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The 6th week of the NBA is starting and things are still upside down in the Eastern Conference. The Toronto Raptors and the Detroit Pistons have kept their strong start going on, placed 2nd and 3rd respectively in the Conference standings. On the other hand, the Cleveland Cavaliers have been lackluster to begin but have momentum on their side with an ongoing five-game win streak.
Meanwhile, in the Western Conference, normalcy has returned. The Houston Rockets are back on the top of the league, with the Golden State Warriors trailing them closely. The only team that is still below par is Oklahoma City Thunder, which is currently at the 9th spot, even after adding Carmelo Anthony and Paul George.
The week 6 of the NBA is upon us and we will look towards the top players to watch for:
#7 Kevin Durant - Golden State Warriors
Kevin Durant is never the one to shy away from the limelight, be it on the court or off it. Although his on-court antics speak a lot louder, he's still averaging 24.9 points this season, starting off the season with a huge bang. He is also grabbing 7.0 rebounds per game, not to mention his 4.9 assists as well.
His usage rate might have declined since his Thunder days, but he is contributing a lot more defensively as well and has the help he needs to retain the NBA title again this season. He also leads the league in total blocks so far this season, which has become a huge addition to his game.
Just watch him do what he does best:
His versatility on the court, allowing him to play almost every single position is a big boost to the Warriors. Golden State has a really good set of games with teams that are poor defensively and look for Durant to capitalize on this fully.
#6 Joel Embiid - Philadelphia 76ers
Joel Embiid is not just a star, he is a superstar who has an unknown ceiling to his game. He has been on a minutes restriction all of his career, which included playing only under 25 minutes of only 31 games last season.
Injuries have ravaged the star and the 76ers are taking every precaution they can. Nonetheless, Embiid has been averaging 22.8 points every game, with 10.9 rebounds with 3.5 assists and 1.8 blocks averages. Here is Embiid going ham vs Kings:
A 7-foot center who can hit 3s on a regular basis, that is why Embiid is a complete player. He has been stuffing the stat sheets by playing just 25 minutes per game. A completely unrestricted Joel could completely destroy anything in sight. His monster 46-point game last week against the Los Angeles Lakers was an amazing sight to behold and look for his form to continue on an upward trajectory.
#5 Kristaps Porzingis - New York Knicks
Kristaps Porzingis is a man on a mission. After Carmelo Anthony left the New York Knicks, he has become the main man in the Garden. Everyone had doubts as to whether Porzingis will be able to step up and be the franchise player he is expected to be. Looking at this, we can say for sure:
Porzingis is the franchise player everyone hoped for. He has been averaging 27.8 points per game, 7.1 rebounds and 2.3 blocks a game. His three-pointers attempted has gone up just marginally but his three-point shooting percentage has taken a considerable leap. The absence of Anthony has allowed Porzingis to emerge from the shadows and with the Knicks playing 3 games this week, watch out for some Porzingis highlight reels.
#4 Damian Lillard Portland Trailblazers
Damian Lillard has been the lone warrior at Portland until CJ McCollum came out as a star in 2016. He finally has help in the form of a big man, Jusuf Nurkic as well. He has gotten used to being the solo player but now is racking up the assists as well. Here is Lillard launching a game-winning 3 to carry the Trailblazers to win against the Lakers a few backs back:
He is averaging 24.6 points this season, with atleast 7 combined assists and rebounds per game. His showing up is a big part of the Trailblazers and they surely need him to perform big.
#3 DeMarcus Cousins - New Orleans Pelicans
Cousins has been putting in some really huge performances, especially during Davis' injury layoff. Alongside Holiday, Cousins and Davis have been really pushing the boundaries of how good the Pelicans can really perform. He has been averaging at least 28 points per game, 14 rebounds and 6 assists, for a center that is such a huge number. Boogie and the Brow are carrying the Pelicans to wins with plays like these:
With Rondo almost ready to be back and playing, Cousins will not only have more chances to score, but also to concentrate on getting more rebounds as well.
#2 Ben Simmons - Philadelphia 76ers
Ben Simmons has been a force to reckon with on the young Philadelphia lineup. The 6-foot 10-inch rookie is a very versatile player, and is currently leading the rookies in all major stats - points, assists, and rebounds, steals and blocks.
He can play PG to C, any and every position. He is averaging 18.1 points per game, 9.1 rebounds a game and 8.0 assists per game.
#1 James Harden - Houston Rockets
Anything said about this player is not enough. He has been lighting the NBA on fire. With Chris Paul sidelined since the opening day of the NBA, The Beard has been the driving force of the Rockets as usual and he has been doing it in style.
Harden has been averaging 31.6 points per game, atleast 9.9 assists a game, even though there is no Chris Paul. It is still remaining to see how they both perform together, but if Harden continues to be in the form that he is, they don't really need Chris Paul to show up at all.
Guess the Lakers players!
