Around the NBA: Nov. 20
Host Zech Lambert alongside Ben Serfass, Gabe Angieri and Logan Bourandas discuss the latest in the NBA:
Week four of the NBA season came and went with some notable headlines. From James Harden leading the Rockets to an eight-game winning streak, to Bradley Beal doing everything he can on a struggling Wizards team, to Caremlo Anthony finding a home in Portland.
Team of the Week
The Houston Rockets were unstoppable this past week, winning every game they played. As a matter of fact, they are currently riding an eight-game winning streak. This is thanks in large part to their MVP candidate James Harden. Last year Harden averaged 36 points per game, but this year he has taken yet another step forward and is up to 39 points per game. Harden is also second in the entire NBA with a 31.59 player efficiency rate (PER).
Russell Westbrook has proven to be a nice compliment to Harden as well. Westbrook is averaging 22 points, seven assists and eight rebounds. Westbrook has been able to lead the offense while Harden is off the court, making the Rocket’s offense even more lethal than they were in years past.
This past week, the Rockets defeated the Pelicans, Clippers, Pacers, Timberwolves, and Trailblazers. The Rockets are up to second in the Western Conference due to their winning streak, which has been propelled by the elite play of James Harden.
Player of the Week
Much has gone wrong for the Washington Wizards this season, but there is one thing that hasn’t - Bradley Beal. Beal had an incredible week, dropping 44 points twice, and 34 points in the other game. Even though the Wizards lost two of those three games, Beal was unbelievably efficient, and were the main reason they beat the Timberwolves.
Against the East-leading Celtics, Beal put up 44 points on 17-of-27 shooting, and kept the Wizards right there the entire game. In the win against the Timberwolves, he again poured in 44 points on 15-of-22 shooting, while also picking up 10 assists. Beal’s week was so spectacular that his worst game was a 34 point, six rebound, eight assist loss against the Magic. Even though the Wizards have been atrocious this season, Bradley Beal has been a light in the darkness for the Wizards.
Carmelo Anthony
Carmelo Anthony has finally signed a contract. Anthony signed with the Portland Trailblazers and will be active for their Tuesday night game against the Pelicans. How large of a role he plays remains to be seen, but the Blazers are struggling this year at 5-9 and 13th in the West, so giving Melo a shot can’t hurt.
Upcoming Games
Week five of the NBA has a few good games on the docket. The Rockets will put their eight-game winning streak on the line against the Nuggets, and then match up against the Clippers on Friday. The Nuggets will also face off with the Celtics on Friday. Before their battle with the Nuggets, though, the Celtics will play the Clippers Tuesday night.
Injury News
The Warriors have been struggling this season and they have lost their leading scorer D’Angelo Russell for at least two weeks with a thumb injury.
Kawhi Leonard has missed the Clippers past three games with a left knee contusion and is currently listed as day-to-day. Fortunately for LA, Paul George has been playing very well in Kawhi’s absence.
Zech Lambert is a sophomore majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him, email zbl5146@psu.edu.
About the Contributors
Zech Lambert
Senior / Broadcast journalism
Zech is a senior from Northampton, Pennsylvania. He is a football insider for CommRadio. He is also a co-host on the weekly talk show Ducks on the Pond, while also doing play-by-play for CommRadio and B1G+. On top of that, Zech is a sports editor at the Daily Collegian. Over the summer, he interned with the Charlottesville Tom Sox of the Valley Baseball League doing play-by-play, among other media roles. To contact him, email .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address). You can also tweet him @Zech_Lambert with any random thoughts or just to have some sports banter.
Logan Bourandas
Third-Year / Broadcast Journalism
Logan Bourandas is a third-year broadcast journalism major from Long Island, NY. He is a the news director for CommRadio and the host of Ducks on the Pond, which is an all-baseball talk show on CommRadio. He is also a sports writer, broadcaster and podcaster for CommRadio. He got his start as the station manager for his high school radio station WPOB in his hometown of Plainview, NY, where he hosted numerous radio shows and was involved in sports broadcasts. You can contact him at .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address).
