Melissa Rohlin
FOX Sports NBA Reporter
We’re in the quarter of the NBA season, and it’s been a wild ride.
In the Western Conference, just 3.5 games separate the first- and ninth-place teams. So a few wins or losses can skyrocket or crash a franchise in either direction. In the East, the Boston Celtics and Milwaukee Bucks continue to establish themselves as the big dogs.
Here’s our weekly overview of teams and players rising and falling.
Rising: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Antetokounmpo, one of the NBA’s friendliest players, had an unusual moment just over a week ago when he threw a ladder out of his way when he wanted to practice throwing francs after a game in Philadelphia.
Last week, however, he was back in the headlines for the usual reasons.
Antetokounmpo led the Bucks to a 3-1 record last week, averaging 35.3 points. 9.5 rebounds and 5.8 assists. The Bucks are second in the Eastern Conference, two games behind the first-place Celtics.
Even Dallas superstar Luka Dončić weighed in on Antetokounmpo’s dominance after the Bucks forward finished with 30 points and 11 rebounds on Sunday against the Mavs, his seventh game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds this season.
“It’s hard to face a guy like that,” Dončić told reporters. “He’s the best player in the NBA right now. It’s almost impossible to stop him. It’s really fun to watch him play, but it’s not that fun to go against him.”
Antetokounmpo, a two-time MVP, is fourth in the league in points (30.9 ppg) and fifth in rebounds (11.4 per game).
He kept the Bucks nipping at the Celtics’ heels, even as Milwaukee was deprived of its second-best player in Khris Middleton, who is recovering from offseason wrist surgery.
Forget the ladder rack. Right now, the only relevant ladder for Antetokounmpo is the MVP ladder which he is rapidly scaling.
Fall: San Antonio Spurs
Spurs will always be interesting as long as a 73-year-old Gregg Popoovich is in charge of the team.
But not much else is noteworthy about them right now, except maybe their eight-game losing streak.
Of course, it was expected to be a rebuilding year for them after dealing their only All-Star, Dejounte Murray, to the Atlanta Hawks. But it’s still kind of shocking to see a team that made the playoffs 22 straight seasons through 2019 and won five NBA championships so incredibly bad.
But Popovich takes it all head on.
When asked how he made losing “not miserable”, he said it was all about expectations and perspective.
“Winning and losing are illusions when you talk to them,” he said. “None of them really guarantees anything. You have to assess an individual’s development based on where they started and what they go on to glean.
“…Beyond that, you kinda smack yourself. It’s a really tough life. I can’t pay my electricity bill. Players can’t pay their gas bills. Gas is too expensive for them. Come on, give me a This is the best job in the world. So if you’re complaining, you’re an idiot.
Rising: Steph Curry
Golden State has underperformed this season, but Steph Curry has never looked better, a surprising feat for a 34-year-old.
He keeps the defending champions afloat. They have won three straight against the LA Clippers, Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves.
Curry is averaging 31.4 points on 52.2 percent shooting, 7.1 assists and 6.8 rebounds per game. It’s still early days, but if he can maintain those numbers, he’ll be in elite company. According to Stathead, only one player in NBA history has finished a season with an average of at least 30 points, 50% shooting, seven assists and six rebounds: Michael Jordan in 1988-89.
The Warriors have had a number of issues this season, including inconsistent play from nearly everyone not named Curry and a dismal 2-9 road record.
But Curry keeps them in the hunt. The Warriors have won five of their last six games and sit eighth in the Western Conference, just 3.5 games behind the top-ranked Phoenix Suns.
Downfall: Utah Jazz
The Jazz have lost five straight, slipping from first place in the Western Conference to ninth place.
The Jazz’s slippage began after Mike Conley injured his left knee against Portland. In their last five games, they have had the worst defensive rating in the league (122.9).
It looked like they might snap their losing streak Monday against Chicago when Lauri Markkanen dazzled with 24 first-half points on 9-for-10 shooting, including 5-for-6 from beyond the arc. But the Bulls contained him in the second half, holding him to just eight points.
Over the past eight days, in addition to falling to the Bulls, the Jazz have chained defeats against the Clippers, Detroit Pistons, Warriors and Suns.
Luckily for them, they’re at the top of a six-game home streak, so they’ll have a chance to turn things around in front of their home crowd.
Melissa Rohlin is an NBA writer for FOX Sports. She previously covered the league for Sports Illustrated, the Los Angeles Times, the Bay Area News Group and the San Antonio Express-News. Follow her on Twitter @melissarohlin.
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