While the league’s top performers can sometimes be taken for granted as their greatness becomes routine, other players can be overlooked as they do their best work with steady and timely contributions. Week 7 saw a number of players shine in their respective roles, from the biggest and brightest, to third-string specialists. In this article, we will take a look at some of the key contributors across the board, a couple of historic achievements and a couple of injuries to team-leading players.
Historic achievements
Nikola Jokić puts together one of the most individually dominant weeks of the season
Jokić has scored more than 35 points in three of his four outings, including a career-high 56-point performance in a loss to the Wizards on Saturday, and 48 points, 14 rebounds, 8 assists and 3 steals in a win over the Hawks on Sunday.
Despite the aforementioned performances, the most significant achievement of the week for the three-time MVP came in a loss to the Cavaliers on Thursday, when he recorded 27 points, 20 rebounds and 11 assists for his 139th career triple-double, passing Magic Johnson to move up to third on the all-time triple-doubles leaderboard.
Chris Paul racks up a total of 40 assists over four games
On Sunday, he passed Jason Kidd (12,091) to move to second all-time in total assists. After his impressive contribution of six points, seven rebounds, 10 assists and 2 steals to help the Spurs top the Pelicans on Sunday, Paul is up to a career total of 12,099 assists.
Week 7 standouts
Herbert Jones, SF/PF, New Orleans Pelicans
Herbert Jones made his return to action after a month-long absence and got right to business with 12 points, 7 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and a block to help lead the way in a win over the Suns on Thursday. He followed up with a 24-point performance on Saturday, and 12 points, 3 rebounds, 2 steals and a block in a loss to the Spurs on Sunday. Overall, he wasted no time in reminding everyone that he is one of the league’s top defensive specialists, and he should continue to boost his stats by racking up the steals and blocks.
Yves Missi, C, New Orleans Pelicans
Yves Missi has started in 18 of his last 19 appearances for the shorthanded Pelicans and is coming off one of his best weeks during that stretch. He began with a season-high 23 points, to go with 12 rebounds, a steal and a block in a loss to the Hawks on Monday. He followed up with double-digit rebounds in two of the next three outings, including 18 points, 14 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal on Sunday.
The rookie center should continue to handle an extended role during the absence of Zion Williamson, but his impressive work over the last few weeks will likely mean that he retains a good chunk of playing time even when the squad is at full strength. Williamson is not expected back before December 19.
Trae Young, PG, Atlanta Hawks
Trae Young has not been scoring the ball at the highest clip by his own standards, but he has been dishing the ball at a league-high and career-best rate with an average of 12.2 assists per game. He reached double digits in assists in three of his four games played last week, including a 31-point, 20-assist effort in a win over the Lakers on Friday, which marked his second 20-assist game of the season, both having taken place within the last two weeks.
De’Andre Hunter, SF/PF, Atlanta Hawks
De’Andre Hunter reached the 20-point mark in four straight games last week, shooting better than 55% from the field in two of those outings. He got out to a strong start to the season with a 24-point effort in his second appearance, but then was sidelined for almost three weeks before returning on November 15. With at least 20 points in six of the last seven games, he looks to be in one of the best grooves of his career and is establishing himself as a dependable offensive contributor for the Hawks.
Cade Cunningham, PG/SG, Detroit Pistons
Cade Cunningham continues to put up stellar numbers in his best efforts to lead the Pistons out of the depths of the East. He averaged 26.3 points, 8.0 rebounds and 11.7 assists through three games last week, including a 29-point, 10-rebound, 15-assist triple-double on Saturday.
Kristaps Porzingis, PF/C, Boston Celtics
Kristaps Porzingis made his season debut on November 25 and topped the 20-point mark in three of his five appearances, so far. He played in two of the Celtics’ four games last week and delivered a season-high 26 points and nine rebounds in a win over the Pistons on Wednesday. As he eases back into action, he looks to be on track to reclaim his place as one of the league’s best-scoring big men. Porzingis has averaged at least 20.0 points per game in each of the last six seasons and is on pace to do it again.
Luka Dončić, PG/SG, Dallas Mavericks
Luka Dončić missed five games between November 22 and 30, but he returned with a bang, delivering 36 points and 13 assists on December 1. He kept the strong play going through Week 7, averaging 29.3 points, 11.7 rebounds, 8.3 assists and 3.3 steals over three games, including back-to-back triple-doubles in the two most recent outings. Doncic’s shooting percentages are slightly lower this season compared to last, but he is still helping the Mavs hold on as one of the top teams in the West. It is likely that he has much more to show and that his best stretches of the campaign have yet to take place.
Vasilije Micić, PG/SG, Charlotte Hornets
Vasilije Micić has started in six consecutive games for the shorthanded Hornets, and he is averaging 12.3 points, 3.3 rebounds and 7.2 assists over that span, including a high of 12 assists in a loss to the Knicks on Thursday. Micic also scored in double figures in each of his last three outings, capped off by a season-best 18-point effort in a win over the Pacers on Sunday. With LaMelo Ball and Tre Mann both expected to remain out until at least December 19, there is still plenty of time for Micic to shine.
Josh Hart, SF/PF, New York Knicks
Josh Hart continues to fill the box score and is coming off one of his best weeks of the season, which included two of his top-five scoring performances and one of his two triple-doubles of the campaign. He averaged 15.3 points on 65.4% shooting, 9.7 rebounds, 6.3 assists and 1.7 steals across the Knicks’ three outings.
Ayo Dosunmu, SG/SF, Chicago Bulls
Dosunmu has started nine straight games as the Bulls battle through injury trouble, and he has made the most of the opportunity by showcasing his well-rounded play. His versatile effort was epitomized as he delivered his first career triple-double with 27 points, 10 rebounds, 11 assists and 3 steals in a win over the Spurs on Thursday. He showed similar flashes of play last season and could be on the precipice of emerging as a bonafide stat-sheet stuffer.
Malik Monk, SG/SF, Sacramento Kings
Monk has started five straight games for the Kings, as it looks like he is on track to take on a new role for the squad. He opened the week with a 17-point, 12-assist double-double, before following up with back-to-back 20-point games. He closed the week with a more modest 16-point performance on Sunday, but he looks to be on a tear since returning from injury in late November, and he could be primed for new heights if he holds onto the starting job.
Fantasy basketball injuries
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Kevin Durant worked through a 10-day absence due to a calf injury in mid-November, but he is back on the mend, this time with an ankle injury. The Suns’ leading scorer is expected to be sidelined for at least the rest of the week, which means Bradley Beal and Devin Booker have to step up, while Royce O’Neale should benefit from additional playing time.
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Franz Wagner was doing a fantastic job leading the way for the Magic in the absence of Paolo Banchero, but his season took an unfortunate turn as he was diagnosed with a torn oblique on Saturday (same injury as Banchero), and he is expected to be out until at least early-January. Now without their two top players, the Magic will need more from guys like Jalen Suggs, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Cole Anthony. Goga Bitadze and Moritz Wagner should also see additional opportunities.
