It’s the week before last in the regular season and we roll in our fifth edition of the NBA Team of the Week. Much of the team remains same, however the back-court see’s new faces. Read on, to find out who made the cut for last week’s NBA Dream Team of the Week:
Center: Karl-Anthony Towns
Week averages: 21.3 points, 10.3 rebounds, 3 blocks and 50% FG%
For the first time this season, the Minnesota Timberwolves won three games in a row and their rookie center Karl-Anthony Towns had a lot to with that. He played a huge role in their comeback win over the Golden State Warriors, put up an efficient 27 minutes against the Sacramento Kings and then went on to hit the game-winning shot against the Portland Trailblazers.
Towns has quickly become one amongst very few legitimate centers in the league. Not only does he possess some deft touches and moves at the low block, he also has the dribbling ability and mobility of a perimeter player that makes him tougher to guard. It’s also what helps him retain his spot from last week’s NBA Team of the Week.
Now it’s been repeated week after week how Towns is already a lock for the Rookie of the Year Award but it’s so easy to forget that this rookie is playing at the level of some NBA superstar at the very young age of just 20. If his talent and potential can be harnessed properly along with the talent around him, watch out for Minnesota in the coming years.
Power Forward: Draymond Green
Week averages: 16 points, 6.8 rebounds, 6 assists and 62% FG%
Draymond Green, the heart and soul of the Golden State Warriors, rose to the occasion when the team needed him the most. With Stephen Curry having a rough shooting night, Green combined with front court partner Harrison Barnes to help the Warriors successfully complete a one-point comeback win over the Memphis Grizzlies. He had 23 points, 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 blocks in that game, not to mention his shooting percentage of 71.4%.
Green’s versatility and power at his size makes him one of the best power forwards in the league. And when you assemble the type of players Golden State has around him, he becomes that much more lethal. He can shoot the three-pointer at an efficient rate and at the same time can make smart passes that lead up to easy buckets. That’s why the Curry-Green pick and roll is the league’s indefensible play right now.
Green might only be 6 foot 7 inches but can make the paint a living hell for any forward or center above 6’10” who can’t handle his dribble too well. His defense on San Antonio Spurs forward LaMarcus Aldridge in the first contest between the teams put San Antonio’s offense out of rhythm and eventually led to the 30 point blowout win for the Warriors.
Paul Millsap’s performances during the week were noteworthy but not enough to dethrone Green from the Team of the Week.
Small Forward: LeBron James
Week averages: 25 points, 6 rebounds, 6 assists and 77% FG%
There might be a general perception that LeBron James’ game is on the decline but that’s probably more because of the level Stephen Curry is playing at the moment. While James is still putting up solid numbers himself, Curry's astronomical numbers has shadowed pretty much everyone's numbers.
James and the Cavaliers suffered an uncharacteristic loss to the Bulls on Saturday night.The loss takes nothing away from how dominant James has been this week.
Cleveland played three games this week and James rested in the game against the Indiana Pacers. So in the remaining two games, James has done everything physically possible on his part to help the team win despite the team having a comfortable lead for the first seed in the East. Anybody who believes James’ game is on the decline should check his numbers this week. He might not be the best player in the league at the moment but his standard of play has certainly not taken a dip.
In a blowout win over the Milwaukee Bucks, James recorded 17 points, 9 assists, and 5 rebounds in just 28 minutes of action. His importance to the team just cannot be taken for granted. He can’t afford to have an off-night because the record and stats don’t support the Cavs when his production is down. So far this season Cleveland his 1-4 in games that James does not feature.
Shooting Guard: James Harden
Week averages: 32 points, 8 assists, 3.6 rebounds and 48% FG%
Along with the numbers mentioned above, Harden also averages 4.3 turnovers per game. At some point of time that high turnover rate must be overlooked considering the number of minutes he logs and the amount of load he carries on the offensive end.
The fact of the matter is, at times, he is the only one from the Rockets’ locker room who can be consistently depended upon for offense. If we take for example Houston’s game against the lowly Phoenix Suns on Friday., Harden had one of the most efficient and productive games of his career scoring 30 points on 10 of 14 shooting and dishing out 7 dimes but no other Rocket contributed enough and ultimately the team lost 115-124, a game they should have won.
This criticism only pardons Harden’s mistakes as the number of minutes he logs on a consistent basis (Average-43 minutes) should allow him to take some time to recuperate and he does that on defense as the team needs his play on the other end. Harden, a two-time member of the All-NBA First Team finally makes it to the NBA Dream Team of the Week, displacing Jimmy Butler on his way.
Point Guard: Stephen Curry
Week averages: 25.5 points, 9.3 assists and 6.3 rebounds.
The San Antonio Spurs received league-wide appreciation on the way they guarded Stephen Curry during the Warriors’ first visit to San Antonio on March 19th. They basically tried their best to be physical and take the three-pointer away from him, forcing the reigning MVP to drive to the hole. That adjustment took Curry by surprise and he was never able to recover in an attempt to help his team make a comeback.
In the past week, Curry had two chances to exercise his demons with the Warriors and Spurs set to play twice; once on Thursday and again on Saturday. Both games saw Curry score game highs and showed everybody how effective his game can be even without the jump shot.
In both games combined, Curry averaged 32 points, 7 assists, and 5 rebounds on 24 of 41 shooting (58.5%). Getting into some kind of groove against a worthy Western Conference opponent would certainly help Curry and the Warriors head into the Playoffs with a lot more confidence than if they had dropped any of these games.
Nonetheless, Curry seemed a lot calmer in his decision making and shot selection against the Spurs; showcasing his maturity to adapt to a certain style of defense that opponents throw at him. This week he was also able to find some shooting rhythm, coming off a rough recent couple of weeks. His turnovers were also way below what he had been putting up over the past two weeks.
All this combined with the poor showing of Russell Westbrook’s against the Sacramento Kings, helped Curry make his first NBA Team of the Week since we started rolling these out.
Guess the Lakers players!
