NBA player of the week awards: Analysing how surprise winners De'Aaron Fox and Terry Rozier landed the honors this week
For the NBA player of the week awards, the league recognized one lights-out scorer and one all-rounded effort in the Western and Eastern conferences. For the first time this season, a Charlotte Hornets player was gifted the award after they continued their promising run in the conference. They now sit half a game behind the Knicks in fourth.
Over in the West, the Sacramento Kings produced a stunning week of offensive displays, with leader De'Aaron Fox filling up the box score. He earned yet another NBA player of the week award in the midst of a career-high year and is pushing the Kings up the Western standings toward a play-in seed.
NBA player of the week: De'Aaron Fox and Terry Rozier earn awards while league's elite fall short
In what was a refreshing change to normal proceedings, it was the first occasion in which NBA player of the week awards have not gone to an All-Star this season.
Let's take a look at how both players stacked up this week and outdid the league's superstars.
De'Aaron Fox
Week in numbers: MP - 37.9, PPG - 36.8, AST - 5.5, RPG - 3.5, FG% - 64.0
De'Aaron Fox became the first Sacramento Kings player since DeMarcus Cousins to win the NBA player of the week award twice in one season. Leading the Kings to four straight victories this week, the 23-year old averaged a staggering 36.8 points on 64% shooting.
After a modest 30 points against Cleveland, Fox went on to score 36 or more in each of the Kings' three other matchups, the high point of which was his 44-point display against the Warriors.
Fox not only earned his NBA player of the week award for his individual efforts but for how he assisted the Kings in their longest winning run of the season. As well as being one of only 3 teams to win four matchups this week, the Sacramento Kings also ranked inside the league's top-5 offenses and had the 4th-highest net rating which in turn lifted their offensive efficiency into the NBA's top ten sides.
His week was capped off by heaving the inbound pass to Harrison Barnes, who duly knocked down the game-winning three on the Cavs on Saturday.
Terry Rozier
Week in numbers: MP - 37.3, PPG - 24.3, AST - 5.5, RPG - 5.3, FG% - 47.1
Over in the Eastern Conference, it was a new name that won NBA player of the week. Charlotte Hornets guard Terry Rozier had never won the award in his career prior to Monday's announcement, but earned it by being one of only three stars in the East to average 20+ points over 4 contests.
His 24.3 points per matchup ranked 6th among players in the East, which helped lead his Hornets side to a 3-1 record this week. His overall performances, particularly in impressive wins against the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets, were what helped him earn the NBA player of the week. His 11 assists against Miami were a career-high for Rozier, while he led the Hornets in scoring with 25 in their blowout win against Houston.
The 27-year old notched up another new record throughout the week, becoming the fastest Hornets player to reach 300 three-point efforts made. His shooting from downtown and indeed from the field have been at personal best levels, 41.6% and 47.6%, which Charlotte fans will be hoping continues as they bid to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016.