Team of the week
We could talk about the Luka Doncic effect, but that would only be part of the truth. The fact is that the Los Angeles Lakers are currently the best team since the start of 2025. It's quite simple, the Purple & Gold have won 16 of their last 20 games, and the most recent victory, against their neighbours the Clippers, moved them into second place in the Western Conference!
In the middle of it all, one man, always the same: LeBron James. 40 years old, but still hungry (24.8 points, 8.6 assists, 8 rebounds). Little by little, the King is making room for his successor, Luka Magic, but he is still the heartbeat of a team that is looking more and more (and at last) like a contender.
At a time when LeBron, who will have a player option for next season, is getting closer to retirement with every passing minute, the team is better off without Anthony Davis, despite his reputation as a defensive anchor. Quite simply, over the last 15 games, the Lakers have the best defensive rating in the NBA. This is a powerful argument ahead of the play-offs, where direct qualification is no longer in doubt. But how far can the Lakers go?
Underperformers of the week
It is the end for the Philadelphia 76ers. Admittedly, a small ray of sunshine broke through the clouds in the last game, with Quentin Grimes breaking a run of nine straight losses against the Warriors with a career-high 44 points. And it istrue that they can still go for a play-in place and possibly get into the postseason. But the bad news came this week in the form of their star.
It was expected, but it's now official: Joel Embiid will not play again this season. It's a logical outcome, given that the centre has never played at 100% of his ability this season. He will now look for ways to treat his knee, but the legitimate fear now is that the 2023 MVP will never see his full potential on a basketball court again.
Even if, by chance, the 76ers manage to sneak into the first round of the playoffs, it's hard to see how this team could go any further. Tyrese Maxey is on fire, sixth in the NBA with 26.7 points per game, but Paul George's impact is limited, and this team doesn't have the weapons. Next season, depending on how the Embiid situation develops, the team could totally fall off a cliff if the trend doesn't change.
Player of the week
Immortal. Steph Curry is getting older, but even just under two weeks shy of his 37th birthday (March 14th), the Chef is still having an incredible impact, and above all, his level of performance is still high. Still averaging over 24 points and still close to 40% from three-point range, he gave us another incredible performance against the Magic.
56 points on 16/25 shooting, including 12/19 from three-point range (one shot off his career high): the human torch was lit again for one night. The Warriors are not back in the race for a top six spot since the arrival of Jimmy Butler. As for Curry, he remains the NBA's best shooter, and undoubtedly the player who stood out most last week.
Play of the week
Since Curry's half-court shot can be seen above, let's take a look at Luka Dončić and his incredible three-pointer at the end of a possession. It was a magnificent one-legged fadeaway, totally off-balance. A certain Dirk Nowitzki would has been impressed. Luka has obviously digested his trade...
Story of the week
Start with LeBron James, end with LeBron James. The King added another jewel to his crown by becoming the fourth player in history to win 1,000 regular season games, following his victory over the Clippers. And he is in exceptional company in this very exclusive club.
What's more, he's about to break another mythical barrier, as he's just one point short of reaching 50,000 points in his career, regular season and playoffs combined. At 40 years of age, LeBron continues to push back the boundaries of his sport, and we hope for a long time to come.