The NBA’s Hottest Takes of the Week

The NBA season is in Full Swing and the takes are hot! Here are the hottest takes of the week from around the league.

The best and worst of the week in the NBA

Every week, there are bound to be some winners and losers in the NBA. This past week was no exception, with some teams impressing and others falling flat. Here are the best and worst of the week in the NBA.

Winners

The Los Angeles Lakers looked impressive this week, easily dispatching of the Detroit Pistons and the Charlotte Hornets The team is now 19-3 on the season, good for second place in the Western Conference Lebron James continued his strong play, averaging 27 points, 8 rebounds, and 7 assists per game this week. The Lakers look like a team that could make a deep run in the playoffs this year.

The Houston Rockets also had a good week, going 2-0 against tough competition in the form of the Denver Nuggets and the Boston Celtics James Harden continues to be one of the best players in the league, averaging 38 points per game this week. The Rockets are now 17-7 on the season and look like they will be a force to be reckoned with in the playoffs.

Losers

The Charlotte Hornets continue to struggle, going 0-2 this week against two tough opponents in the Lakers and the Milwaukee Bucks The team is now 9-17 on the season and looks like they will miss out on the playoffs yet again. Kemba Walker is having a solid season, but he can’t do it all by himself. The Hornets need more help if they want to compete in future seasons.

The Detroit Pistons also had a rough week, losing to both the Lakers and the Toronto Raptors The team is just 11-16 on the season and looks like they will miss out on postseason play once again. Blake Griffin is having a strong year, but he can’t carry the team by himself. The Pistons need more help if they want to be competitive in future seasons.

Top 5 players of the week

In the NBA, hot takes are a dime a dozen. But every now and then, a take comes along that’s so scalding, so bold, so brash that it simply can’t be ignored. These are the takes that make you stop and think, “Wait, what did he just say?”

This week was no different, as there were plenty of takes to choose from. Here are the five hottest of the bunch:

5. “Lebron James is the greatest player of all time.”

You might not agree with this take, but it’s hard to deny that LeBron is one of the greatest players we’ve ever seen. He’s an incredible athlete with unmatched size and strength, and he’s also one of the most intelligent players in the game. There’s a reason he’s often compared to Michael Jordan – he really is that good.

4. “The Portland Trail Blazers are better without Jusuf Nurkic.”

This take might be a little too hot for some people, but hear us out. The Trail Blazers have been one of the best teams in the NBA since Nurkic went down with an injury, and they seem to be playing with more energy and purpose without him. Of course, Nurkic is a great player and we hope he recovers fully from his injury, but the Blazers seem to be just fine without him right now.

3. “The Houston Rockets are better without Carmelo Anthony ”

This is another take that might be a little too hot for some people to handle, but it’s hard to argue with the results. The Rockets have been utterly dominant since Anthony joined the team, and they seem to have found their identity without him on the court. Carmelo is still a great player, but this team is clearly better without him right now.

2. ” Russell Westbrook is overrated.”
You love him or you hate him, there’s no middle ground with Russell Westbrook He’s one of the most polarizing players in the NBA, and there are plenty of people who think he’s overrated. They point to his poor shooting percentages and high turnover rate as evidence that he isn’t as good as some people think he is. Love him or hate him, there’s no denying that Westbrook is must-see TV whenever he steps on the court.

Top 5 teams of the week

1. The Los Angeles Lakers are the best team in the NBA.
2. The Milwaukee Bucks are the second-best team in the NBA.
3. The Toronto Raptors are the third-best team in the NBA.
4. The Houston Rockets are the fourth-best team in the NBA.
5. The Golden State Warriors are the fifth-best team in the NBA.

MVP watch

With the regular season winding down, the MVP debate is heating up. Who’s in the mix?

The early frontrunners for the award were Houston Rockets guard James Harden and Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo but as the season has progressed, other players have made their case for consideration. Below are some of the top candidates for the award, according to recent hot takes from around the NBA:

Houston Rockets guard James Harden Harden has been putting up video game like numbers all season long and is currently averaging 36.3 points, 6.6 assists and 7.5 rebounds per game He’s also shooting an impressive 37 percent from three-point range While some argue that his individual success has come at the expense of team chemistry, there’s no denying that Harden has been one of the best players in the league this season and deserves to be in the MVP conversation.

Milwaukee Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo Antetokounmpo has been a force to be reckoned with all season long, averaging 27.5 points, 12.7 rebounds and 5.9 assists per game while shooting 58 percent from the field and 29 percent from three-point range. He’s also been a key Defensive Player for the Bucks, averaging 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. There’s no doubt that Antetokounmpo is one of the most talented players in the league and deserves to be in MVP contention.

Boston Celtics guard Kyrie Irving Irving is having a career year, averaging 23 points, 6.9 assists and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 49 percent from the field and 40 percent from three-point range. He’s also been a clutch player for the Celtics this season, hitting several Big Shots down the stretch of close games. Some have argued that Irving’s numbers are inflated due to playing on a loaded Celtics team, but there’s no denying that he’s been one of the best players in the league this season and deserves MVP consideration.

Golden State Warriors forward Kevin Durant Durant has been putting up big numbers all season long, averaging 26 points, 6.8 rebounds and 5 assists per game while shooting 51 percent from the field and 37 percent from three-point range. He’s also been a key contributor for the Warriors on both ends of the court, using his length and athleticism to disrupt opponents on defense while providing a scoring punch on offense. Durant may not be putting up quite as gaudy numbers as Harden or Antetokounmpo this season, but he’s still one of the best players in the league and deserves consideration for MVP honors

Rookie of the year watch

Rookie of the year watch
The NBA season is officially underway and that means it’s time to start paying attention to who’s in the running for the rookie of the Year Award While there are a lot of new players who have impressed so far, there are a few that stand out above the rest. Here are my early favorites for the award.

Zion Williamson New Orleans Pelicans
There’s no doubt that Zion Williamson is the early favorite for the rookie of the Year Award The number one overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft has lived up to the hype and then some, averaging over 22 points and 6 rebounds per game. He’s been an electrifying player to watch and has already become one of the faces of the Pelicans franchise. If he keeps up this level of play, he’ll be a shoo-in for the award.

Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
Ja Morant has been one of the most exciting players to Watch This Season The number two overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft is averaging 17 points and 7 assists per game. He’s already shown that he has the ability to take over a game and lead his team to victory. If he can continue to improve his play, he could be a serious contender for the award.

Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards
Rui Hachimura has been one of the most pleasant surprises of this young NBA season The Japanese-born forward is averaging over 19 points and 6 rebounds per game while shooting nearly 50% from three-point range. He’s been a key contributor for a Washington Wizards team that has exceeded expectations so far. If he can keep up his high level of play, he could find himself in contention for the award.

Most Improved Player of the year watch

The NBA’s regular season is winding down, and with just a few weeks left to go, it’s time to start thinking about who the most Improved Player of the year might be. There are a lot of candidates this year, but here are a few of the hottest takes:

--Dwyane Wade The 36-year-old veteran has been having a resurgent season for the Miami Heat averaging 19 points, 4.5 rebounds and 4 assists per game. He’s been a big reason why the Heat have been one of the surprises of the season.

--Kristaps Porzingis The 7-foot-3 Latvian has taken his game to new heights this season, averaging 22 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game for the New York Knicks He’s been one of the best players in the Eastern Conference and has helped lead the Knicks to a playoff spot.

-Jamal Murray: The Denver Nuggets guard has been on fire over the last month or so, averaging 18 points and 4 assists per game while shooting over 50% from three-point range. He’s helped lead the Nuggets to a top-5 record in the Western Conference

Defensive Player of the year watch

The NBA’s defensive player of the Year Award is one of the most coveted individual trophies in the sport. If you’re a fan of defense, this is the award you want to watch. Here are the top five contenders for the award, as of right now:

1. Rudy Gobert Utah Jazz
The big Frenchman has been a force on the defensive end for the Jazz all season long. He’s averaging 2.3 blocks per game, which is good for second in the league, and his presence in the paint has helped Utah to the best defensive rating in the NBA.

2. Joakim Noah, Chicago Bulls
Noah is having another great season for the Bulls, averaging 1.5 blocks and 1.3 steals per game. He’s also anchoring a Chicago defense that is once again among the best in the league.

3. Dwight Howard Houston Rockets
Howard is having a bit of a down year by his standards, but he’s still one of the best Defensive Players in the league. He’s averaging 1.8 blocks per game and his presence in the middle has helped Houston to be one of the better Defensive Teams in the league.

4. DeAndre Jordan, Los Angeles Clippers
Jordan is arguably having the best year of his career, averaging 2.2 blocks per game and 11.5 rebounds per game. He’s been a force on defense for the Clippers, who have been one of the surprise teams in the league this season.

5. Paul Millsap, Atlanta Hawks
Millsap isn’t known as a great defender, but he’s been very good for Atlanta on that end of the floor this season. He’s averaging 1.8 blocks per game and his work on defense has helped Atlanta to have one of the best defenses in basketball this season.#

sixth man of the year watch

With the Regular Season winding down, it’s time to take a look at the leading candidates for the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year Award

1. Montrezl Harrell Los Angeles Clippers Harrell has been a key piece for the Clippers all season, providing energy and scoring off the bench. He’s averaging 16.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game, and his 63.5% shooting from the field is the best among all bench players in the NBA.

2. Domantas Sabonis, Indiana Pacers Sabonis has been a revelation for the Pacers this season, averaging 14.1 points, 9.3 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game while shooting 56.3% from the field. He’s been especially important since star Victor Oladipo went down with an injury, helping to keep Indiana in contention for a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference

3. Buddy Hield Sacramento Kings Hield is having a career year for the Kings, averaging 20.7 points per game while shooting 45% from three-point range. He’s been Sacramento’s best player and one of the few bright spots in what has otherwise been a disappointing season for the Kings.

4. Derrick Rose Minnesota Timberwolves Rose has been a sparkplug for the Timberwolves off the bench this season, averaging 18 points per game while shooting 47% from the field and 40% from three-point range. He’s also chipping in 4 assists per game and giving Minnesota some much-needed scoring punch outside of its starting lineup

5. Lou Williams Los Angeles Clippers Williams is having another excellent season coming off the bench for the Clippers, averaging 19 points and 5 assists per game while shooting 42% from three-point range. He’s one of the league’s premier scorerstaveraging 5 points more than any other bench playerand his ability to create his own shot makes him a valuable asset in close games late in the fourth quarter

Coach of the year watch

The NBA season is in full swing and there are plenty of coaches doing great work with their teams. Here are a few of the coaches who have caught our eye so far and are making a case for Coach of the Year.

All-NBA teams

The All-NBA teams were announced this week and, as always, there was some debate about who deserved to make the cut. Here are some of the hottest takes on the teams:

--Lebron James should be the MVP: There’s no question that LeBron is the best player in the world. He’s been carrying the Cavaliers all season and he deserves to be MVP.

-The Warriors are the best team in the league: The Warriors have been dominant all season and they deserve to be considered the best team in the league. They have a chance to win a championship this year and they should be treated as such.

-Curry is better than LeBron: Curry is having an incredible season and he deserves to be in MVP conversation. He’s been carrying the Warriors all season and he’s one of the best players in the league.

--Kawhi Leonard is the best player in the league: Kawhi Leonard has been incredible this season and he’s one of the best two-way players in the league. He deserves to be in MVP conversation and he’s my pick for Defensive Player of the Year.