BY: DONOVAN HOLDEN
The two players who were honored with Player of the Week in week 4 are a couple of prolific veterans who have an abundance of accolades from the association and have been dominating the league since their rookie seasons. Kevin Durant of the Brooklyn Nets who had his way in the Western Conference for many years with both the Oklahoma City Thunder, and the Golden State Warriors now looks to take over the east with his new squad. Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers is now in his 12th year with the team who drafted him, and after his showing in the NBA Bubble a season ago people see him as the league’s best point guard, through and through.
Eastern Conference: Kevin Durant
- Team: Brooklyn Nets
- Stats: 31 points per game/ 5.3 rebounds per game/ 8 assists per game
- Team record during this stretch: 3-0
The National Basketball Association is simply better when Kevin Durant is healthy and playing his best brand of basketball. As any NBA fan could have guessed, this is not Kevin Durant’s first time receiving the honor of Player of the Week. Try 27 times, but this being the very first time being recognized for the honor in the Eastern Conference, the previous 26 times came when Durant played out west.
Durant has already been on quite a rollercoaster ride in this young NBA season, between having to sit out due to Covid-19 exposure, the absence of his star teammate in Kyrie Irving, and now having to adapt to reuniting with former teammate James Harden. All this considered, it does not seem as though Durant has skipped a beat and most certainly not this past week. Not only did Durant score 30 a game, but he also shot upwards of 61% from the field (60% 3P FG), and set a season high in points for himself with 42 in a contest with the Magic on Jan. 16th.
The two-time Finals MVP is reminding people exactly who he is even after coming off a season ending Achilles’ tendon injury a year ago. Arguably the best player in the world, and undoubtedly the best scorer in today’s NBA could be well on his way to making another NBA Finals appearance in his already overly accomplished career. Kevin Durant will find his name associated with the honor’s of Player of the Week again this season, and could be striving for even more impressive accolades.
Western Conference: Damian Lillard
- Team: Portland Trail Blazers
- Stats: 30.3 points per game/ 5.3 rebounds/ 7.3 assists per game
- Team record during this stretch: 3-1
It was “Dame Time” all the time from Jan. 11th-17th and this honor given to Damian Lillard should be a surprise to absolutely no one this week. Many NBA fans could have guessed that Dame Lillard would be playing at an extraordinary level this season after winning the NBA Bubble MVP during the seeding games portion of the NBA’s attempt to restart it’s season at the Walt Disney Resort.
This would be the 10th time since Lillard has entered the league that he receives the honors of Player of the Week, tying the Trail Blazers legend Clyde Drexler for most in franchise history. During Lillard’s remarkable week he led the entire Western Conference in total points (121), and free throws made (34). Lillard helped the Trail Blazers to a win over the Kings on January 13th, Lillard added 40 points and 13 assists while also going a perfect 12-12 from the charity stripe and committing zero turnovers. This performance marks the first time any player has had 40-plus points and 13-plus assists without a turnover in a single game since turnovers were first officially recorded in the 1977-1978 season.
The Trail Blazers currently sit at the 6th seed in the Western Conference, but I am sure the Bubble MVP is not satisfied with where they are at by any means. Expect more 40-point games, dazzling highlights and game winners from one of the league’s most electrifying point-guards. And Keep an eye out for possibly some even bigger scoring nights now that his backcourt mate CJ McCollum is expected to miss at least four weeks with a small fracture in his left foot.
DONOVAN’S HONORABLE MENTIONS:
Eastern Conference: Giannis Antetokounmpo
- Team: Milwaukee Bucks
- Stats: 25 points per game/ 8.3 rebounds per game/ 5 assists per game
- Team record during this stretch: 3-0
The back-to-back MVP of the NBA deserved an honorable mention this week after taking the Milwaukee Bucks to a clean 3-0 sweep through week 4. Giannis is one of few players in the league who could probably get an honorable mention every week, and if he keeps up these numbers we might be looking at a 3-peat for the MVP award.
Western Conference: Luka Doncic
- Team: Dallas Mavericks
- Stats: 32.6 points per game/ 13 rebounds per game/ 12.3 assists per game
- Team record during this stretch: 1-2
Luka Doncic is only in his 3rd season in the NBA and is currently only 21 years of age, and this week he has already passed Michael Jordan for total triple-doubles (29). The Slovenian phenom was the Western Conference’s Player of the Week last week, and averaged a triple double in week 4. The only thing keeping him from getting it back-to-back weeks is probably the Maverick’s record.