NBA 2020-2021 – With a new NBA week full of twists and turns, this 2020/2021 regular season will certainly go down in history. These crazy trades haven’t stopped players and franchises from shining or disappointing. However, the pandemic prevented some matches from going well. Between individual performances and collective performances, here are the tops and flops of this week of the regular season.
Franchises
Tops
To the East, Milwaukee has signed a perfect week and leads the Conference. Indeed, the Bucks, led by a Giannis Antetokounmpo yet a notch below, are on a series of 4 wins in a row. They have been undefeated since January 8 and a 131-118 loss to the Utah Jazz. This ongoing series testifies to a certain homogeneity in the workforce. With Khris Middleton, Jrue Holiday and Bobby Portis, the Bucks have many offensive assets that hit the mark. Indeed, they are one of the franchises that score the most this season with an average of 120.2 points per game. This team has shifted into high gear in recent days and will have to be counted on in the Eastern Conference.
In the Western Conference, the Lakers have spent the second. Indeed, undefeated for 5 meetings, the teammates of LeBron James continue their journey at the head of the Conference. Their last defeat dates back to January 8 against the Spurs of DeMar DeRozan. Thanks to this beautiful series, Lakers even take the lead one or two steps ahead of their main competitors, the Clippers and the Jazz at the start of the season. These performances are the result of a functioning defensive system, led by Frank Vogel who masterfully orchestrates all of this. In addition, the current form of LeBron James is impressive him who, at 36, compiles 24.1 points, 8.1 rebounds and 7.7 assists per game. It commands respect!
Flops
After a good start to the season, the Miami Heat dark, more and more, in the ranking of the Eastern Conference. The Floridians haven’t won this week and are on a 4-game losing streak that seems important to correct now. Despite a Bam adebayo correct, Miami is the victim of the certain form of its players. Indeed, Jimmy Butler is not at all level, like his other teammates like Kendrick Nunn, for example. With a record of only 4 victories in 11 games, their need for victories is more and more felt with, in addition, a 12th place in the Eastern Conference. The lack of rest for these players since last year’s finals against Lakers is certainly the cause. However, after 1 month of competition, the wait is starting to be long for Heat fans.
In the West, the Timberwolves seem to be struggling at the start of the season. Despite an attractive 5 behind Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell, the performances are not at the rendezvous in Minnesota. With only 3 wins in 11 games, the Timberwolves are currently doing last in their Conference. It is, moreover, the penultimate worst record of the league, tied with the Wizards of Bradley Beal and right in front of Detroit. The Wolves get eaten and, for good reason, they have won only one meeting in their last 9. It was a small victory against Spurs (96 – 88) but which enabled them not to lose contact with the rest of the Conference. In addition, the recent contamination of KAT to Covid-19 is not likely to help matters.
The players
Tops
To the East, Julius Randle shows all his talent these last days by chaining perf ‘on perf’. With 24.5 points average over his last games, the strong winger of Knicks is quite simply one of the surprises of the last few days and even the start of the season. This start to the season is quite simply worthy of an All-Star. He wears, moreover, almost all by himself the Knicks. He was, moreover, one of the architects of their overwhelming victory over the Celtics this Sunday. Otherwise, Kevin Durant also signed a crazy week with equally crazy stats and in particular his 42 points against the Magic for the first of his new teammate James Harden. Andre Drummond is also in sparkling form and dominates the rebounder rankings with 2.5 units ahead Rudy Gobert. Just that !
West, Luka Doncic is always on fire. He’s clearly stepped up a gear and it shows. He also signed two triple-doubles this week. With an average of 28.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 9.4 assists, he’s the most complete player in the league right now. Like the Slovenian, another European shines in the person of Nikola Jokic. Author of a triple-double, Jokic is also the author of an almost perfect week. He continues, match after match, to carry his team on his shoulders, brushing, like Doncic, almost every time the triple-double. With 25 points, 11.4 rebounds and 10.3 assists, it’s the triple-double average that would have made him an All-star had he had the chance this season.
Luka Doncic was stratospheric against the Bulls ????
The Slovenian Mavericks entered a very closed circle and took the opportunity to overtake Michael Jordan in the number of career triple-doubles ???? #NBAhttps://t.co/DsU4aOH93R
— Dicodusport ⭐⭐ (@dicodusport) January 18, 2021
Flops
In the East, the long absence of Kyrie Irving with the Nets perhaps seen as a flop. But, as this paper is about basketball, you still have to play to be considered as such. This week, like at the start of the season, Blake Griffin is a source of disappointment. Indeed, despite the fact that the workforce around him is small, his performance is not reassuring. Despite the many rebounds captured and his assists, his 39% success in shooting shows that he is not at his best. It seems that at 31, Griffin is closer to the end of his career than to his debut, and it shows in his game. He no longer goes up to the circle to dunk, prefers to shoot from afar and brings his experience to the young. His status changes and he becomes more of a mentor than a good player in the Detroit locker room.
In the West, despite his rebounding qualities that he always manages to exploit, Rudy Gobert is experiencing some scoring difficulties. Big contract or not, Picard’s performance is below what it is capable of producing. However, it is probably not a lack of confidence of the player, but perhaps a problem of use by his coach. Indeed, the French only touched very few balls in attack for the benefit of Mitchell and of Conley. These players are the main offensive assets of the team. Relegated only to 4th or even 5th offensive option of the team, Gobert has fewer opportunities to score and it shows in his stat line. Despite 13.3 rebounds per game, he is 11 points on average at the start of the season. In addition, he only takes 4 or 5 shots per game against, 6 or 7 the previous seasons.
–
