The best performances Weekly! It’s Sunday and like every Sunday it’s time to discuss the NBA Surprises.
Welcome back to my weekly list! Can’t believe it’s week 22 already and the play-offs are just weeks away! There are so many teams tanking really bad! But luckily there are teams giving it them all to make sure the end up in a good seed for the play-offs or even trying to just squeeze into the play-offs! Who will just make it and who will be disappointed and just miss out? In a few weeks we all know!
Like every week I would like to share my take on the most impressive performances and players that surprised me.
I always take in consideration the teams play and winning streak, playing well individually but your team is not does not earn you a spot to the Haas picks list!
Here are my top performances.
Marco Belinelli
Before the season I predicted that the Philadelphia 76ers would make it to the play-offs and that the process was over, I was not sure if they would make it because you never know how young players develop. But just look at them now, they are in the 4th seed for now and will make the play-offs for sure. They even added players like Marco Belinelli and Ilyasova to prepare for the play-offs.
This week my pick goes to Belinelli, the experienced sharp shooter is making his mark straight away! I really respect him, he was good when he played for the Spurs and basically this season he wasted his time playing for the Hawks, being able to chip in right from his buy-out trade is something I find impressive and he is really helping the Sixers.
This week he scored 21 and 15 points, shooting great from the three point line, scoring 7 of them in two games!
Other good news? Embiid is playing back to back games! So he is getting more and more healthy and soon in the play-offs those back to back are not there anymore! Really exciting to see what they can do in the play-offs this year.
Eric Gordon
Will the Houston Rockets be champions this year? I strongly believe that whoever will make it out of the West will be Champion, so Warriors or Rockets! They had many great win streaks and will have home court advantage due to the best record.
I picked many Rockets players already in previous Haas lists but this week I have to go for; Eric Gordon.
The former 3point contest winner is shooting really well and because of the shooting the Rockets have it opens up the floor to operate for Harden and Paul. I really believe that if the Rockets want to be Champions players like Ryan Andeson, Ariza and Gordon have to be the key.
This week Gordon showed his shooting by netting 45 points in three games and because of it they were able to win against the Timberwolves and Trailblazers.
Cheick Diallo
The story of the New Orleans Pelicans is very heartwarming, everybody told them playing with two 7 footers is not going to work in today’s NBA and when cousins got hurt nobody believed in their changes to make it to the play-offs. And just look at them now! They hold the 5th spot in the West and are 3 games clear of the 9th seed, so if they can hold up for a few more weeks they are in the play-offs.
This week they beat teams they have to beat; Dallas, The Pacers and the Lakers but also the Celtics!
We are all familiar with Anthony Davis his great play, scoring over 30 points this week again.
But I must say, and this never happened to me again, I have to pick someone I never heard of before, this week’s pick goes to Cheick Diallo, the rookie out of Kansas. He really gave them a lift of the bench this week.
His scoring average is 4,7 for the season but this week he was able to score just under 10 points a game making sure the Pelicans had enough points to beat opponents.
LaMarcus Aldridge
The Spurs always play great team basketball, it’s just there DNA, sure they don’t play as dominant as previous years and struggle at times. Really hope everything works out with Leonard so next year they can be a real force again.
But even as we speak they are the 6th spot in the West and are on pace of making it to the play-offs again, like always.
This week they had some strong wins, beating the Wizards, Jazz and Warriors and now have won 6 in a row.
My pick goes to LaMarcus Aldridge, fair enough last year he did not show it but now his carrying the team! There were some strong performances by Mills, Anderson and Ginobili but LaMarcus scored a career high this week with 45 points!
Steven Adams
OKC beat the Raptors and the Heat and should have won against the Celtics but lost in spectacular fashion. Nevertheless they are a team nobody wont to play against in the play-offs. In my eyes they can beat everybody! They are 7 and 3 on the last 10 games and have much better chemistry then earlier in the season.
Westbrook always fills up the scoresheet and is the reigning MVP, I really love what Cory Brewer gives them but I must honor my Kiwi friend Steven Adams, he is giving them so many second change points and has a real good chemistry with Westbrook. It does not matter who he plays against he is making your life miserable.
This week he averaged 20 points and 10 assist!
Hope you liked this week’s picks, I will be back next week! How is your team doing? Please don’t tell me they are tanking? Few more weeks until the play-offs!