheet during the week. For the week, Jokic averaged 23 points, 10.3 rebounds, 9 assists, and a steal per game while shooting 55% from the field, 39% from three-point range, and a perfect 10/10 from the free-throw line. Jokić closed out the week with a near triple-double putting up 22 points, 13 rebounds, and 9 assists in a win over the Thunder
Honorable Mentions:
Nikola Vučević: 31.3 PPG, 12.3 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 53% FG, 52% 3P
Joel Embiid: 31.7 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 1 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 49% FG, 50% 3P
6th Man: Lou Williams
Lou Williams hasn't been having the best season so far. While nobody is expecting him to put up 20 points a night like he did before Kawhi Leonard and Paul George showed up, but his reduced role has seen a big drop, as he averaging below 12 points per game this year. This obviously hasn't hurt the team, as the Los Angeles Clippers find themselves with a 19-8 record on the year after a 2-1 outing this week, but the Lou Will we're seeing this year is not the Lou Will of old. This past week, however, we saw that Lou Will we're used to, as Williams averaged 22.3 points, 4 rebounds, 4.7 assists, and 1.7 steals per game off the bench while shooting 55% from the field, 36% from three-point range, and a perfect 15/15 from the free-throw line. Williams' best performance of the week came in the Clippers' win over the Timberwolves, where he dropped a season-high 27 points.
Kyle Kuzma: 15.5 PPG, 10 RPG, 1 BPG, 43% FG, 100% FT
Carmelo Anthony: 23.3 PPG, 1.3 BPG, 53% FG, 57% 3P
Rookie: LaMelo Ball
Every week that goes by, the gap between LaMelo Ball and his fellow first-year players in the Rookie of the Year race widens. The Charlotte Hornets aren't quite a good team yet, as they are just 13-14 on the year so far, but they're slowly getting there, especially after a 3-1 outing this past week. Ball has been a big reason for their success this week, as he's quickly proved that his much-deserved promotion to the starting line-up was not a mistake. For the week, Ball averaged 20 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6 assists, and 1.8 steals per game while shooting 46% from the field and 43% from three-point range. Ball would record two double-doubles during the week as well, putting up 24 points and 10 assists in a win over the Rockets before putting up 20 points and 11 rebounds four days later in another win over, this time over the Timberwolves.
Honorable Mentions:
Anthony Edwards: 18 PPG, 4 RPG, 3 APG, 1 SPG, 43% FG, 32% 3P
Saddiq Bey: 18.3 PPG, 6 RPG, 79% FG, 80% 3P
Comments
Post a Comment