Out with the old, in with the new? With Kobe Bryant and Dwyane Wade clearly on the decline and Chris Paul on the downward trend of his prime, there’s an opportunity for James Harden and John Wall to emerge as the best players at their respective positions. They’re another step closer to doing so after being named Conference Players of the Week for games played between December 8 and December 14.
Harden averaged a league-best 34.9 points per game on 44.3 percent from the field while knocking down 24 of-28 at the line during the Houston Rockets’ 2-1 week. He also doled-out 7.3 assists and swiped 2.7 assists per game. Harden’s best contest was an awesome 44-point performance against the Sacramento Kings in which he played hero down the stretch. Before scoring 12 of Houston’s 18 points in the extra session, The Beard hit this game-tying trey as the fourth quarter clock ticked to 20 seconds:
Wall led the Washington Wizards to a perfect 4-0 week by averaging 18.3 points and a league-high 11.8 assists per game on 52.3 percent shooting. He nearly managed the rare five-by-five in yesterday’s win over the Utah Jazz, too, stuffing the stat sheet for 16 points, six rebounds, eight assists, three blocks, and five steals.
While that game plus his play in a win against Paul and the Los Angeles Clippers was eye-opening, no performance of Wall’s was bigger than his emotional one in an overtime win versus the Boston Celtics. He scored 27 points, grabbed seven rebounds, and dished 17 assists in Washington’s win, breaking down afterward while dedicating the game to a fallen friend:
Harden and Wall have competition for not only the MVP chase, but the right to be called basketball’s top players at their respective positions. Klay Thompson and Jimmy Butler have taken major steps forward this season, while Russell Westbrook, Stephen Curry, and Paul have legitimate claims to the floor general throne.
If either young superstar can maintain last week’s level of play going forward, though, there won’t be any doubt who reigns supreme at both backcourt spots. As for MVP? That’s a much tougher call – Harden and Wall would be battling against each other alone.
What do you think?
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