February 4th - February 10th (7 Days of NBA)

Welcome back to the first actual 7 Days of NBA like the title shows. This past week as seen a former MVP get traded, new injuries, and under-the-radar players ball out. Let's jump into the takeaways.

Major Takeaways

1. The Derrick Rose Trade is a Win-Win

As a Pistons fan, it hurt to see fan-favorite Derrick Rose traded to the New York Knicks. However, I do feel that this trade benefits both teams. For the Pistons, they get back Dennis Smith Jr., a former lottery pick that has lost his way in the league but can get a new start with Detroit. His hype never actually panned out, but players like Josh Jackson and Wayne Ellington have found their touch with the Pistons and this could very well be a great spot for Smith Jr. to rejuvenate his game. For Rose, he was not happy in Detroit and told the Pistons that a return to the Big Apple would be his preferred new team. In New York, he can help mentor their young backcourt with R.J. Barrett and Immanuel Quickley who have shown potential so far this season. The Knicks have been one of the more surprising teams so far, and Rose could help contribute to a potential playoff trip. The bottom of the Eastern Conference playoff picture is shaky and the Knicks could very well slide into the 7 or 8 position. I have a feeling the next trade to keep an eye out for would be Blake Griffin and the Pistons as they continue to make their movement towards their youth and move Griffin to a potential contender.

2. The Playoff Race is Wide Open

It is still early in the season, but the playoff standings are still wide open. In the East, seeds 3-12 are only separated by 4 games which leaves a lot of room for shuffling. The 76ers and the Bucks have control of the top 2 spots, but from Brooklyn down to Chicago, there is the potential to have a very different look come April. Seeds 5-8 all have losing records, which either means that the East has balance or there is some mid-season speed bumps for a couple of playoff contenders. In the West, the Jazz, Lakers, and Clippers have control of the top 3 spots and look to be major teams come April. Similar to the East, seeds 4-14 are only separated by 4 games, which means that the only team that is stuck outside the postseason is the Timberwolves. A great winning streak could easily propel some of these talented teams into spots for the playoffs, but a stretch of tough games could turn to be more costly than it usually would be due to the nature of the conference standings.

3. An All-Star Game isn't a Good Idea

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver came out and announced that the league will have an All-Star game in March in Atlanta. I love to watch the All-Star game as much as anybody else, however I feel as if this season would have problems if an All-Star game is held. There have been postponements for most teams this season, and I think it would help to use a few days of All-Star week to help teams catch up. Teams like the Wizards and Grizzlies have missed significantly more games than everybody else and it makes the standings and stats unbalanced. Several players, including LeBron James, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Kawhi Leonard have spoken out about their frustration with having the game amid the current state of the season. It would be awful if an All-Star game, where players from most teams come together to play a game with each other, causes a spread of COVID and leads to more postponements. Hopefully the NBA has plans to ensure that the spread does not rise while hosting All-Star festivities.

MVP (February 4th-February 10th): LeBron James

I don't think anybody thought LeBron was slowing down, but the past week ultimately confirmed that he is still the same King James. The past week he has averaged 29.3 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 11 assists. During this week, the Lakers are 3-0 and have crept up on the 1 seed in the Western Conference. James has also played the least amount of minutes of any season of his career and is still putting up MVP level stats. Anthony Davis has been struggling with injuries and LeBron has taken the next step in AD's absence. Will LeBron ever end up slowing down? We might never know.

Team of the Week (February 4th-February 10th): Milwaukee Bucks

The Bucks had a shaky start to their season but have really turned it around this last week. They started a long road trip that consisted of two wins against the Cavaliers and one against the Nuggets, with the three wins being by an average of 18 points. Giannis has continued his outstanding play and the new additions (Jrue Holiday, Bobby Portis) are finding their footing within the Bucks' rotation. The Bucks continue their road trip against Phoenix, Utah and Oklahoma City and the games against the Suns and Jazz will be great indicators on if they can keep up this level of great play.

Standings:

East:

1. 76ers

2. Bucks

3. Nets

4. Celtics

5. Raptors

6. Pacers

7. Hornets

8. Hawks

9. Knicks

10. Heat

11. Bulls

12. Cavaliers

13. Magic

14. Wizards

15. Pistons

West:

1. Jazz

2. Lakers

3. Clippers

4. Suns

5. Trail Blazers

6. Spurs

7. Nuggets

8. Warriors

9. Kings

10. Grizzlies

11. Pelicans

12. Mavericks

13. Rockets

14. Thunder

15. Timberwolves

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