Nuggets center Nikola Jokic and Hawks guard Trae Young have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).
It’s the second time this season that Jokic and Young have been named Players of the Week in the same week — they also both earned the honor on January 24. It’s Young’s third Player of the Week win for the season and only Jokic’s second, despite the fact that the Nuggets star is one of the MVP frontrunners.
Jokic continued his push for a second consecutive MVP award this week by putting up a monster line of 34.8 PPG, 17.3 RPG, 8.5 APG, and 2.0 SPG in Denver’s four games, three of which were victories. He poured in at least 37 points in three of those contests and grabbed at least 18 rebounds three times as well.
Young led the Hawks to four straight wins during the week of March 28 – April 3, averaging a double-double (30.3 PPG, 10.8 APG) on .462/.359/.921 shooting in 32.3 MPG. As a result of the 4-0 week, Atlanta now holds the No. 8 spot in the Eastern Conference. The team would give itself two chances to earn a playoff spot in the play-in tournament if it hangs onto its place in the standings this week.
The other Player of the Week nominees were Dillon Brooks, Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, and CJ McCollum in the West, and DeMar DeRozan, Joel Embiid, Darius Garland, Kyle Lowry, and Pascal Siakam in the East (Twitter link).
What? Who picks these POTW candidates?
Why wasn’t Boston Celtics Jaylen Brown at least up for Player of the Week?
Jaylen scored 28, 32 and 32. 33 of 57 = 58% shooting. Totaled 11-19 from three, another 58%. Rebounds and assists in the 3 games were 10-6 , 3-7, 7-5.
Come on, show some respect!
That’s good and everything but, just, not as good as the two players who were awarded with the recognition… There can only be two and who really cares anyway?
I thinks it’s more a lack of respect that Trae Young isn’t even in the convo for MVP. I agree Embiid, Jokic & Giannis are out in front, but this guy is nearly hitting 29-10 for the season. He’s been incredible all year and he’s not even being mentioned. I like Tatum, Booker, Morant etc. but Trae has been better and more consistent this year.
If he only played defense, sure.
Jokic should have won it almost every week this year, right?