The votes are in and final, and here we announce the Players of the Week
and Rookies of the Week for Week 20!
East –
DeMar DeRozan
This week it was a 3 way split of the leading 1st place votes
between DeRozan, Harden and Crawford, each taking 25%, but the preference votes
were in favour of DeRozan and he claimed his 4th POTW award of the
season ahead of James Harden. He powered the Magic to a 4-0 final week, which
meant they took the 9th spot in the East, only 2 games shy of what
seemed most of the year like an unlikely playoff berth…and so it unfortunately
was. He averaged 29.3 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.5 steals and 1.5
blocks with only 1 turnover, on 51% shooting, 100% from the line. DeMar is
hitting FA this summer, but talk is that he’s very happy in a revamped Magic
roster, and if they can keep it together through FA and then manage to cut off
their GMs trigger finger, he should have another stellar year next season
leading the Magic to a more likely playoff berth. Congratulations DeMar DeRozan
on 4x POTW!
West –
Will Barton
The Wst has a completely new winner this week! Will Barton took home 55%
of the 1st place votes to easily cover John Wall and claim his first
POTW award…maybe ever? A Davis-less Spurs needed someone to step up in the
final week to guarantee a playoff spot, and Barton did just that to earn them a
3-1 week and that playoff spot. Barton hurled in 30.5 points per game, pulled
down 8.5 rebounds and added 2.3 assists, 1 steal and 0.5 blocks while shooting
49% from the field, 44% from deep and 95% from the line. That’s a stat-line
that dreams are made of! Barton will continue to be relied upon heavily in a
match-up with the Nuggets in Round 1, and he’ll be a tough stop.
Congratulations Will Barton on POTW for Week 20!
West
Rookie – Devin Booker
Well how is this for a turn up! Emmanuel Mudiay claims 45% of the 1st
place votes to Devin Booker’s 25%, but the preference votes goes Booker’s way
in a landslide and he claims his 2nd ROTW award by 1 measly point!
The Clips have been way down and running the kids for a while now and Booker’s
growth has been a great thing for the future of the club. He averaged a season
high 17.3 points this week, with 2.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 0.5 steals and 1
block playing at SF for the 1st time this season. Perhaps this is
his spot of the futre? Particularly with the returning SG Alec Burks next
season. Booker has shown he can hit a shot and put the ball in the hole, now it’s
time for the rest of his game to grow next season. Congratulations Devin Booker
on 2x ROTW!
East
Rookie – Karl-Anthony Towns
It’s been a long while
since we’ve had Karl-Anthony Towns listed here, week 11 in fact, but he won his
7th ROTW award this week in a landslide claiming 70% of the 1st
place votes to easily cover Myles Turner. Unlike some of the other rookies
though, KAT has been starting on a serious contender all year so hasn’t had the
luxury of infinite minutes and opportunity the whole way which has probably
hindered his overall impact. However in week 20, Marcin Gortat took a rest
before playoffs and KAT put up his best week of the season by far with averages
of 18.5 points, 11.3 rebounds, 0.3 assists, 0.8 steals and 1.5 blocks on 60%
shooting, 1/1 from deep and 90% from the line. He’s as versatile as they come
and set to be a mainstay in the Bucks middle man position for 300 years.
Congratulations Karl-Anthony Towns on 7x ROTW!
Congratulations
to the winners in Week 20, and may the odds be forever in your favour!
