Milwaukee Bucks: Player of the Week (Jan 8 – 14)
Milwaukee Bucks Player of the Week Rankings
- Michael Beasley
- Jabari Parker
- Malcolm Brogdon
B-Easy played in all three games this week and averaged 23.9 minutes, 19.0 points (on 68.8 percent shooting from the field), 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.3 steals, and 1.3 blocks per game. He led the team in blocks, was second in points, and tied for second in steals. Additionally, he had the best plus/minus on the team at + 6.3.
It was the perfect storm for Jabari to take over as the de facto best player on the Bucks for a seven day period with Giannis hampered by an illness for two straight games. But Michael Beasley had other ideas. Beasley’s offensive performance was the equivalent of a supernova. He was hotter than hot and almost every shot he attempted found its way into the hoop.
Only 14 players in the NBA, including Beasley, averaged at least 20 minutes per game and shot over 65 percent from the field in their last three games. Of those 14 players Beasley played the fourth fewest minutes yet scored the fourth most points. He was one of the most efficient scorers in the league over the past seven days, and that is something to celebrate.
Beyond the scoring and shooting percentages, Beasley was arguably the Milwaukee Bucks best defender this week. No other Buck averaged more than one steal and more than one assist per game besides B-Easy.
In fact, only 28 other NBA players were able to maintain at least one block and at least one steal over their past three games. Many of them did it by virtue of being on the court for a lot of minutes. Beasley was on the court for the fourth fewest minutes of this group of players. Not often does Michael get credit for playing defense but this week needs to serve as an exception. He played awesome on that end.
As impressive as his per game numbers are, his per 36 numbers are even better. Per 36, Beasley averaged 28.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, 3.0 assists, 2.0 steals, and 2.0 blocks. That’s a hell of a stat line. This week, calling him a spark off of the bench wouldn’t be doing him justice. Let’s say he was a flamethrower off of the bench. That sounds more accurate.
Beasley is almost always able to score effectively. But for him to provide additional contributions in regards to rebounds and assists and excellent defense makes for a week worthy of his draft status (he was selected with the number two pick overall in the 2008 draft). It was also an effort worthy of the number one spot in the player of the week rankings.