LaMarcus Aldridge, Por PF, C
.517 FG%, .933 FT%, 26.3 PTS, 0.3 3PM, 14.3 REB, 1.3 AST, 2.3 STL, 1.3 BLK, 2.3 TO, 2.3 PF
LaMarcus Aldridge registered his 16th double-double of the season Saturday night against the Pelicans. "L-Train" put up 27 pts and 12 rebounds on defense specialist Anthony Davis in the game.
Earlier in the week, Aldridge worked the San Antonio Spurs over Monday with Tim Duncan out of the lineup, pounding them for 23 points and 14 rebounds. He did the same against the Milwaukee Bucks Wednesday, finishing with 23 points and 15 rebounds. He'll have to continue to rebound like that with Robin Lopez out for the foreseeable future.
Alridge is the most complete post-scoring power forward in the NBA. He is lights-out from the mid-range and can hold his own in the paint. With an array of moves and now a three-point shot, Aldridge is nearly unstoppable. The Portland forward moved into second place on the franchise's all-time scoring list earlier this month during a 98-86 victory over the Detroit Pistons.
He is one of just five NBA players to have averaged 20-plus points each of the past four seasons, and has finished in the top 10 in scoring each of the past three seasons. Twice he has been named to an All-NBA team. He's also my favorite NBA player.
James Harden, Hou SG
.443 FG%, .857 FT%, 34.0 PTS, 2.7 3PM, 7.0 REB, 7.3 AST, 2.7 STL, 1.0 BLK, 3.3 TO, 2.7 PF
James Harden had a great week. Back spasms put Harden's status in question for Wednesday's game but he powered through it, putting up 34pts on the Golden State Warriors. The next night he went and scored 44 on the Kings (2 shy of his career high). To top off the week he got his third career triple double in a win over the Nuggets.
"The Beard" is now leading the Rockets team in Points, Rebounds, Assists, Steals, and Blocks.Total: 581 points, 137 rebounds, 143 assists, 45 steals, 24 blocks, all the highest of his team. Per game: Leading the team in points, assists and steals. Second in rebounds and blocks per game, behind Dwight Howard who only played 10 games so far.
This has only been done three times for an entire season. Scottie Pippen the first year of Jordan's first retirement, LeBron James on the 66 win Cleveland, and Kevin Garnett on one of those Wolves teams.
Harden is still one of the most prolific offensive players in the NBA but his offensive game is actually a bit off this year. His efficiency is markedly down as he’s increased his usage rate with Howard out and scored the most points per game, 26.3, in the league.
Instead, the Houston guard actually seems to be playing defence well for the first time in his career. Harden’s always had the size, quickness and intelligence to be an elite defender. He just never seemed to care. Apparently all the years of derision toward that aspect of his game finally got to him.
Harden is hounding players these days, averaging two steals and a block per game.
Goran Dragic, Pho PG
.591 FG%, .882 FT%, 25.0 PTS, 2.7 3PM, 3.7 REB, 7.3 AST, 1.7 STL, 0.7 BLK, 2.3 TO, 1.0 PF
The Phoenix Suns are attempting an intriguing experiment by giving three point guards significant play time. Through the signing of Isaiah Thomas and the re-signing of Eric Bledsoe last offseason, Phoenix placed two 1-men alongside Goran Dragic to form one of the most formidable backcourt rotations in the NBA.
This experiment is seemingly working thus far, as the Suns are 11-8 and all three floor generals are performing exceptionally.
Unfortunately for Dragic, this has led to a decrease in play time compared to last season, as his minutes have dropped from 35.1 to 31.1 per game. Dragic's usage rate (i.e. the percentage of plays he's involved in while on the floor) has also diminished, falling from 24.5 to 22.1 percent (5th for the Suns).
As a result, numbers have dropped from his All-NBA Third Team performance last season. The 28-year-old is currently averaging 15.5 points and 3.2 assists—a noteworthy reduction from the 20.3 points and 5.9 assists he put forth last year. The suns' guard has had some challenges moving from PG to SG.
"It's kind of a different situation because all these last, I don't know, 10 years, when I was a point guard, I had the ball in my hand and I was making plays for others, I was making plays for myself," Dragic said. "Now, the others are making plays for me and I need to move without the ball. It's a little bit harder for me because I never did that before."
The reigning Most Improved Player has still put together some good numbers this season. He had 28 points and a season-high 13 assists Friday as the Suns put an end to the Mavericks' 5 game winning streak. He shot a ridiculous 59% from the field last week as well.
Dragic's output may have fallen this year but last week's performance shows he can still produce when called on.
Stephen Curry, GS PG
.574 FG%, .889 FT%, 27.5 PTS, 4.0 3PM, 4.5 REB, 7.8 AST, 1.3 STL, 0.8 BLK, 2.0 TO 2.3 PF
Stephen Curry has been putting up standout numbers for years now. And he's been making us drool with a game that's easy on the eyes and arguably the sharpest skill set in the league.
But now the stats and slick moves are actually starting to translate into consistent wins. The Golden State Warriors are currently second in the Western Conference with a 12-2 record and a defense that ranks No. 2 in the NBA in efficiency. The Warriors completed a 5-0 road trip on Sunday with Curry adding 16 points and 10 assists before going down with an ankle sprain.
There's no question that he's emerged as a clear-cut 2015 MVP candidate. If one assumes he can sustain his current numbers, if not improve on them, they're certainly worthy of consideration. Derrick Rose, the last point guard to win MVP, put up numbers just like these (25.0 points, 7.7 assists, 44.5 percent shooting) during his 2010-11 award-winning season.
In terms of what he's done differently this year and where he's improved, Curry is taking one more shot per game within 10 feet of the hoop while finishing at the rim at a much better 67.2 percent rate, up big from the 57.1 percent he shot around the trees last season.
At the same time, he's maintained his ludicrous 3.3 three-pointers-per-game average and scorching 45.0 percent shooting clip from downtown.
Curry really defines the term lead guard or floor general based on his ability to run the offense and take it over on demand. The ability to successfully deliver in that role plays to Curry's value on the floor, which is what the MVP award is really all about.
