By Ethan Barlow

It’s been an exciting week in the NBA (Image: Getty Images)

This week in the NBA, there was record breaking moments and the 2024 All-Stars were announced. Here were the standouts from this week:

PG – Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai has had another impressive week (Image: Getty Images)

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has had a great week; from helping OKC to a flawless 3-0 week and bringing themselves neck-and-neck with the West’s top seed Minnesota Timberwolves, to being selected as an All-Star starter ahead of Golden State Warriors legend Stephen Curry, showing how good he’s been this season. SGA has cemented himself as a top five player in the league and has many people thinking he’s the current front runner for the MVP award.

OKC Thunder pulled off a massive victory in Minnesota against the Western Conference’s first seed, the Timberwolves, on Saturday. The Thunder then hosted the Portland Trailblazers and needed a Jalen Williams (J-Dub) basket with three seconds on the clock to avoid overtime. J-Dub now has the most clutch field goal points in the NBA, this season. In their final match of the week, the Thunder went to the San Antonio Spurs and despite Victor Wembanyama showing Chet Holmgren that he is the ultimate ‘Rookie of the Year’, which the “Alien” is, OKC came out on top, comfortably in the end.

Across the Thunder’s three wins, the Canadian international averaged: 32.7 points, 4.7 rebounds, 8.7 assists and 3 steals. This week, the former LA Clipper shot: 47.5% from the field, 42.9% from three-point range and 88.1% from free-throws

SG – Devin Booker

Booker is quietly having an amazing season (Image: Getty Images)

The Phoenix Suns won all four of their matches this week and are now on a seven-game winning streak. This run of form has helped them make a climb up the Western Conference table from eight seed to fifth seed. It was very close between Devin Booker and Kevin Durant on who deserved a spot in this team, but Booker just edged it over the All-Star starter. Booker was strangely low in All-Star votes, as he was voted the eighth most for West Conference guards by fans despite being included in the NBA’s current top 10 MVP tracker. If Booker is to be snubbed in the All-Star game, he definitely doesn’t deserve to be snubbed here and if him, KD and Bradley Beal can stay fit and consistent they will be a massive problem for the rest of the league.

The Suns started off their week with a win at the New Orleans Pelicans as Booker dropped 52 points. The talk of the league this week has been 70 points, but some seem to forget Booker scored 70, back in 2017 and at the time only 5 players had more in a single match. The Suns then hosted the Indiana Pacers, who were without their All-Star, Tyrese Haliburton. The Suns got the win with Booker (26), Beal (25) and Kevin Durant (40) all scoring 25 points or more. Kevin Durant was the standout again when the Chicago Bulls came to Phoenix, as he had two 40-point games in the space of 24 hours, as his shot with two seconds on the clock got the home side the win. The Suns ended their immaculate week with a comfortable win in Dallas against the Mavericks, where Devin Booker dropped 46 points this time around.

Across the Suns’ flawless week, Booker averaged: 35 points, 5.3 rebounds, 5.3 assists and 1.3 steals. The 2015 draft pick shot: 56.8% from the field, 44.1% from three-point range and 83.3% from free-throws.

C – Joel Embiid

Embiid had a historic 70 point performance (Image: Getty Images)

Joel Embiid has been the talk of the league this week after his record-breaking 70-point game on Monday. Embiid became the ninth player to score 70 or more in a single match, he also broke his individual record, as well as the Philadelphia Seventy Sixers. He joined Michael Jordan as the only players to score 65+ points, 15+ rebounds and 5+ assists in a game, not bad company for the MVP. Embiid is now without doubt the front runner for the MVP award, which would mean he would have won it twice on the bounce. He still needs to prove himself in the Play-Offs to really be considered as a great, but his scoring run at the moment is something we have very rarely seen in the NBA. Embiid has averaged 39.7 points since December 1st, which is almost two months ago.

The Sixers started off their week with a win in Florida against the Orlando Magic, they then won at the Charlotte Hornets. The last of their winning run came when they beat the San Antonio Spurs at home, with the help of Embiid’s 70 points. They ended their week with a lost at the Pacers, but despite not having a flawless week there’s not much explanation needed on why Embiid deserves to be in this team.

Across this week, the record-breaker averaged: 42.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, 3.8 assists, 1.3 steals and 1 block. The All-Star starter shot: 54.7% from the field, 44.4% from three-point range and 89.3% from free-throws.

SF – Julius Randle

Randle is a leader of the Kicks (Image: Getty Images)

Julius Randle has been a key component to the New York Knicks early season success, and he was the standout as he helped them to a 3-0 week, as they are now unbeaten in five. The Knicks are now up to fourth seed in the Eastern Conference and although it might be Jalen Brunson getting the plaudits, Randle has been solid this season. The Knicks traded RJ Barrett and Immanuel Quickley for OG Anunoby in this trade window and so far, the trade has benefited last seasons’ fifth seed. The Knicks might need a little more in the way of trades, if they are to go all the way but they are looking very good at the moment.

The Knicks started off their week beating the team on the other-side of the OG Anunoby trade, the Toronto Raptors. Randle dropped a triple double to help beat the travelling Raptors. The Knicks won away at New York rivals, the Brooklyn Nets despite there being more Knicks fans in the arena. The Knicks finished their flawless week with an impressive win at home to the reigning champions, the Denver Nuggets, when they won by 38 points (the Nuggets biggest loss of the season).

Across the three matches, Randle averaged: 21.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 8.7 assists. The former LA Laker shot: 51.1% from the field, 42.9% from three-point range and 91.7% from free-throws.

PF – Giannis Antetokounmpo

The Greek Freak is a front runner for MVP (Image: Getty Images)

Two-time MVP Giannis Antetokounmpo has gone under the radar this week after Embiid’s heroics. Giannis has had one of his most efficient shooting seasons so far, and if the Milwaukee Bucks can improve their defensive incapabilities they will be able to go far this season. The Bucks have just fired their coach Adrian Griffin and it looks like veteran coach Doc Rivers will be the replacement.

The Bucks picked up back-to-back wins in Detroit over the Pistons, before a win at home against the Cleveland Cavaliers. They now comfortably sit at second seed in the Eastern Conference, but improvements will be made if they are to overcome the Boston Celtics in the Play-Offs.

The All-Star starter averaged: 32.3 points, 15 rebounds, 9.7 assists, 1.7 steals and 1.7 blocks. The “Greek Freak” shot: 56.9% from the field and 56.8% from free-throws.

6th man of the week - Russell Westbrook

Rookie of the week - Brandon Miller

NBA team of the week