Grizzlies guard Ja Morant and Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western Conference and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (via Twitter).
Morant led the Grizzlies to three consecutive victories during the week of December 27 – January 2, including an impressive road win in Phoenix, plus home wins over the Lakers and Spurs. He had a 41-point, 10-rebound double-double in the win over the Lakers last Wednesday and averaged 34.7 PPG, 6.7 RPG, and 4.7 APG for the week. Incredibly, he also shot 80.0% on three-pointers (12-for-15).
While DeRozan’s per-game numbers (27.8 PPG, 7.3 APG, 5.3 RPG) perhaps weren’t quite as impressive as Morant’s, the Bulls star had the more memorable week, capped by game-winning shots on Friday and Saturday. DeRozan’s Bulls had a 4-0 week, as he became the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beating game-winners on back-to-back nights.
It’s the second time this season DeRozan has been named the East’s Player of the Week. He beat out fellow nominees Giannis Antetokounmpo, Jimmy Butler, Kevin Love, and Pascal Siakam to earn the award. The other nominees in the West were LeBron James, Eric Bledsoe, and Jordan Clarkson (Twitter link).
Derozan game winners were Friday and Saturday
He is going to start being in the MVP conversation