NBA Team of the Week (Oct. 17- 22)

Only one of LeBron and Giannis can make this list.
Only one of LeBron and Giannis can make this list.

Just six days into the 2017-18 NBA season and we had almost everything - buzzer beaters, game-winners, clutch plays, blowouts, monster individual performances, super-competitive games. And the majority of the teams have played just two games so far, so there's so much more to come.

With Sunday night's action in the books, it's time for our weekly edition of NBA Team of the Week.

Now, some players, courtesy of their big opening week had easily sealed their position on this list while choosing players for a couple of these positions was a tough task. So let's get right to it. The new season's first All-NBA team for the week:

#5 Center - Nikola Vucevic

Nikola Vucevic (Image courtesy: nba.com)
Nikola Vucevic (Image courtesy: nba.com)

Team record: 2-1

Week averages: 27.7 points, 10.7 rebounds, 3.0 assists on 68% shooting

Who's this guy, right?

Nikola Vucevic was the 'center' piece, the Orlando Magic received when they traded their then superstar Dwight Howard to the Los Angeles Lakers as part of a four-team trade back in 2012. He's not established himself as the franchise star they hoped but he's shown flashes of promise and he did so in the opening week of the new season.

One of the major reasons he's here is for his game against the Brooklyn Nets. The Magic rode Vucevic's hot hand but alas, the team couldn't seal the win, coming up short in Brooklyn. The 26-year old Swiss erupted for 41 points (tying his career-high) on 17-of-22 shooting while also grabbing 12 rebounds.

In the following game, Orlando rode into Cleveland and handed the Conference Champions a 21-point drubbing. Vucevic played a handy role there as well, scoring an efficient 23 points (11-of-16 shooting).

#4 Power Forward: Anthony Davis

Anthony Davis
Anthony Davis

Team record: 1-2

Week averages: 31.67 points, 16.67 rebounds on 53.2% shooting

Just like last year, Anthony Davis has started out this season red-hot, stuffing the stat sheet. The numbers are down from last year, given that he has another dominant big man in DeMarcus Cousins alongside him but in the categories that matter - points, rebounds, assists, steals, blocks - Davis is delivering.

He's done everything he could in his capacity during these three games and the blame for the Pelicans being 1-2 can't completely be on him. He had one bad night (by his terms), in the team's opener where he put up 33 points but it came on 9-of-23 shooting.

Other than every other game, against the Golden State Warriors and the Lakers, he has been an efficient point scorer for the team. His box score was lit against the young Los Angeles team - 27 points, 17 rebounds, 3 assists, 3 steals, 3 blocks.

#3 Small Forward: Giannis Antetokounmpo

Milwaukee Bucks v Boston Celtics
Giannis Antetokounmpo

Team record: 2-1

Week averages: 38.3 points, 9.7 rebounds, 5.0 assists on 67.2% shooting

If Milwaukee wins enough games, Giannis Antetokounmpo is going to be a serious contender for this season's MVP. Through three games, he has almost single-handedly led the team to two wins and recorded insane box scores in the process.

The one loss came was a tough one against the Cleveland Cavaliers, where the deeper team led by LeBron James just took over the game in the fourth quarter. But in the other games, Antetokounmpo has led from the front and ensured the team came away with the win.

The 'Greek Freak' recorded his career-high 44 points against the Portland Trail Blazers, not to mention his clutch plays (a steal, a fastbreak dunk and a block). He dedicated this memorable performance to his late father, who had only recently passed away.

#2 Shooting Guard: Bradley Beal

Philadelphia 76ers v Washington Wizards
Bradley Beal

Team record: 2-0

Week averages: 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 42.9% shooting

Through two games, despite playing against weaker opponents, the Washington Wizards have just about snatched out wins and that is in part because of All-Star caliber backcourt. Bradley Beal, the team's starting shooting guard, is scoring and ensuring he does his job while John Wall runs and orchestrates the offense

Through two games, he's averaged 25 points in 35 minutes while doing enough secondary playmaking to not put too much pressure on Wall. Another factor why Beal with these relatively subpar numbers makes the cut for this list is because of this competition at this position.

With James Harden now playing point guard, the SG slot is wide open. And while Klay Thompson is the next best guy at this position, he's had one bad game and his team, the Golden State Warriors have had two losses in three games.

#1 Point Guard: James Harden

Houston Rockets v Golden State Warriors
James Harden

Team record: 3-0

Week averages: 27.7 points, 8.7 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.7 steals

In a league filled with elite point guards, last year's MVP runner-up James Harden is the selection this week. He's led his team to 3-0 till Sunday, including an opening night upset win over the Warriors at Oracle Arena.

Not to mention the all-round numbers he's putting up. Now, given that two of the three wins have been against lottery-bound Western Conference teams in the Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks. But the Rockets still had to execute and they did so with ease. In addition, everything said and done, Houston is one-up on Golden State right now.

And all of this early success the team has tasted, much like last year, is because of Harden. With Chris Paul missing the last two games and most probably out for a month with knee issues, it seems likely that Harden playing and handling at point will continue.

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Edited by Yash Matange