NBA Weekly Awards: Ja Morant’s Misery and a Vintage Russell Westbrook
This week the NBA saw a star player suspended by his team, the last undefeated team fall and a flashback from a former MVP. The awards this week also include a shooter who has run ice cold.
Jimmy Butler III Award
Last season Jimmy Butler III talked about how he lost his joy while playing basketball for the Miami Heat. This year another star has taken the same stance. Ja Morant of the Memphis Grizzlies (3-6) came out and said he has no joy playing, and within that was suspended one game by the team.
Every year, there are disgruntled stars, and in the modern player empowerment era, it often leads to players requesting trades. Butler was eventually dealt to the Golden State Warriors. It will be important to keep tabs on the Morant situation as the season goes along.
Jaime Lannister Award
The Oklahoma City Thunder (8-1) walked into Portland for their game against the Trail Blazers (5-3) undefeated. They were controlling the game early, until the king slayer walked in. Deni Avdija finished with 26 points, 10 rebounds and nine assists as the Blazers picked up the win. Avdija has become a real leader on a young Portland team, and being the first to knock off the defending champions show that the Blazers are starting their coming out party.
Magical Curse Award
Last season the Orlando Magic (3-5) brought in Kentavious Caldwell-Pope to solve their 3-point shooting issues. From 2020-2024, Caldwell-Pope never shot below 39% from beyond the arc. In his one and only season with the Magic, he shot 34.2%. The Magic attempted to get back on track by shipping Caldwell-Pope to Memphis in a trade to acquire Desmond Bane.
In five seasons with the Grizzlies, Bane never shot worse than 38.1% on 3-pointers. So far this season Bane is shooting 28.6%. While it is early in the season, it is beginning to look like the 3-point magic get taken from players once they arrive in Orlando
Throwback Performance Award
Russell Westbrook turned back the clock this week with a vintage performance. The Sacramento Kings (3-5) hosted the Golden State Warriors (5-4), and it was close throughout. For the Warriors, former UF star Will Richard scored 30 points. It was not enough, as Westbrook showed that he is not as far removed from his MVP season as people think. A triple-double (26 points, 16 rebounds, 10 assists) led the charge for the Kings. He was also hyper-efficient, shooting 9-for-13 from the field and only three turnovers. While the Kings will look to battle for a play-in spot this season, Westbrook could be the key to unlocking their ceiling.
Category: Basketball, Miami Heat, NBA, Orlando Magic
