As the (Western) world returns to work with the festivities of new year’s eve fading in our already-hazy memories, let’s spare a thought for those employees who had to work right through the holiday season. Some of them, on Christmas Day itself. Sure, NBA players have it good, but they do make sacrifices for their sport.
Let’s take a look at 2 players and 2 teams who had a standout week over the past 7 days.
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teams of the week
LA Lakers
It’s funny how the respective seasons have evolved for both the LA Lakers and the Chicago Bulls. One was meant to be an elite team with a great attitude and a balanced attack, the other expected to battle with chemistry and competitiveness issues.
Well, what a difference a couple of months makes. Now, it’s the Bulls who are struggling with a new coach and an unhappy playing group, whilst the Lakers are in great form and, this week, have been just destroying teams with their cohesiveness and attitude.
And they’re winning by comprehensively out-scoring their opponents too – jumping out early and keeping the momentum up the entire game. In each of these 4 victories, LA scored 30 or more points in the first quarter.
And unlike years past, they’re not doing it with Kobe going for 40 or 50 (or 60 or 80) points. This week, Bryant averaged just 21.3 ppg. That’s right, 21.3 – more than 10 points below his league-leading average from last season.
It’s a cliche, but the 2007/08 Lakers are winning as a team. Over the 4 games this week, Andrew Bynum averaged 17 points a game and grabbed 12 boards. Derek Fisher is hit 3’s and reached a career-high. Luke Walton committed 2 turnovers in 101 total minutes. LA dished out more over 9 more assists than their opponents, each game. And their once-suspect bench is scoring, rebounding, having fun.Â
This week, they beat Philadelphia by 31 points, Indiana by 16, Memphis by 16 and, most impressively, the Hornets by 29 in New Orleans. This 4-game win streak means Lakers have jumped the Spurs and drawn level with the Mavs to just 1 game behind the Phoenix Suns for the best record in the conference. Get that?
What it means is the LA Lakers have become a legit contender.
Seattle Sonics
Just before Christmas, the Seattle Supersonics were coming off a thrilling home win over the Toronto Raptors and were sitting at 8-19 in the standings. Not great (although it was as good as the Miami Heat’s record at the time), but it was still significantly better than the 20-win season most NBA forecasters were predicting.
In the 3 weeks since, they have won just once. And the Sonics aren’t just losing, they’re not even being competitive.  They lost all 3 games this week by a combined 49 points.
Playing with pro basketball with 2 rookies in your starting lineup is always going to be a challenging scenario; you expect poor decisions, poor shots, poor execution.  But you are also entitled to expect energy and enthusiasm. Instead, the entire Seattle team looks as if it’s hit the rookie wall.
They’re in the midst of a 4-game road-trip, and are playing without injured big man Chris Wilcox, their second-best scorer and rebounder. So you can forgive them for being challenged. But you wouldn’t expect them to be starting each game so lethargically, shooting so terribly and turning the ball over so sloppily.
Plus, they’re not exactly playing the Bostons and Detroits of the Eastern Conference – Washington were 16-15 when they played them, and Cleveland and New Jersey were both 17-17. That’s 3 solid teams, all playoff contenders, but also 3 flawed ballcubs who were a combined 1 game above .500. You shouldn’t accept 3 blow-out losses.
For every positive (their competitiveness on the glass, Nick Collison’s play since being inserted into the starting lineup), there’s just as many negatives (leading the league in turnovers, Earl Watson having 14 points and 11 assists, total, on the week).
The City of Seattle currently has an NBA franchise. This week, what they didn’t have was a proper, functioning NBA team.
players of the week
Yao Ming
The Rockets are a stunning 6-2 since Tracy McGrady hurt his knee in the 23 Dec loss to Detroit, and won all 4 games this week as they surged back into the Western Conference playoff race.
Facing life without his leading scorer, Rick Adelman didn’t panic and hand the vacant shooting guard position to Bonzi Wells and allow him to chuck up a McGrady-esque 20 shots per night. Instead, he kept Bonzi safely in his trusted role off the bench, and collectively increased the offensive responsibility of 4 often-overlooked contributors; Rafer Alston, Luther Head, Luis Scola and Aaron Brooks.
And it’s worked. In separate games during their 4 wins this week, each of these 4 role-players scored more than 19 points. Alston scored 20 points twice, making it 3 times in 6 days he’s scored 20 or more after not hitting the 20-point mark once during the season’s first 27 games.
But by far the most significant reason the Rockets are winning has been the play of their big guy. On the week, Yao averaged a stunning 28.3 points on 56% from the field and 90% from the line, plus 9½ boards,  4 assists and 2½ blocks.
Much more of this, and he’ll deserve that All-Star starters’ berth afterall.
Gordan Giricek
When new Sixers GM Ed Stefanski took over in December, his first move was to trade the popular Kyle Korver to Utah for the disgrunted Gordan Giricek.
Both players as basically the same - sweet-shooting swingmen off the bench - and Stefanski figured he could maintain this productivity at a much lower cost (Giricek earns $4m in this his final season whilst Korver is owed $14.7m over the next 3). Plus, he looked at how former-Jazz guard DeShawn Stevenson thrived once he was released from Jerry Sloan’s iron grip, and figured that if Giricek performs in Philly for the NBA’s 3rd-worst offense, he would be so grateful that he would re-sign at a bargain price.
Pat yourself on the back, Ed, my son. Great work.
Then reality, as it often does, sets in. Instead of re-discovering his former-double-digit offensive game in Philly, Giricek has regressed. In the Sixers’ 4 games his week (all losses), he averaged just 2.5 points on an abysmal 22% shooting, including 1 of 7 threes.
Meanwhile, Korver is scoring 10.4 ppg on 44% FGs for the Jazz, who have won 4 of 6 since he arrived.
