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 (minus the rookie of the week) 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: Stephen Curry
We're on the home stretch of the year, as there are just six days left of the NBA season when this goes up. With only seven teams having locked down a playoff spot and only six being eliminated from contention, over half the teams in the league are still competing for their spot in the postseason. One of those teams is the Golden State Warriors, who have fought through plenty of injuries and hardships to stay in the playoff hunt. Currently, 35-33 on the season after a 3-1 week, the Warriors currently sit at 8th in the West, four games out of the official playoffs and firmly in the play-in tournament. With only four games left in the season, the odds of the Warriors crossing that threshold are slim, so they'll have to tear it up in the play-in tournament if they want to make an improbable run to the championship. The reason the Warriors stayed afloat this year has been Stephen Curry, who has been unstoppable for the last month, and this week was no different. For the week, Curry averaged 40.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.8 assists, and 1.5 steals per game while shooting 50% from the field, 46% from three, and 92% from the free-throw line. Curry closed out the week with his best performance, putting up 49 points in a blowout win over the Thunder
Honorable Mentions:
Damian Lillard: 31.8 PPG, 9 APG, 1.4 SPG, 55% FG, 50% 3P, 95% FT
Kyrie Irving: 33.5 PPG, 4.8 APG, 2.5 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 53% FG, 48% 3P
Shooting Guard: Bradley Beal
If there was one team that nobody thought would be anywhere near playoff contention when the season started, it's the Washington Wizards. Starting the year as one of the absolute worst in the league, the Wizards have rebounded in a huge way, going 15-4 over their last 19 games. They're still a below .500 team at 32-36, even after a 3-1 week, but that record is still good enough to put them at 9th place and in the play-in tournament in a weaker Eastern Conference. They're not guaranteed a spot just yet, but barring a perfect 5-0 run from the Bulls in their remaining games, the Wizards are likely going to be competing for a spot in the playoffs. This strong run at the end of the season is thanks to their stellar backcourt, with Bradley Beal being the star of the team. For the week, Beal averaged 36.5 points, 4.8 rebounds, and a steal per game while shooting 55% from the field and 42% from three-point range. Beal closed out the week with his best performance, putting up 50 points in a win over the Pacers.
Honorable Mentions:
Caris LeVert: 28.3 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 7 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 42% FG, 45% 3P
Devin Booker: 27.3 PPG, 4 RPG, 4.8 APG, 48% FG, 93% FT
Small Forward: Bojan Bogdanović
As opposed to the two teams I talked about previously, the Utah Jazz have nothing to worry about when it comes to the playoffs. Currently sitting at 50-18 on the year after a perfect 4-0 week, the Jazz hold not only the best record in the Western Conference, but the entire league, and have clinched both a playoff spot and the Northwest Division title. I haven't really talked about members of the Utah Jazz too much this year, as they've mostly been a strong unit as opposed to one player standing out above the rest. This week, however, there are two players from Utah who stood out above the rest of the league at their roles, and one of them is Bojan Bogdanović. One of the more underrated small forwards in the league, Bogdanović went above and beyond this week, averaging 29.3 points, 4.5 rebounds, and a steal per game while shooting 62% from the field, 54% from three, and 90% from the free-throw line. Bogdanović had a career night during the week, putting up a career-high 48 points and a season-high 8 rebounds in a win over the Nuggets.
Honorable Mentions:
Khris Middleton: 24 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 1.3 SPG, 48% FG, 44% 3P, 100% FT
Jayson Tatum: 23 PPG, 5 RPG, 1.3 SPG, 1 BPG, 43% FG, 33% 3P, 93% FT
Power Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Speaking of division champions, the Milwaukee Bucks are a team that we're expected to be one of the top teams in the Eastern Conference, and they've lived up to expectations. Following a perfect 4-0 week, the Bucks hold a 43-24 record on the year, good enough for 3rd in the East and enough to lockdown the Central Division title. The Bucks are looking to finally get over the hump and win their first NBA Championship since 1971, and it'll be Giannis Antetokounmpo who will look to lead the team to the promised land. The reigning two-time MVP might not be the front runner for the award this year, but he's continued to put up top-notch stats, and this week was no different. For the week, Antetokounmpo averaged 31.3 points, 10 rebounds, 5.8 assists, a steal, and 1.5 blocks per game while shooting 52% from the field and 32% from three. Antetokounmpo opened the week with one of his best performances of the year, putting up a season-high 49 points, 8 rebounds, and 3 blocks against the Nets.
Honorable Mentions:
Domantas Sabonis: 27.3 PPG, 13.3 RPG, 9.8 APG, 2.3 SPG, 68% FG, 40% 3P
Kevin Durant: 31.8 PPG, 9.8 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.3 SPG, 1.3 BPG, 48% FG, 45% 3P, 90% FT
Center: Nikola Vučević
It finally happened. After joking about how Nikola Vučević would never get his time in the spotlight because of Nikola Jokić and Joel Embiid, it has finally happened. Vučević outplayed both of them. Granted, Vučević only played in two games this week, but they were both wins and he clearly helped the Chicago Bulls. The Bulls are currently fighting for a spot in the play-in tournament, as they currently sit at 11th in the East with a 28-39 record, three games behind the 10th place Pacers. With five games left in the season, it's a long shot, but the Bulls still have a chance of sneaking into the tournament. And if the Bulls want a shot at making the tournament, they'll need Vučević to keep playing the way he did this week. For the week, Vučević averaged 23.5 points, 14 rebounds, 6.5 assists, 2 steals, and a block per game while shooting 48% from the field, 58% from three, and 100% from the free-throw line. After missing the first two games of the week, Vučević would drop 29 points and 14 rebounds against the Hornets before closing out the week with his second triple-double of the year, putting up 18 points, 14 rebounds, and a season-high 10 assists against the Celtics.
Honorable Mentions:
Nikola Jokić: 29.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG, 7.5 APG, 1 SPG, 1 BPG, 54% FG
Joel Embiid: 29.4 PPG, 10.6 RPG, 1.2 BPG, 57% FG, 39% 3P, 94% FT
6th Man: Jordan Clarkson
As I mentioned, the Utah Jazz have had a wildly successful, as they're currently the best team in the entire league and have clinched both a playoff spot and the Northwest Division title. Like I said, the Jazz not a team with one clear guy who stands out above the rest (see, the Milwaukee Bucks or the Golden State Warriors this year.) Instead, they're a strong unit that has propelled them to the top of the league. I've already looked at one of the pieces in Bojan Bogdanović, but another one is Jordan Clarkson, the man who has led the Jazz's bench squad and looks like the front runner for the Sixth Man of the Year award. Clarkson had another stellar week for himself, averaging 22 points, 5 rebounds, 5.3 assists, and a steal per game while shooting 45% from the field and 34% from three-point range. Clarkson's best performance of the week came
Honorable Mentions:
Khyri Thomas: 21.5 PPG, 4 RPG, 4 SPG, 1.5 BPG, 57% FG, 40% 3P, 100% FT
Danilo Gallinari: 19.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, 3 APG, 2 SPG, 58% FG, 53% 3P
Rookie: Anthony Edwards
Man, if Anthony Edwards had been playing the way he has in the second half of the season all year long, the Rookie of the Year race would be a lot clearer. The Minnesota Timberwolves have obviously been an absolute pile this year ("A pile of what?" you might ask. Nothing good, I can tell you that much) as they're currently second to last in the West with a 20-47 record after a 0-2 week and well out of playoff contention, but Anthony Edwards has remained a bright spot for a team that desperately needed one. Edwards really balled out this past week, averaging 33.5 points, 6 rebounds, 5 assists, and a block per game while shooting 66% from the field and 56% from three. Edwards' opened the week with his best performance, putting up a career-high 42 points, 6 rebounds, and a career-high 7 assists in a loss to the Grizzlies.
Honorable Mentions:
Kenyon Martin Jr: 22.3 PPG, 8.3 RPG, 3.8 APG, 55% FG, 54% 3P
LaMelo Ball: 17 PPG, 5.8 RPG, 6.5 APG, 2 SPG, 40% FG
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