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Last week: No. 1
Stats this week: 22.0 points, 4.0 assists, 2.5 steals It's good to be the king. Mitchell's numbers were unsurprisingly down this week after averaging a ridiculous 29 points per game last week, and he turned in a 12-point, 4-for-17 stinker in a loss to the Bucks. Mitchell has played 35 or more minutes in six of his last seven games, so the fatigue of being the team's primary scorer for most of the game could be catching up to him a bit. He bounced back from the dud against the Bucks with a 32-point performance in a loss to the Bulls, and a desperation 3-pointer at the final buzzer nearly tied it. Had Ben Simmons turned in a brilliant week, he probably would have reclaimed the top spot. But Simmons' relative struggles continued, so Mitchell keeps the top spot ... for now. |
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Last week: No. 2
Stats this week: 16.0 points, 9.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds Simmons continued to distribute the ball well this week, but one glaring stat keeps him out of the top spot: 6.7 turnovers per game. Simmons didn't score until the 1:17 mark of the fourth quarter in an overtime win over the Timberwolves, but we all know that Simmons doesn't need to score to impact the game. What he does need to do, however, is take care of the ball. The good news for the Sixers is that most of Simmons' turnovers haven't been of the "careless" variety. As you can see below, most of them this week came from Simmons trying to force the ball inside to teammates. He's still getting used to the quickness and length of NBA defenders, so turnovers like this will likely start to decrease as the season goes on. |
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Last week: No. 3
Stats this week: 12.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 0.8 steals Tatum's bad games stick out like a sore thumb because we're so spoiled by his consistency. He scored just four points in the Celtics' loss to the Bulls -- sans Kyrie Irving -- on Monday, and it was just the fourth time all season that he's failed to score in double digits. That's saying something for a rookie who attempts just 9.1 shots per game this season, ninth among rookies. Tatum shot "just" 43 percent on 3-pointers this week, but if you throw out the 0-for-4 Chicago game he was 4-for-6, and he's still over 50 percent for the season. He'll continue to play an important role in the Celtics' starting lineup, and might get even more responsibility with Marcus Morris expected to miss extended time with a knee injury. |
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Last week: No. 7
Stats this week: 11.7 points, 8.7 assists, 7.0 rebounds You guys, Lonzo might be turning the corner. OK, maybe it's not time for Lakers fans to say "I told you so" just yet, but this was an incredibly encouraging week for the world's most famous rookie. It's no secret that Lonzo has struggled to start his NBA career, but it has to mean something that in arguably his two most high-profile games so far, he put up two of his best performances of the season. He notched 17 points, eight rebounds and six assists in his Madison Square Garden debut against the Knicks, and followed that up with 13 points, 11 assists and eight rebounds in his first game against LeBron James and the Cavs. Another great sign for Lonzo and the Lakers is that his shooting improved this week, up to 45 percent from the field and 43 percent on 3-pointers. He still shot miserably from the free-throw line (40 percent) but we'll take what we can get. Overall it was a huge week for Lonzo, and we'll see if it springboards him into a more consistent rookie campaign from here on out. |
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Last week: No. 6
Stats this week: 17.0 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks Kuzma appears to be adjusting to coming off the bench once again now that Larry Nance Jr. has claimed the starting role. He's been instant offense for the Lakers, but the problem for most of the season has been his defense. That improved slightly this week, which led to a plus-11.1 net rating as the Lakers went 2-1. Kuzma's 3-point shooting isn't quite at the level that it was earlier this season, but it's become clear that he has an incredibly high floor as a microwave bench scorer, with a potential All-Star ceiling. |
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Last week: No. 9
Stats this week: 19.5 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.0 blocks The return of Nikola Mirotic has been great for the Bulls, who have rattled off four straight wins since Niko returned to the lineup, but it appears Mirotic's return has also energized Markkanen. He played in only two of the team's four games this week, but shot well in both of them and once again hit the glass, reaching double-figure rebounds in a game for the first time since Nov. 26 in a win at Charlotte. Markkanen has started every game this season, but that was never part of the original plan. Mirotic looked good in two starts with Markkanen sidelined due to back spasms, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see Fred Hoiberg move the rookie to a bench role when he returns. |
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Last week: No. 5
Stats this week: 6.3 points, 1.8 rebounds, 0.8 steals Despite his modest offensive numbers, Anunoby continues to be an absolute net rating monster in the Raptors' starting unit. He led the team with a plus-25.9 this week in nearly 27 minutes per game as the Raptors went 3-1. The long, 6-foot-8 forward out of Indiana has consistently guarded the best player on the opposing team, but his 3-point shooting has been one of the most pleasant surprises of this rookie class. He was 5-for-9 from behind the arc this week and is now shooting 44 percent on the season. He's been able to make shots from his offensive home in the corners, but he's also started relocating to the wing when his defender sags into the paint and has proven that he can knock those down as well. Overall, the Raptors couldn't be happier with how their No. 23 overall pick is progressing. |
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Last week: Unranked
Stats this week: 7.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists Man, the Warriors really can do no wrong. Their starting center (Zaza Pachulia) and starting power forward (Draymond Green) go down, and they just plug in Bell, a second-round pick who's quickly become a stat-stuffing, highlight machine. Sure he makes mistakes, but Steve Kerr said more often than not he's able to make up for them on the same play because of his athleticism and energy. Bell's learning curve has been steep, but he's progressing much faster than anyone could have imagined. He had a career-high eight assists in Thursday's win over the Mavericks, and while he was the first to admit that it's easy to get assists passing the ball to Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson, Bell also said that he's becoming much more comfortable handling and passing the ball."It just took me a while, learning a whole new offense," he said. "And then us going to China I didn't really get much of a training camp. So it was pretty tough on me. But I think just the experience playing in the games, that's helping me out a lot and making things a lot easier." If Bell keeps this up, Kerr is going to have a hard time keeping him off the court -- he had by far the best net rating on the team at an insane plus-30.6 in a 3-0 week. |
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Last week: Unranked
Stats this week: 9.5 points, 5.3 assists, 1.8 steals Ntilikina had the best week of his young career so far, and was a huge part of why the Knicks went 3-1. The No. 8 overall pick has proven that he can distribute and defend, which he continues to do, but this week he showcased long-range shooting ability the Knicks probably thought was still a couple of years away. He knocked down 7-of-13 3-pointers this week and shot the ball confidently -- which is almost more important than the results at this stage of his career. Ntilikina's ability to play on both ends led him to a brilliant plus-15.5 net rating for the week. |
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Last week: Unranked
Stats this week: 9.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.0 blocks steals Adebayo has been getting consistent minutes for the Heat with Hassan Whiteside on the shelf, and he's making the most of them. Despite being shorter than a traditional center (he's listed at 6-10 but looks more like 6-8 out there), Adebayo consistently blocks shots and has become a deadly target in the pick-and-roll because of his ability to finish lobs around the rim. Take this one, for example, where Goran Dragic throws the ball into a sea of defenders, but Adebayo somehow skies to grab it and throw it down. Adebayo's averaging 1.471 points per possession as a roll man, which is among the best in the NBA. DeAndre Jordan, for example, averages 1.286 points per possession in the same situations. As the defense becomes more and more aware of Adebayo as a lob threat, it will only further open things up for the Heat offense. He had a plus-21.5 net rating this week, so clearly what he's doing out there on both ends is working. |
