Who won NBA week 15? Nikola Jokic and James Harden lead the way
Monday 28 January 2019 15:14, UK
Every Monday, we'll look back over the previous seven days of NBA action and identify who the stars have been – so who had it going on week 15 of the NBA season?
Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
You often hear the sporting cliche about coaches having an ace up their sleeve - but wouldn't you rather have a 'Joker'?
Either way, Denver are certainly glad to have the big Serbian as part of their pack and he makes it onto our list despite missing one of the games this week through suspension. That's how good he's been.
The reverse pick and roll dynamic of Jokic and first choice point guard Jamal Murray is one of the true joys of the NBA as the big man delivers crafty passes on time and on target consistently, with the small man shouldering the responsibility of finishing at the rim. And they can happily reverse roles without any problem as Jokic also has superb handles, a gorgeous floater, a confident three-point shot and tonnes more tools in his arsenal besides.
The fact he's the antithesis of the typical big man is the product of a late growth spurt which saw him play as a point guard in his formative basketball years, and that has the 23-year-old allowed to beguile and dazzle opposing defender at the top level from the center position.
Jokic has been a joy to watch since he came into the league (the 41st pick in the 2014 draft - not a typo) and this year his numbers have reached the kind of levels that make him pretty much a shoo-in to become Denver's first All-Star since Carmelo Anthony back in 2011.
And this week Jokic has been an unstoppable force in both games that he played this week for a Nuggets side which is flying in the Western Conference (33-15), second behind only Golden State.
Jokic bagged a triple-double on Saturday night against the Philadelphia 76ers - and that was without his chief partner-in-crime Murray - and is the NBA's top rebounder this week, averaging 30 points 19.5 rebounds and 8 assists across the two games.
In the midweek match against the Jazz, Jokic left the bench during an altercation between Derrick Favors and his backup Mason Plumlee, causing the league to suspend him for Friday's game with the Phoenix Suns.
A shame, because if he'd faced the struggling Suns those numbers might have been even better.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Milwaukee Bucks)
'The Greek Freak' is in the running for the MVP and it's truly on merit.
He's the fulcrum of a much improved Bucks team which has the best record in the NBA and can get to the rim almost at will, regardless of what obstacles are in front of him.
Antetokounmpo almost single-handedly inspired the Bucks to come back from an 11-point deficit in the final quarter of Friday's clash with the Charlotte Hornets.
By the end, he'd outscored Charlotte on his own in the fourth as they clinched victory 110-107, most of those points in the paint.
But it's not just that which gets Antetokounmpo a mention here. The player was also awarded the honour of being the Eastern Conference's All-Star captain.
The captain is selected by fans, media and fellow players and he and Western Conference captain LeBron James will next draft four more players each from the starter pool in the first round, then a further seven each in the second round.
It's a prestigious accolade, particularly for a player who's still only 24.
Steve Kerr (Golden State Warriors)
Now, the trouble here is when will the Golden State Warriors coach feel like he isn't winning the week… or the month, or the year for that matter?
But it's been a particularly good week for Steve Kerr and the Warriors, with the team flying having won 10 straight and the continued integration of their fifth All-Star DeMarcus Cousins, gaining traction by the week.
This now marks the sixth consecutive campaign where Golden State have managed a run of 10-or-more wins on the bounce, tying a league record set by the San Antonio Spurs.
The toughest test the Warriors have had in a while came in the shape of Boston on Saturday night at the TD Garden, especially considering that they are still in the initial phases of integrating Cousins as he continues to build back from a serious Achilles injury.
The fact that Golden State saw it out 115-111 in ice-cool fashion down the stretch, even in a hostile atmosphere, must have made satisfying viewing for the coach.
And it also brought up an impressive personal accolade as Kerr became the fastest coach in the history of all US professional sports to reach the 300-win milestone.
It has taken the former point guard just 377 games, with the next closest being former NBA coach and now Miami Heat President Pat Riley, who took 416 games.
No doubt a satisfying achievement for him personally and it looks like his Golden State machine is just beginning to fully test the revs with an all All-Star cast of starters.
James Harden (Houston Rockets)
No stranger to our list, James Harden is back on here once again and it's undoubtedly on merit.
Harden continues to bear the scoring and playmaking mantle for a pretty ordinary Rockets roster which he's helped lift to fifth in the West.
Harden leads the way by a huge margin in scoring for the week and sits joint fourth in assists, demonstrating just how pivotal he is for the Texas ballclub.
Nobody else is averaging above 30 points per game, whereas Harden is on 36.3, with 8.2 assists in 37.4 minutes across four games.
'The Beard' hit an NBA season-high of 61 points in the victory over the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden, and then followed that up by inspiring his side to victory over the talented Toronto Raptors and a come-from-behind win against the Orlando Magic on Sunday. He hit a pivotal one of his trademark step-back three-pointers in that one as he lifted his run of consecutive games scoring 30 points or more to 23.
That kind of production and output from a single player is staggering. Chances are if Harden was forced to keep this up for the rest of the regular season that he'd be burnt out come playoff time.
But that's where the other half of Harden's good week comes into it.
Fellow backcourt All-Star Chris Paul is back after 17 games out injured and he will shoulder some of the scoring and definitely some of the playmaking responsibilities.
Mike D'Antoni should now be able to rest Harden for longer stretches in games, particularly against some of the league's poorer teams, and the 29-year-old will now have the pleasure of rekindling his on-court partnership with Paul, one which took them so close to the NBA Finals last year.
