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NBA Week 5 Rewind: Warriors, Kobe Bryant rewrite history

By Tom West

November 24, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the basketball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 111-77. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
November 24, 2015; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) dribbles the basketball against Los Angeles Lakers forward Kobe Bryant (24) during the third quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Lakers 111-77. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Nov 29, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe (2) goes to the basket as he is fouled by Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (7) at Air Canada Centre. The Suns beat the Raptors 107-102. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports
Nov 29, 2015; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Phoenix Suns point guard Eric Bledsoe (2) goes to the basket as he is fouled by Toronto Raptors point guard Kyle Lowry (7) at Air Canada Centre. The Suns beat the Raptors 107-102. Mandatory Credit: Tom Szczerbowski-USA TODAY Sports /

Under-the-radar Players to Watch Next Week

Whether you don’t want any big performers to go unnoticed or you’re looking to add someone to your fantasy team, here are a few names to keep an eye on going forward.

Eric Bledsoe

Much like his backcourt partner Brandon Knight, Bledsoe has elevated his game to a new level this season. He’s always been incredibly athletic for a 6’1″ point guard with excellent finishing around the rim, but his play from the perimeter has been far better. With a career-best 40.8 percent stroke from three point range (up 8.4 percent from last season) and 43.6 percent shooting from 16 feet out (up 5.4), his offensive skill set has been far more consistent and far more versatile. Even his PER is up to a career-best 23, too. Alongside the play of Brandon Knight, Bledsoe has led his Phoenix Suns to 10th place in offense efficiency.

Brook Lopez

Lopez stands resolute as the best player on one of the NBA’s worst teams this season. He’s upped all his numbers from a year ago and is averaging 19.9 points, 8.4 rebounds, 1.7 assists and 2.3 blocks per game. With his post game he can serve as their go-to-guy on offense, and his interior presence (players shoot 11.5 percent worse against him within six feet) allows him to protect the paint on defense. To finish his week, he had a perfectly well rounded performance on Sunday night with 15 points, 9 rebounds, 5 assists, 4 steals and 6 blocks in a win over the Pistons. When he can play like that, he’s Brooklyn’s anchor at both ends of the floor as they try and scrape together a few wins.

That being said, despite their unsightly record, the Nets have come very close to taking down some of the best teams in the game. They took the Warriors to overtime and only lost by 8 points and only lost to the Cavaliers on Sunday night after LeBron James hit a shot with one second left to steal a 90-88 win. Such performances show that these Nets aren’t quite as bad as their record suggests, and Lopez is right in the middle of them coming so close to causing two of the biggest upsets of the season.

Isaiah Thomas

Thomas continues to be the scoring energizer of the Boston Celtics this season. He can heat up in a hurry at times, has a solid mid-range game off the dribble, and has a knack of slipping past defenders on drives to the basket for a 5’9″ point guard. He ended last week with three straight 20 point games including a 30 point performance against the 76ers, and showed how he can be used to create points for a Celtics team who have few players to turn to when they need a quick basket. Their ball movement has been great with the 4th most assists per game in the NBA, but they need Thomas for his instant offense that he’s delivering at a career-high level with 21.1 points per game (15th in the league).

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