Every Sunday, the CC staff will get together to present our plays and players of the week.
PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Kevin Love
3 Games (2-1)
33.0 ppg
16.3 rpg
1.7 apg
Philip Rossman-Rich: This might be the last week we talk about the Timberwolves in a positive light after the injury to Ricky Rubio in Friday’s loss to the Lakers. Kevin Love did not even play in that game. In two games this week before that, Love averaged 33.0 points per game and 16.3 rebounds per game. This on the heels of a 42-point effort against LaMarcus Aldridge. Returning from back spasms Saturday, Love had 31 points and 16 rebounds. Unfortunately, Minnesota needs a little more than Love as the team lost to New Orleans.
John Karalis: At this point, the only thing Love can’t do is fill in for Rubio at the point. The man rebounds, the man scores down low, the man hits from outside… it’s amazing. Love made 10 3’s this week… which is as many as Monta Ellis and Jason Terry and more than Ray Allen. How he does all that and still grabs 16 rebounds a game amazes me. The sad thing is, unless you have League Pass, you’re missing a lot of brilliant games.
Also receiving votes:
LeBron James: 4 games (3-1). 26.0 ppg, 10.3 rpg, 4.7 apg, 2.0 spg, 1.3 bpg
Trevor Zickgraf: First, he had some really good all around games against quality teams in the Lakers, Hawks & Pacers this week. The fact that 25 points, 13 boards & seven assists look like a down game for him shows how amazing his season has been. Second, his defensive versatility is remarkable. He can defend all five positions on the court & routinely guards the one through four spots during any given game. Third, he took over that Pacers game during the fourth & overtime. He hit the game tying three in the fourth then sent the game to overtime by forcing a Darren Collison jump ball. Then in OT, he hit a big three in the final two minutes, then assisted on a Bosh jumper. Then he took a last second shot, missed it, but at least he shot it. We probably won’t remember any of this though, because Dwyane Wade hit the game winner.
PLAY OF THE WEEK
We’ve got a 3-way tie:
First: Gerald Green with the absolutely insane alley oop finish
Trevor: The reaction from the Houston bench alone makes the video.
Second: Phil’s choice: Kyrie Irving goes coast-to-coast and beats the Nuggets
Third: Dwyane Wade beats the Pacers
John: People get down on the whole “hero ball” thing, and for good reason. But without it, special things like this don’t happen… so it’s a double edged sword. I hate the isolation game too (why not run pick and roll’s with LeBron in the clutch?)… but damn, it’s plays like this that make amazing players amazing.
