Luka Doncic, Jalen Brunson Named Players Of Week
Lakers guard Luka Doncic and Knicks guard Jalen Brunson have been named the Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Doncic led the Lakers to three wins during the week of November 24-30 while averaging 37.3 points, 10.3 assists and 8.7 rebounds per contest. Those performances, which included a 43-point outburst against the Clippers, increased his league-leading scoring average to 35.1 points per game.
Brunson lifted the Knicks to four wins by averaging 28.8 points and 4.5 assists per game while knocking down 40.7 percent of his three-point attempts. He matched his season high on Friday by racking up 37 points against Milwaukee.
Doncic and Brunson, of course, were backcourt partners in Dallas. Brunson has earned Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors seven times since joining the Knicks, while this is the first time Doncic has achieved the feat since becoming a Laker.
The other nominees in the West were Zach Edey (Grizzlies), Anthony Edwards (Timberwolves), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Jamal Murray (Nuggets) and Austin Reaves (Lakers).
Desmond Bane (Magic), Jaylen Brown (Celtics), Tyler Herro (Heat), Jalen Johnson (Hawks) and Pascal Siakam (Pacers) were also nominated in the East.
Thunder’s Kenrich Williams Cleared For Season Debut
After missing the first 18 games of 2025/26, Thunder forward Kenrich Williams is no longer on the injury report and has been cleared to make his season debut on Wednesday vs. Minnesota, per Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (Twitter link).
Williams, who will turn 31 next Tuesday, underwent an arthroscopic procedure on his left knee just before the start of training camp in late September. At the time, the Thunder announced that he’d be reevaluated in six-to-eight weeks. Just over eight weeks later, he’s set to return to action.
Williams has been in Oklahoma City for the past five seasons, and while his playing time has declined a little in the past couple years, he still made 69 appearances last season, averaging 6.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 1.4 assists in 16.4 minutes per game, with a shooting line of .483/.386/.718. The veteran wing also saw the floor in 16 of 23 contests during the Thunder’s championship run in the spring.
Besides being one of the team’s longest-tenured players, Williams is the second-oldest player on the Thunder roster and is a respected voice in the locker room.
“He’s a leader,” teammate Isaiah Hartenstein said (Twitter video link via Martinez). “You hear his voice through the game, throughout the practice. Just having him back is something really cool. He’s still been a force even when he wasn’t playing.”
While Williams will be active on Wednesday, the Thunder will still be missing multiple key members of their rotation. Jalen Williams (wrist surgery) has yet to make his season debut, and Aaron Wiggins (adductor strain) has been ruled out of a 10th consecutive game. Reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is also considered questionable to play due to an illness.
Health issues haven’t slowed down the Thunder so far this season. They enter Wednesday’s divisional showdown with the Timberwolves holding a league-best 17-1 record.
Gilgeous-Alexander, Mitchell Named Players Of The Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Cavaliers guard Donovan Mitchell have been named the NBA’s Players of the Week for the Western and Eastern Conference, respectively, the league announced today (Twitter links).
Gilgeous-Alexander led the defending champions to four wins during the week of November 17-23 while averaging 31.0 points and 6.5 assists per contest and shooting 60% from the field and 64.3% from beyond the arc. Oklahoma City was +82 in SGA’s 125 minutes on the court last week.
Gilgeous-Alexander also earned Player of the Week honors three weeks ago and is the second repeat winner of the award this season, joining Nuggets center Nikola Jokic.
Mitchell posted averages of 31.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 5.0 assists per game as the Cavaliers went 3-1 this past week. He opened and closed the week with matching 37-point performances against the Bucks and Clippers, going 14-of-22 from the field in each of those two outings.
Santi Aldama (Grizzlies), Luka Doncic (Lakers), De’Aaron Fox (Spurs), James Harden (Clippers) and Jokic (Nuggets) were the other Western Conference nominees for Player of the Week.
Jalen Duren (Pistons), Josh Giddey (Bulls), Brandon Ingram (Raptors), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Tyrese Maxey (Sixers), Norman Powell and Kel’el Ware (Heat), Ryan Rollins (Bucks) and Franz Wagner (Magic) were also nominated in the East.
Nikola Jokic, Jalen Johnson Named Players Of The Week
Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the Western Conference Player of the Week, while Hawks forward Jalen Johnson has won the award in the East, the NBA announced on Monday (via Twitter).
Jokic, who won the weekly honor in the West for the second straight time (19th overall), had another phenomenal week, even by his lofty standards. He led Denver to three road victories, averaging 39.0 points, 13.0 rebounds, 8.0 assists and 1.7 steals on .737/.643/.889 shooting splits.
Jokic’s week was highlighted by a 55-point outburst against the Clippers in which he recorded 52 points, 11 rebounds and six assists through only three quarters, the first player to have such a stat line through three periods since the NBA began play-by-play tracking in 1997/98, per the Nuggets. He notched another three points and one rebound in two-plus minutes in the fourth, shooting 18-of-23 from the field, 5-of-6 from three, and 14-of-16 from the line in 34 minutes.
The Nuggets have won seven straight games and are currently 10-2, only trailing the 13-1 Thunder in the West. Jokic, a three-time MVP who finished as the runner-up in the two seasons he didn’t win the award over the past five years, is averaging career highs in several statistical categories in 2025/26.
Johnson had a spectacular stretch of games himself in winning his first Player of the Week award. The 23-year-old guided Atlanta to a perfect 4-0 record on the team’s Western Conference road trip, the first time the Hawks have gone undefeated on a West trip spanning at least four games since 1970/71. He averaged 24.0 points, 12.0 rebounds, 9.3 assists and 2.5 steals on .603/.571/.783 shooting.
Johnson had a historic stat line on Thursday in Utah, recording career highs in points (31), rebounds (18), assists (14) and steals (seven), the first player to meet all of those statistical benchmarks in a game since steals became an official stat in ’73/74. The Hawks are now 9-5, tied for the No. 3 seed in the East.
According to the NBA (Twitter link), the other nominees in the West were Stephen Curry, Luka Doncic, Anthony Edwards, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, James Harden, Lauri Markkanen and Alperen Sengun. Giannis Antetokounmpo, Scottie Barnes, Jaylen Brown, Pistons two-way guard Daniss Jenkins, Karl-Anthony Towns and Franz Wagner were nominated in the East.
Thunder Notes: SGA, Dort, Hartenstein, Daigneault
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander had two of the league’s most prestigious trophies in his possession by the time the Thunder reached the NBA Finals, but he kept them out of sight so they wouldn’t distract from the ultimate goal, writes Tim MacMahon of ESPN. The award he got for being named Most Valuable Player of the Western Conference Finals stayed hidden in the back of his locker until the playoffs ended, while his regular season MVP trophy was in an even more remote spot.
“In its case, in the basement,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “All the joy and everything that comes with that would’ve been put on hold had we not won the championship, so that’d be my main goal. I had to put the fun aside for a bit, and then at the end, it was a little bit sweeter.”
SGA and his team appear to be on the way to collecting more hardware next spring and possibly for years to come. They’re off to an 11-1 start without their best lineup together, as All-Star wing Jalen Williams is still recovering from wrist surgery and other players have been in and out of the lineup during the first three weeks of the season.
As MacMahon explains, they’ve been able to keep winning due to a sense of professionalism and a commitment to hard work that permeate the organization, with Gilgeous-Alexander at the center of it.
“He still looks like he wants to make the team. That’s just his approach,” Luguentz Dort said. “That’s how he competes. He’s always been like that. The fact that he’s the leader of our team and still approaching it that way in Year 8 now, it just sets the tone for the rest of us. It’s like, man, we got to match that energy.”
There’s more from Oklahoma City:
- While the Thunder are favored to repeat as champions this season, ownership may have to be willing to spend into the second apron to build a dynasty capable of winning several titles, MacMahon adds. The first test will come next offseason when decisions have to be made on team options for Dort ($18.2MM) and Isaiah Hartenstein ($28.5MM). “There’s certain (times) where you think, ‘I could never imagine being somewhere else,’ but for me, it’s right now,” Hartenstein said. “How can I be focused on the present moment? Then I think everything will figure itself out when it’s done. And I think with the second apron, winning always helps. So, if we just keep winning, I think we can keep the team together.”
- In an interview with Mark Medina of Athlon Sports, Gilgeous-Alexander said head coach Mark Daigneault deserves more credit for his role in making the team successful. “The biggest thing is Coach does a really good job of setting the tone,” he said. “The group is a certain way, obviously, and the characters in the room. But Coach does a really good job of holding every guy in the room, including myself, to the highest standard and not letting it slip, no matter what.”
- Daigneault tells Sam Amick of The Athletic that the Thunder adjusted their normal offseason schedule to give players more time to savor the accomplishment of winning a title. “Normally guys are coming into Oklahoma City in early September, and we pushed that back — for the guys that played a lot,” he said. “So we tried to extend the summer as much as we could, and not feel this insecurity to turn the page too fast, so that they could fully enjoy and decompress from last season. And then we just tried to present it as an end point. Last season ended. This season starts. That was the 2025 championship. No one’s taking it away from us. It’s ours for the rest of our lives, but it’s also over.”
Cade Cunningham, Nikola Jokic Named Players Of Week
Pistons guard Cade Cunningham has been named the Eastern Conference Player of the Week, while Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been chosen as the Western Conference Player of the Week, according to the NBA (Twitter links).
Cunningham led Detroit to four consecutive wins during the week of November 3-9 while averaging 31.0 points and 9.8 assists per game on 54.7% shooting. This marks the second time in his career that Cunningham has received a Player of the Week award.
Jokic also led his team to a 4-0 week, with home victories over Sacramento, Miami, Golden State, and Indiana. The three-time MVP averaged a triple-double, with 31.3 points, 13.3 assists, and 11.3 rebounds per contest. His biggest game of the week came last Wednesday against the Heat, when he racked up 33 points, 16 assists, 15 rebounds, and three steals.
Giannis Antetokounmpo (Bucks), Jalen Duren (Pistons), Kon Knueppel (Hornets), Donovan Mitchell (Cavaliers), Norman Powell (Heat) and Karl-Anthony Towns (Knicks) were the other Eastern Conference nominees.
Devin Booker (Suns), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Thunder), Trey Murphy III (Pelicans), Julius Randle (Timberwolves) and Alperen Sengun (Rockets) were also nominated in the West.
SGA, Maxey Named NBA’s Players Of The Week
Thunder guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Sixers guard Tyrese Maxey have been named the NBA Western and Eastern Conference Players of the Week, respectively, according to the league (Twitter links).
Gilgeous-Alexander led Oklahoma City to a 4-0 record during the week of October 27 to November 2, averaging 28.8 points, 4.5 rebounds and 6.5 assists per game. He was especially effective over the course of a three-game stretch vs. the Kings, Wizards, and Pelicans, scoring at least 30 points in all three contests and committing just four total turnovers.
Maxey carried the Sixers to a 3-1 record by averaging 33.5 points, 5.3 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game this past week. The sixth-year guard, who will celebrate his 25th birthday on Tuesday, began the week by scoring a season-high 43 points against Orlando, then had 39 points and 10 assists in an overtime win over Washington.
The Trail Blazers’ duo of Deni Avdija and Jrue Holiday, the Suns’ Devin Booker, the Lakers’ duo of Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves and the Rockets’ Alperen Sengun were the other Western Conference nominees.
The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown, the Pistons’ Cade Cunningham, the Bulls’ Josh Giddey, the Hawks’ Jalen Johnson and the Bucks’ Ryan Rollins were also nominated in the East.
Thunder Notes: Holmgren, SGA, Wallace, Mitchell
Thunder big man Chet Holmgren entered Saturday’s game with a questionable tag due to lower back soreness before being upgraded to available. And after a hot start in Atlanta in which he scored 14 first-quarter points, Holmgren suffered a dislocated thumb in the second quarter on a failed block attempt, writes Justin Martinez of The Oklahoman (subscriber link).
According to Martinez, Holmgren wanted to pop the injured digit into place himself and return to the game, but the team insisted he needed to undergo X-rays. The 23-year-old wound up having a big night once he was medically cleared to resume playing, finishing with 31 points, 12 rebounds, three steals and a block in 27 minutes.
“He’s always got that,” head coach Mark Daigneault said of Holmgren’s toughness. “He’s always ready to go. Great competitor. … He came out tonight teeing up those shots and saw a couple go in. He had a great game flow tonight.”
Reigning NBA MVP and Finals MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander believes Holmgren, who signed a rookie scale max extension this offseason, is primed for a huge year.
“He’s stronger, faster and more explosive,” Gilgeous-Alexander said, per Martinez. “He’s just getting more comfortable. With a guy with his natural feel, as the games go on, he’ll continue to grow and be better. We’ve just got to continue to ignite him as teammates.”
Here’s more on the defending champions:
- After double-overtime thrillers against Houston and Indiana resulted in Gilgeous-Alexander playing a combined 93 minutes, the superstar guard got some much-needed rest on Saturday, according to Martinez (subscription required). Gilgeous-Alexander finished with 30 points, five rebounds and five assists in 29 minutes, and was able to sit out the entire fourth quarter with the Thunder firmly in control of their third straight victory. “It’s the gauntlet of the NBA season,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “You never know what to expect. In the summertime, you try to prepare for the worst in terms of load-wise, and I think we’ve done a great job of being ready for the start of the season. We’ve had some pop for these first three games despite having a few double-overtime games.”
- Thunder guard Cason Wallace, who was competing against his older brother Keaton Wallace, did an admirable job slowing down Hawks star Trae Young, Martinez adds in the same story. Young finished with 15 points on 5-of-12 shooting, Martinez notes. “He’s just got unbelievable hands, athleticism, toughness and a combination of things,” Daigneault said of Cason. “He seems to be a dude who, when he’s near the ball, he comes up with it. … He’s the guy at the bottom of a pile who’s gonna get the fumble and come up with the football.”
- Ajay Mitchell is off to an excellent start to the season, averaging 18.7 points, 4.3 assists, 4.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal on .467/.417/1.000 shooting through three games (27.0 MPG). As Martinez writes for The Oklahoman (subscriber link), Mitchell poured in a career-high 26 points in Thursday’s win, which was particularly meaningful for the second-year guard, as it occurred on his late grandmother’s birthday. “She was very important (to me),” Mitchell said of his grandmother, who passed away in February. “She was always there for me. She was definitely on my mind this whole night. … I’m glad I got to play that way for her. She means the world to me, so I’m glad I did that.”
And-Ones: Core Trios, MVP, Hayward, NBA App
Tim Bontemps of ESPN ranks the core trios of every NBA team based on their current and future value. Unsurprisingly, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and Chet Holmgren of the defending champion Thunder sit atop Bontemps’ tiered list, followed by the Nuggets trio of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Aaron Gordon.
Bontemps’ final tier (“rebuilding”) is comprised of the Nets (Nic Claxton, Egor Demin, Nolan Traore), Trail Blazers (Toumani Camara, Donovan Clingan, Shaedon Sharpe), Jazz (Ace Bailey, Walter Clayton, Lauri Markkanen), and Wizards (Bilal Coulibaly, Tre Johnson, Alex Sarr).
Here are a few more odds and ends from around the basketball world:
- Using six categories (narrative score, expected ridiculous stats score, team quality score, clutch score, player impact score, and perceived value score), Zach Harper of The Athletic takes a stab at predicting who will win the NBA’s MVP award in 2025/26. Jokic, who was the runner-up last season, earns the most points (55/60), followed by reigning MVP Gilgeous-Alexander (50/60) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (50/60), who finished third in voting last season. However, Harper’s “gut” says Timberwolves guard Anthony Edwards (45/60) will claim his first MVP.
- Former NBA All-Star Gordon Hayward, who retired last summer after a 14-year career in the league, is returning to his alma mater in a new role. According to a Butler press release written by John Dedman, Hayward will be an executive basketball advisor for the Bulldogs’ men’s basketball program. In addition to advising in multiple areas, Hayward will also serve as a mentor to student-athletes, with a focus on leadership and professional development.
- The NBA announced in a press release that it has launched a new multi-platform streaming offering as well as the “reimagined” NBA TV, both of which can be accessed via the NBA App. There’s also a new flagship program on NBA TV and the NBA App called “The Association,” which features MJ Acosta-Ruiz, David Fizdale, Rudy Gay, Chris Haynes and John Wall, among others.
Northwest Notes: SGA, Bailey, Dillingham, Miller, Cooke
Thunder star Shai Gilgeous-Alexander doesn’t see himself playing until he’s 40 like current stars LeBron James and Chris Paul, he said within a GQ Sports cover story, per Yang-Yi Goh (subscription required).
“I definitely think I can,” Gilgeous-Alexander said. “I won’t, though. A hundred percent.”
The reigning MVP just turned 27 in July, so he certainly has time to change his mind between now and the final years of his NBA career. However, he went on to explain that family considerations would be the main reason why he doesn’t think he’d want to extend his playing days that long.
“I won’t want to miss that much of my kid’s life,” he told Goh. “I won’t want to be away and miss his first basketball game every year, his first soccer game, football game, piano lesson, chess lesson, whatever it is. And there’s a certain point in your career where you reach your peak.
“I don’t fault guys for still playing. They love the game. But I just feel like I play this game, ultimately, to see what the best version of me can be. Once I figure that out and I start going down, then it’s like, Okay, well, what am I playing for now? As soon as that happens, I’ll be on the first ship out.”
Here’s more from around the Northwest Division:
- Jazz rookie Ace Bailey is dealing with “some tendonitis” in both of his knees, Will Hardy said after the No. 5 overall pick was removed from Monday’s game vs. Portland. However, Utah’s head coach didn’t sound overly concerned about the issue. “He’s not going to be getting imaged or anything like that,” Hardy told reporters, including Andy Larsen of The Salt Lake Tribune (Twitter link). “It’s just trying to take care of him. He was a little sore during his second stint (on the court).”
- After playing a limited role as a rookie, second-year Timberwolves guard Rob Dillingham is working on making the adjustments necessary to earn more regular minutes in 2025/26, as Chris Hine of The Star Tribune details. “I want to play,” Dillingham said. “So whatever I got to do to play, whatever (head coach Chris Finch) wants me to do — pass the ball, pick up (on defense), I’m just gonna have to do.” Finch offered more details on what he and the staff have told Dillingham to focus on: “Be ready to make shots off the ball, particularly when you’re playing out there alongside guys like Julius and Ant who are going to have the ball in their hands a lot. Keep it simple and use your speed, which is what we need you to do and what you have naturally comes to you.”
- Timberwolves forward Leonard Miller, who suffered a finger injury early in training camp, was cleared for full-contact, five-on-five basketball activities on Monday, the team announced in a press release. Miller started on Monday against the Guangzhou Loong Lions and played well in a Minnesota blowout, racking up 15 points and 11 rebounds in 23 minutes of action.
- The Oklahoma City Blue and Rip City Remix have completed a trade, tweets Rylan Stiles of SI.com. The Thunder‘s G League affiliate acquired the returning rights for Isaac Nogues and Henri Drell, along with a 2026 second-round pick, from the Trail Blazers‘ affiliate, in exchange for Javonte Cooke‘s returning rights. Cooke signed an Exhibit 10 contract with Portland two weeks ago, while Nogues and Drell are currently playing overseas.