Not one team is undefeated any longer. Meanwhile, the scum of the NBA remains virtually the same. See how this past week shaped up around the league.
*All stats recorded prior to Tuesday night's games
Best Team
They may not be the best example of a team, but when Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook are both on, the Oklahoma City Thunder are a frightening opponent. On their current five-game win streak, Durant and Westbrook have paralleled each other and seem to have worked out a rhythm to their scoring. In fact, it is hard to distinguish who is more valuable to the team as both have contributed on all fronts.
During their win streak, each have tallied a triple-double, while Westbrook came up with three double-doubles to Durant's two. The Thunder have gotten contributions from bench players in Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters along the way, while Serge Ibaka had several big games. Fred Donovan has filled in nicely at head coach as the Thunder have steadily become the third-best team in the NBA.
Worst Team
Any guesses? You're right. The Philadelphia 76ers take the cake. Every week, there are several teams who struggle, yet the Sixers somehow find a way to be the worst. Ever. At 1-25 on the season, the NBA's worst team has lost seven straight games.
They averaged just 85.2 points-per-game last week in four losses and tallied a plus/minus of minus-22.2. They were the worst shooting team over that span and the only to make less than 40 percent of their shots from the field. Jahlil Okafor and Robert Covington have been their best players (and only bright spots), but remain irrelevant to the NBA world. The 76ers week was highlighted by bringing in Hall-of-Famer Jerry Colangelo as a Special Advisor and offering head coach Brett Brown a contract extension.
Best Player
Kevin Durant's triple-double fueled averages of 27.3 points, 8.8 rebounds, and 6.3 assists through four games last week. The 27 year-old former MVP shot 59.7 percent from the floor and scored over thirty points twice on his way to being named Western Conference Player of the Week. After starting the week with a 32-point, 10-rebound game against the Memphis Grizzlies, Durant followed with his first triple-double of the season against the Atlanta Hawks.
On the road against the Utah Jazz, Durant wound up with a 21-point, eight-rebound performance, scoring the team's last 11 points, which carried into the following game against the Jazz in which he scored 31 points back at the Chesapeake Energy Arena. It finally appears as though Durant is back to his former self after struggling with injuries last season.
Worst Player
The Los Angeles Clippers have resurrected themselves as of late, winning eight of their last ten. But one player that has been utterly useless is Lance Stephenson. Acquired in a trade over the offseason, Stephenson began the year making steady contributions off the bench.
But he is not the player he was with the Indiana Pacers during their run to back-to-back Eastern Conference Finals. The 25 year-old has been held scoreless in three of his last five games, all while his minutes have decreased. Stephenson has failed to make up for his lack of scoring in other areas of play and continues to waste space on the Clippers' bench.
Best Moment
After Julius Randle pissed off Kevin Garnett by inbounding the ball off the veteran's back on the second night of the season, Russell Westbrook became the second player to take a page out of Calvin Cambridge's notebook. With .7 seconds left before halftime, he used the ol' Like Mike move to inbound to himself to throw, catch, and shoot at the buzzer.
Worst Moment
On a night when the Milwaukee Bucks handed out T-shirts that read "24-1" and bled confidence in a then 9-15 team, the Golden State Warriors were handed their first loss of the season. Against the lowly Bucks, the defending champions could not complete a historic sweep of a seven-game road trip on their last stop at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Losing in front of a packed house of taunting T-shirts was clearly upsetting, especially after surviving a double-overtime thriller against the Boston Celtics the night prior.
So when it looked all but guaranteed that they would bring a 33-0 record to a Christmas Day rematch of the 2015 NBA Finals, the Warriors lost in disheartening fashion and simply ran out of gas in Milwaukee.
Fantasy Watchlist
Nicolas Batum
Batum should already be on your watchlist. Arguably the most successful trade of the offseason, the Hornets acquisition of the Frenchman is paying off. The seven-year veteran recorded his first triple-double of the season last week, but had four double-doubles prior. Batum has emerged as a valuable scoring option for the Hornets, especially with his three-point shooting. That, coupled with his ability to rebound and assist, make his position on the wing that much more beneficial.
DeMar DeRozan
DeRozan found a groove last week and, after beginning the week with a 16-point outing, scored over 20 in each of his next three games. He shot 12 and 14 free throws in back-to-back games and his aggressiveness and tenacity on other areas of the floor have rejuvenated the Toronto Raptors.
Klay Thompson
A dominant 39-point performance against the Indiana Pacers helped the Warriors continue their streak on a night that presented a potential roadblock to their streak. Thompson took the lead, making 10 of his 16 shots from three-point range on his way to a season-high scoring night. He unfortunately sprained his ankle in the closing minutes and was forced to miss the next game before returning against the Bucks. While he only posted 12 points in the Warriors' first loss of the season, Thompson could be poised for several more 30-point games once his ankle returns to 100 percent.