Another week of NBA action and another week of standout moments. Whether good or bad, this week brought a lot to sort through and put a spotlight on. Here are 10 things I saw in the NBA this week: week five.
*as of 11/24/24
Week Five in the NBA
A lot Is Happening In Dallas
Luka Doncic is out with a wrist injury, but that didn’t stop the Dallas Mavericks from beating the Oklahoma City Thunder or Denver Nuggets without him. P.J. Washington has stepped up in his place averaging 24 points and 15 rebounds in the two games without Luka. P.J. reminded everyone how much he loved playing in Oklahoma City with a 27-point and 17-rebound performance. Also, don’t forget about Kyrie Irving. Ky is shooting 53 percent from the field and 51 percent from three in 35 minutes a game to start the season.
Denver’s Offense is Nikola Jokic
There is a reason that Nikola Jokic is a three-time, probably should be four-time, MVP. The best offensive rating ever in NBA history for a single season is 123.2. When Jokic is on the floor for the Nuggets this season, they have an offensive rating of 125.8. However, that isn’t the most shocking stat for Denver. The worst offensive rating in NBA history to date is 92.2. The offensive rating of Denver when Jokics is OFF the floor? 86.6. The duality of man can be a cruel thing.
Philly is Still Trying to Get Out of the Starting Blocks
The Philadelphia 76ers season continues to get worse and worse. Tyrese Maxey, Paul George, and Joel Embiid FINALLY all return to play together. Then Embiid is a last-second scratch against the Nets (they did win though) due to left knee swelling, Paul George hyperextends his knee, the off-the-court drama continues, and even when all three played together they didn’t win a game and are now 3-12. Only percentage points separating them from the bottom of the entire league.
Rookie of the Year Race Could Be Fun
The one bright side for Philly? The leading candidate for Rookie of the Year is Jared McCain. McCain is averaging 26 points per game over the last five games despite the 76ers going 1-4 in those games. Even though the 76ers have been dealing with injuries, there may be a silver lining thereby giving McCain more minutes. However, you also have a rookie all the way across the country for the Los Angeles Lakers in Dalton Knecht. While Knecht hasn’t been playing at a high level consistently lately like McCain, but when you go 12-16 from the field, 9-12, and 37 points in a single game as a rookie, you’re going to get attention.
Boston Still Gives Up Big Leads
Don’t get me wrong, the Boston Celtics are a great team. However, this core Celtics team has had a habit of giving up big leads and letting teams get back into the game. This happened against against the Cleveland Cavaliers who they led by 20 points at one point in the second half, but let Cleveland make it a close game in the end. Boston still won 120-117 and, in the perspective of a seven-game series, it may not be much of an issue. Something to keep an eye on, however.
Elfrid Payton Returns
Elfrid Payton returned and played in an NBA game for the first time in 903 days! The New Orleans Pelicans have been decimated by injuries which led them to sign Payton. He was a part of a starting lineup that will live in “I’ve been a fan since this starting lineup” Hall of Fame forever with the likes of Jeremiah Robinson-Earl, Yves Missi, Brandon Boston Jr., and Javonte Green. Payton played 22 minutes with 11 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists in a loss to the Cavaliers.
Point Differential Changes Strategies in the NBA Cup
Jason Kidd brought up the concept of point differential when it comes to the NBA Cup and the issue it presents. The Mavericks beat the Pelicans 132-91 on November 19th. Kidd also kept a decent amount of starters out there until the end of the game, including Luka Doncic, when normally a coach would empty the bench. The reason for this because the Mavericks were 0-1 in the NBA Cup group play and their loss was against the Golden State Warriors who were, at the time, undefeated in group play. If the Mavericks wanted to advance to the knockout round of the NBA Cup then, more than likely, they would need to be a wildcard team. Point differential is the second tie-breaker when it comes to figuring out which teams are the wildcard teams when it comes to ties behind regular season head-to-head record. Kidd brought it up in his postgame interview and said he didn’t feel right about running the score up for a bigger point differential but still did it for the sake of the tiebreaker.
Oklahoma City Goes 1 for 2 With Their Issues
The Thunder have had two glaring issues with their team that, come playoff time, could cause trouble. One of those issues seems to be addressed, but one of them seems more prevalent than ever. Isaiah Hartenstein returned to the Thunder on November 20th against the Trail Blazers. He had 13 points, but the most important aspect of his game was his 14 rebounds and four blocks. Since Chet Holmgren went down, the Thunder have been forced to play small and have been outrebounded. The Thunder still lost the rebound battle 49-46, but once Holmgren is back that will get better. The issue that seems to remain, however, is the lack of playmakers besides Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The Thunder’s offensive identity is efficiency, but what happens when the team isn’t playing efficiently? That showed up in the playoff series against Dallas, the game on November 17th against Dallas, and the game on November 19th against San Antonio. The team, apart from Shai and Jalen Williams, were playing inefficiently. Plays needed to be made for others to get shots, but Shai was the only one who was able to do that consistently.
Reality Hitting Lakers and Suns
The Phoenix Suns were heavily reliant on their big three of Bradley Beal, Devin Booker, and especially Kevin Durant for offense. The Los Angeles Lakers were heavily reliant on Anthony Davis for their defense. Reality has hit both of them this last week. Bradley Beal and Kevin Durant are both hurt and the Suns are 1-6 since Durant got hurt. Anthony Davis is still playing great, but the lack of defense from other teammates has led them to close games to sub-par teams and a current two-game losing streak.
Star Players Sitting During Crunch Time
Charlotte Hornets point guard LaMelo Ball and Detroit Pistons point guard Cade Cunningham were not on the court during critical crunch time minutes for their respective teams only days apart. The Hornets lost to the Brooklyn Nets 116-115, but LaMelo was on the bench for the final minutes of the game. Hornets coach Charles Lee said the reasoning was that Tre Mann had the hot hand and their philosophy is to go with the hot hand. Two days later, when the Charlotte Hornets beat the Detroit Pistons 123-121 in OT, Cade Cunningham was missing from action at the end of the fourth quarter and the end of overtime.
Did I miss anything you noticed? Comment below!!
Main Image: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
