NBA takeaways: Lillard enters MVP race, Rozier stuns Warriors
What a week it was.The Warriors continued their up-and-down season, punctuated by wrapping up the week with a pair of difficult losses on the East Coast with some controversy late.Around the league, we’re seeing an oft-forgotten star re-establish himself, an Oakland native thrusting himself into the MVP conversation, and one of the league’s most talented rosters continue to underperform.Here are seven takeaways from another week in the Association.
The Warriors got a first-hand look at the resurgence of Terry Rozier on Saturday night, as he dropped 20 points in the fourth quarter and willed the Charlotte Hornets to a win, completing the effort with a clutch game-winning jumper at the buzzer.
Rozier has been labeled as having one of the NBA’s worst contracts over the past few years, but is beginning to look like the player Michael Jordan hoped he could become when he signed the former Boston Celtic to a three-year, $58 million deal following the departure of Kemba Walker.
Rozier is averaging 28.6 points and 4.3 rebounds on 51.6 percent shooting from 3-point range (on 9.1 attempts per game), and along with highlight machine rookie LaMelo Ball, Charlotte looks like a solid bet to end up in the Eastern Conference playoff field.
After getting almost the entirety of his minutes at point guard last season, Rozier has responded well to a primarily off-ball role, and that recent success is paying off for the Hornets as the All-Star break nears.
Oakland native Damian Lillard is one of the NBA’s most feared shotmakers but never has gotten the national respect he deserves due to limited playoff success and playing on the West Coast and in a small market with the Portland Trail Blazers.
Lillard has leapt into the NBA MVP conversation with his play of late in tandem with Portland’s place among the top five teams in the West standings. Dame is averaging 30.0 points, 7.9 assists and his Player Efficiency Rating (PER) ranks in the top five of NBA players.
Dame even got some praise from Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic, who believes Dame should be getting the start in the upcoming NBA All-Star Game over the Slovenian phenom. He’s right, and even as his two best teammates in Jusuf Nurkic and C.J. McCollum have been out with injuries, the Blazers have won nine of their last 12 games.
If Portland can end up among the top four in the West by season’s end, it wouldn’t be a surprise to see him end up with more MVP votes than any other guard.
Zion Williamson hasn’t been able to translate it to team success, but he has been one of the NBA’s most efficient players so far this season.
His 28-point effort (including 24 in second half/overtime) in a massive comeback win over the Boston Celtics was just the latest example of what has been a strong second NBA season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Zion ranks fifth in field goal percentage and has the seventh-best PER in the NBA, using his brute strength to overpower taller big men in the post.
Some believed his height might be a deterrent from him being a productive player in the frontcourt, but averages of 25.0 points and 6.7 rebounds per game should put those questions to bed. With his 21st birthday more than six months away, Williamson isn’t near his peak as a player.
It might not seem that way now, but the future is bright in New Orleans with Zion as the face of the franchise.
The NBA’s No. 1 overall pick has seemed to fall under the radar through much of his rookie season, as Anthony Edwards and the Minnesota Timberwolves hold down the NBA’s worst record by a wide margin.
But Edwards reminded everyone why he was the top pick in November’s draft this week, as his poster dunk on Toronto Raptors big man Yuta Watanabe lit up NBA Twitter and brought the fun police along with it.
He still hasn’t shown an ability to consistently make the tough shots he often selects for himself, but Edwards’ athleticism and competitiveness on the defensive end have stood out even with one of the NBA’s worst supporting casts around him.
Putting up 14.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists has him behind standouts like LaMelo Ball and Tyrese Haliburton in the race for NBA Rookie of the Year, but Edwards has plenty of room to grow and has a chance to become a great guard in this league with steady improvement.
Shams Charania of The Athletic reported this week that the Houston Rockets and DeMarcus Cousins would be parting ways in the coming days, citing league sources. The former Warriors big man is just 30 years old, and while he isn’t the dominant force he was when he played in Sacramento, he potentially stands to be a major addition to a championship contender.
A reunion with the Warriors isn’t likely for several reasons, but the Los Angeles Lakers reportedly will be among a number of teams to pursue Cousins once he becomes available.
A skilled center with playoff experience could help just about any of the teams currently vying for a spot in the postseason. He’s averaged 9.6 points and 7.6 rebounds for Houston in 2020-21, and joining the right squad could be the difference between an early playoff exit and a deep postseason run.
Two of the NBA’s best young wings represent two-fifths of the Celtics’ starting lineup, and yet Boston is a .500 team through 30 games.
Boston has appeared in three of the past four Eastern Conference Finals, but has shown an issue with holding leads in the second half this season, most recently surrendering a 24-point lead in Sunday’s loss to the Pelicans.
Brad Stevens and Danny Ainge continue to be lauded as among the best coaches and general managers in basketball, but it is time for the results to back that up.
With wins in just four of the team’s last 10 games, there needs to be a major turnaround in Beantown or there could be some major changes coming in the offseason.
After winning three out of four at Chase Center, the Warriors got off to an 0-2 start on their latest East Coast road trip, with back-to-back losses against the Orlando Magic and Hornets, respectively.
Late-game execution doomed the Warriors’ comeback attempts in Orlando, and an ejection of Draymond Green and pregame loss of Steph Curry to an illness eventually led to a frustrating buzzer-beating loss in Charlotte. The absence of James Wiseman and Kevon Looney hasn’t helped, but the Warriors’ inability to sustain a winning streak might be what ultimately keeps them from earning a playoff spot.
Kelly Oubre Jr. has stepped up his play significantly in February, but the rest of his teammates will need to follow suit or risk slipping further down the standings in the West.
