The Week in Review: Week 5

The Good:

• Michael Carter-Williams recorded his first triple-double of the season. The sophomore, who has struggled since returning, became the first Sixer in nearly 20 years to have a stat line of 15+ points, 15+ assists and 10+ rebounds.
• K.J. McDaniels has been an animal on the court lately. He has scored 17 or more points in three of the last five games. On Saturday, he had a “never give up sequence” in which he grabbed rebound after rebound, attempting to tip-in second chance points. He would not be denied and ultimately got the bucket. He had 13 rebounds as a guard off the bench, a mark that has not been topped in the last 30 years.
• Dario Saric became the youngest player in Euroleague history to win a monthly MVP award, which he did for the month of November. The 20-year-old averaged 15.5 points per game and 7.8 rebounds.

The Bad:

• Tony Wroten, the team’s leading scorer, injured his right knee and is out a week. He missed Saturday’s game against Dallas.
• Luc Richard Mbah a Moute is really struggling. Though he’s not considered a major building block, he still is a very significant player on this current team. The veteran is only shooting 23.7 % from three, and is only adding 8 points per game to the team’s score.

The Ugly:

• Brett Brown’s coaching ability at this point. Not that he was expected to win a title, there has to be serious questions about what he is offering if the team still has yet to win a game. Furthermore, he makes some puzzling in-game coaching moves, like setting up plays for Mbah a Moute.
• Again, the fact that they still do not have a win.

Around the NBA:

• Cleveland appears to be clicking, having won their last three games for a perfect week.
• Kobe Bryant, after missing a game-winning shot on Friday, put together a triple-double effort to lead the Lakers past the talented Toronto Raptors.
• Steph Curry tweaked his ankle and missed the rest of the game against Detroit. His status is not yet clear, but it appears he won’t miss too much time.