NBA Weekly Recap: Jan. 30

Story posted January 30, 2022 in CommRadio, Sports by Patrick Lepre

As we get closer to the All-Star break, the NBA is starting to heat up. Here is a weekly recap of some of the biggest talking points in the league.

Andrew Wiggins is an All-Star Starter

The biggest news around the NBA right now is currently surrounding the All-Star voting of Andrew Wiggins. Wiggins has been chosen as an All-Star starter despite the stat line 18.2 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game and 2.1 assists per game.

Are there many forwards in the West better than Wiggins? No, so he should be an All-Star but, he should not be a starter considering his stats are not flashy and he is not even a top-three piece on the Warriors.

Suns Shine Bright

Suns are again on a win streak and are seeking their 10th win in a row for the second time this season. The Suns currently sit atop the West thanks to Devin Booker and Chris Paul being one of if not the best guard duos in the league.

Despite injuries from players like Deandre Ayton, Jae Crowder, Frank Kandinsky and Cam Payne the Suns just keep rolling with whoever they play with and have yet to hit the double-digit loss mark.

EMVPiid

Joel Embiid now has taken over for the MVP voting and sits at the top for the favorite to win it.

Embiid has been averaging 35.2 points per game over his last 10 games and currently has the 76ers as the No. 3 seed in the East. Embiid was also named an All-Star starter for the East this season.

Considering how big of an impact he has on the 76ers, this really could be Embiid's year to win the MVP if he can stay healthy from here on out.

Curry Cold Streak

Curry looked destined to win the MVP from November to January. In the first 24 games, this season Curry was averaging 27.7 points per game on 43.9% from the field and 41.6% on 3-point field goals.

Since Curry broke the all-time 3-point record, his field goal percentage has dropped to 39.7% and his 3-point percentage has dipped all the way down to 33.8%.

Great players always go through shooting slumps, but as the greatest shooter ever, this decline is something to keep an eye on as the season goes on.

Lakers Injuries Keep Piling Up

The biggest concern for this Lakers team coming into the season was their injuries with their age.

After injuring his MCL on Dec. 18 in Anthony Davis' first game back he injured his wrist. Davis has only played 29 out of the 50 games the Lakers have played this season. LeBron James has also missed quite some time this season missing 14 games.

With the two biggest pieces on the team continuing to miss time, it makes it harder and harder for this team to get any chemistry. Not that this Lakers team is well equipped to make a run, but they will have to solely rely on just getting hot at the right time.

Patrick Lepre is a first-year majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email pjl5466@psu.edu.