February 18th - February 24th (7 Days of NBA)

Welcome back to 7 Days of NBA! This week we saw the All-Star selections, teams hitting big winning (and losing) streaks, and the announcement of the second half schedule. Let's jump into this week's top takeaways.

Major Takeaways

1. They Got the All-Star Selections Right... Except for One

The 2021 NBA All-Star selections were released this week, and I must say I am pleased with the selections. Usually every year, I can point out a few big names that were snubbed, but this year I struggled to do so. However, there is one name that stands out to me that shocked me when I didn't see his name, and that's Devin Booker. Throughout his career, Booker has always put up All-Star numbers, but the complaint everybody has had was that he wasn't playing on a decent team. Therefore, people assumed that since he was the best player on a mediocre team, he would be able to shoot and put up any stats that he wants. This year, the Phoenix Suns are currently 20-10 and sit at the 4 spot in the Western Conference. If the Suns were in the East, they would currently be the top seed. This season, Booker is averaging 24.7 points per game, with 4.3 assists and 3.8 rebounds. His 24.7 points leads the Suns, with the next highest being All-Star Chris Paul at 16.6. Booker is currently shooting 50% from the field and 38% from 3. I agree with putting Chris Paul on the list, as he has been a major reason why the Suns have taken the leap they have from missing the playoffs to being the 4 seed. However, it's hard for me to overlook the step Booker has taken to carry the scoring load for the team as well. It's difficult to take somebody out of the All-Star picks in the West due to how stacked the conference is, but if I had to, I would take out Zion Williamson. I understand he is putting up great stats, but the argument people have used against Booker should be used against others, no matter how much the media would love to see Zion in the ASG. Don't get me wrong, Zion is having a fantastic season, but the same argument should be used against all of the reserves like it was with Booker. Since Anthony Davis is out during the All-Star game, I'm glad Booker gets to fill the spot, however I felt that he should have been picked before they ruled out Davis. One more note I have is that I think Lillard should have been a starter over either Curry or Luka. I talked about Lillard's great season last week, but I think him carrying the load without McCollum and having a better record (with similar stats) compared to Steph and Luka would lean me to make him into a starter. Otherwise, I can't say I have many complaints about the choices, and I'm happy that Zach LaVine was finally chosen.  Even if the All-Star game doesn't actually happen (more on that in the Feb 4th-11th blog), it's great to see these top players getting the recognition that they deserve.

2. We're Starting to See Who's Legit and Who Isn't

There have started to be some major winning and losing streaks this last week. As far as the teams that are doing great, the Brooklyn Nets are at the top of the list (but I'll talk more about them in the 'Team of the Week' area). The Toronto Raptors have won 4 of their last 5 games and have moved into the 5 spot in the East. I always felt that they were underperforming, and it looks like they are finally playing more towards their potential. The Miami Heat are trying to get back in the NBA Finals condition that they were playing in just 4 months ago, winning their last 3 and starting to get players back from either COVID or injuries. Out West, the Utah Jazz and the Phoenix Suns have both won 9 of their last 10 games and are playing better than most people may have predicted. The San Antonio Spurs, who have struggled with games being postponed, are currently in the 5 spot and have far exceeded what I thought they were going to end up being. The Dallas Mavericks have also picked up their slack and won 6 of their last 7, with the great play from Luka to get them close to the playoff picture. As far as teams slumping, the Boston Celtics have really taken a fall. Their record is currently 15-16 and they are 3-7 in their last 10. Kemba has been awful and the depth outside of Tatum and Brown is struggling to take any load off of the two All-Stars. The Atlanta Hawks, who some people saw as a team that could make the jump into the lower spots in the East playoffs, have also gone 3-7 in their last 10 and have fallen from their spot in the East to looking like they will pick in the lottery. In the West, the Lakers have been shaky, losing 4 of their last 5. The loss of Anthony Davis, and a few missed games from Schröder, have really cost them. LeBron can only carry them so far, and it's apparent that the team is missing Dennis and AD. The Blazers have fallen into a small slump as well. Luckily for the teams that are in a slump, we have not hit the halfway point of the season yet, and there is plenty of time for injured players to make their returns and to start up a winning streak. We're at the point of the season now where we are starting to see who are the title contenders and who isn't.

3. The Second Half of the Season Looks to Be Shaky

The NBA released the schedule for the second half of the season Wednesday, starting on March 10th and ending on May 16th, with the play-in tourney happening from May 18th-21st and the Playoffs kicking off on May 22nd. The NBA is committed to having each team play all 72 of their games (10 less than the average regular season) despite a decent number of postponements so far. The Spurs and Grizzlies have missed the most games so far, and this leads up to a stacked schedule for both of them after All-Star Weekend where fatigue might be a big factor. Teams who have gotten lucky and avoided the postponements will have a far easier second half and will have more time to rest leading into the Playoffs. There will almost certainly be more games that are postponed during the second half, and it will be a feat if the NBA is able to pull of all 72 games for all 30 teams. I hope that they can, but it seems like more of a hope than a realistic goal.

MVP (February 18th-February 24th): James Harden

Harden has been on a tear this week, averaging 29.7 points, 9 rebounds, and 10.7 assists per game, shooting 46.5% from the field and 45.8% from 3. He has averaged almost a triple-double, and the Nets are currently on a 7-game winning streak. Kevin Durant hasn't played in the last 11 days, and Harden has taken over as the #1 scorer and assist man on the team. He is playing his best basketball since joining Brooklyn, and it gives me shades of the Harden we saw in Houston. There were other great candidates for the MVP, like Luka Doncic, Zach LaVine and Giannis Antetokounmpo, but for me it was an easy pick to choose James Harden. If Harden can keep up this level of play when Durant returns, it will further solidify their spot as the top contender from the Eastern Conference.

Team of the Week (February 18th-February 24th): Brooklyn Nets

I find it ironic that the Brooklyn Nets are playing like we expected them to the last 7 games when they made the trade to get James Harden, but they haven't had Durant for the last 5 of them. Kyrie Irving said recently that he has handed the keys to Point Guard over to Harden and has accepted playing the Shooting Guard. This has really allowed Harden to showcase his ability to play-make, and has led to him winning the MVP for the week. Irving has adjusted strongly to playing off-ball and taking the lead from James Harden. Joe Harris continues to shoot out of the gym from 3, and the bench has picked up their play with solid performances from Bruce Brown and Timothe Luwawu-Cabarrot. I see them picking up someone to help the bench during the trade deadline, whether that be from a buyout or a trade. If Harden and Kyrie can keep their momentum when Durant is healthy to return, I see no reason as to why this team should not make the Finals come June. 

Standings:

East:

1. 76ers

2. Nets

3. Bucks

4. Pacers

5. Raptors

6. Celtics

7. Knicks

8. Bulls

9. Hornets

10. Heat

11. Hawks

12. Magic

13. Wizards

14. Cavaliers

15. Pistons

West:

1. Jazz

2. Clippers

3. Lakers

4. Suns

5. Spurs

6. Trail Blazers

7. Nuggets

8. Warriors

9. Mavericks

10. Grizzlies

11. Pelicans

12. Kings

13. Thunder

14. Rockets

15. Timberwolves

Hope you enjoyed, and I will be back once again next week!