Miles Plumlee, Phoenix Suns: As the Suns continue to slide in Eric Bledsoe’s absence, Miles has continued his consistent play. Miles averaged 9.5 points per game and eight rebounds per game this past week, including a double-double against the Knicks.
Mason Plumlee, Brooklyn Nets: With the Nets recent run of hot play, Mason has found himself with a much smaller role with the team. However, after playing just one minute in the Nets’ win over the Heat, Mason did score six points, grab five rebounds, and block four shots in 28 minutes in a loss to the Raptors. Plumlee then played just three minutes in the Nets’ win over the Hawks. There seems to be no indication of what Mason's role will be going forward, so it will be interesting to see how much he plays in the next few weeks.
Gerald Henderson, Charlotte Bobcats: Henderson had one of the best offensive performances of his season last Saturday in a loss to the Bulls, where he scored a season-high 30 points on 10-of-16 shooting. Henderson did cool off after that performance though, scoring 17 points in a win over the Knicks, and then just eight points on 2-of-14 shooting in a loss to the 76ers.
Josh McRoberts, Charlotte Bobcats: McRoberts continued to struggle offensively this week, averaging 7.3 points in four games this week on 36.7 percent shooting. McRoberts does continue to do the little things though, contributing on the boards and on defense, and has his place in the Bobcats’ starting lineup firmly planted.
Elton Brand, Atlanta Hawks: Brand continues to be a productive role player for the Hawks and had another solid week of production. In last Friday’s win over the Rockets, Brand grabbed 11 rebounds and recorded four blocks, although he failed to score. Brand didn’t miss from the field though for the rest of the week in the Hawks’ losses to the Grizzlies and Nets, and added six more blocks.
Carlos Boozer, Chicago Bulls: Boozer had a very solid week of production for the Bulls, as they did surprisingly well without Luol Deng this past week, winning three of their four games. Boozer averaged 18.3 points per game on 52.5 percent shooting, both of which are above his season averages.
Mike Dunleavy, Jr., Chicago Bulls: While many within the Bulls organization, including head coach Tom Thibodeau, are not happy with the Luol Deng trade, Dunleavy may not be one of them, as he has finds himself back in the starting lineup. Dunleavy played well this past week, scoring double digits in all of his four games this week, averaging 14.0 points and 4.3 rebounds.
Luol Deng, Cleveland Cavaliers: Deng saw his first action in a Cavaliers uniform this week, and despite a slow start, showed why he could be a difference maker in the Cavs' playoff push. In his first two games, Deng averaged 11 points and three rebounds in limited minutes, but followed up those performances with a 27-point outing in a win over the Lakers and a 25-point game in a loss to the Trail Blazers. Overall, Deng averaged 18.5 points while shooting better than 50 percent from the field and beyond the arc in his first week with Cleveland—an impressive start to his time with his new team.
Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers: It seems as though Kyrie had more trouble adjusting to Deng than Deng did adjusting to his new team, as the third-year point guard had an inconsistent week for the Cavs. Irving averaged 16.5 points in four games this past week on just 37.5 percent shooting. Irving’s assist numbers didn’t improve with the addition of Deng either, as he averaged 5.3 per game, down from his season average. Seeing how long it will take Irving and Deng to mesh will be an interesting storyline for the Cavs moving forward.
JJ Redick, Los Angeles Clippers: JJ Redick returned to action in spectacular fashion for the Clippers this week, coming back from a wrist injury that kept him out for more than a month. Redick scored 19 points in just 23 minutes in his first game back in a win over the Lakers. He followed that up with a lights-out performance against the Mavericks, dropping 33 points and adding five dimes while shooting 7-of-9 from beyond the arc. The Clippers are definitely glad to have JJ back, especially as Chris Paul remains injured.
Ryan Kelly, Los Angeles Lakers: The White Raven had a career night for the Lakers on Wednesday in a loss to the Suns, gathering career highs in minutes, points, rebounds, blocks and steals. While Kelly’s production has still been slightly disappointing, he is beginning to show signs of his abilities, and should only improve as he plays more.
Shane Battier, Miami Heat: Shane Battier returned to action after sitting out the previous five games with a quad injury. However, even with Battier’s return, the Heat continued to struggle and lost to the Wizards, Miami's third loss in a row. Battier contributed with three points and two rebounds in 19 minutes.
Kyle Singler, Detroit Pistons: The Pistons only played two games this past week, and despite winning both of them, Singler did not play all that well. He did score 16 points and grab eight rebounds in a win over the Suns, but shot just 35.3 percent. He followed that up with a six-point, six-turnover outing against the Suns, where he shot just 33.3 percent.
Austin Rivers, New Orleans Pelicans: With injuries to both Jrue Holiday and Tyreke Evans, Rivers played some of his highest minutes for the Pelicans this past week, and played relatively well. Rivers averaged nine points and 3.8 assists in four losses this week, both of which were well above his season averages.
Eliot Williams, Philadelphia 76ers: Williams had a very good week by his standards, shooting better than 50 percent in all three games this week and averaging 7.3 points per game, more than three points better than his season average of 4.0 points per game.
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