Fantasy Basketball Week 8 Recap: Victor Wembanyama Makes History

Another all-around great week of NBA action was highlighted by a few familiar names who seem to be constantly rewriting the history books. There was also a sustained performance from some players who have been at their best all season, while a handful of guys who got off to a slow start appear to have taken steps to regain their better potential. Finally, there were plenty of one-off performances worth noting, as some players stunned the competition by being bigger than usual, while others showed they are still among the best despite ongoing struggles and injury concerns.

Historical achievements

On Thursday, LeBron James passed Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (57,446) for first place in all-time minutes played in the regular season. James finished the game with 19 points, 6 rebounds and 7 assists as the Lakers outscored the Kings by a score of 113-110. James then followed with 32 points, 7 rebounds, 6 assists and 4 steals in his next game on Saturday.

Victor Wembanyama became the sixth and youngest player in NBA history to score 30 points and 10 blocks in a game, and the only player to ever record 10 blocks and four 3-pointers in a game, as he scored 30 points , 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 10 blocks in a win over the Trail Blazers on Saturday. He also made his 200th career 3-pointer in that game, reaching the milestone in just 94 appearances, which is faster than both Stephen Curry and James Harden.

Sustainable production

Norman Powell, SG, LA Clippers

Powell continues to shine in his expanded role with the Clippers and had a very impressive week, scoring at least 28 points in all three games while averaging 5.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 steals per game also contributed to the overall statistics game.

Tyrese Maxey, PG, Philadelphia 76ers

Maxey opened the week with his second 40-point game of the season, finishing with 40 points, five rebounds, five assists and four steals in a win over the Hornets on Monday. He followed that up with two more solid outings, averaging 30.0 points, 3.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists and 2.0 steals over the three games.

Jayson Tatum, SF, Boston Celtics

Tatum has been outstanding this season. Nothing illustrates this more than his most recent performance, when he set season highs with 43 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists in a win over the Bulls on Saturday. Tatum averaged 34.0 points, 12.3 rebounds and 5.3 assists in three games last week and remains on track to have one of the best seasons of his career.

Kevin Durant, SF, Phoenix Suns

Durant only had two games last week. Although he went winless, he had an incredible performance with a total of 80 points, 15 rebounds, 12 assists and three steals in the two games. Although his season was cut short by some injury issues, Durant is on pace to average over 25 points per game for the 13th time in his career. If the Suns manage to free themselves from the threat of injury over the course of the season, they could become dark contenders, especially since the team is not yet at full speed in the league.

Find your groove

Malik Beasley, SG, Detroit Pistons

Beasley averaged 24.0 points, 2.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.3 steals in three games last week, including a season-high 28 points in a win over the Heat on Monday. After a modest start to the season, Beasley appears to be on the rise, with at least 20 points in 11 of his last 20 games.

Russell Westbrook, PG, Denver Nuggets

Westbrook has already had some impressive performances this season, but is coming off one of his better weeks, averaging 19.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 7.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 1.0 blocks through three games scored, including a rebound that was less than a triple goal. Doubled with 18 points, nine rebounds, 10 assists and three steals in a win over the Kings on Monday.

Jamal Murray, PG, Denver Nuggets

Murray had one of his most productive weeks of the season, averaging 26.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists and 2.0 steals in three games. He scored at least 24 points in every game, including a double-double with 24 points and 10 assists in Thursday’s loss to the Trail Blazers.

Trey Murphy III, SF, New Orleans Pelicans

Murphy averaged 25.0 points, 5.0 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.0 steals, reaching the 20-point mark in three consecutive outings for the second time in 17 games since his season debut on Nov. 11. Unfortunately, he sustained an ankle injury and was forced to leave Sunday’s game in the third quarter after collecting 21 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 27 minutes of action. The severity of the injury is currently unknown.

Other notable stat lines

• Jimmy Butler posted one of his best stats of the season with 35 points, 19 rebounds, 10 assists, 4 steals and 1 block in a loss to the Pistons on Monday.

• Larry Nance Jr. set season highs in points and rebounds when he finished with 21 points, 13 rebounds, 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block in a loss to the Spurs on Thursday.

• Zach LaVine scored a season-high 36 points to go along with 6 rebounds and 4 assists as he led the Bulls to a victory over the Celtics on Thursday.

• Santi Aldama collected 21 points, 14 rebounds, 4 assists, 2 steals and a block to help the Grizzlies to a 51-point victory over the Warriors on Thursday.

• On Friday, Joel Embiid In his return from a one-game injury absence, he recorded 34 points, 5 rebounds, 9 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks. He had to sit out the following game but is expected to play on Monday.

• Bobby Portis took over the start in place of Giannis Antetokounmpo and posted 34 points, 10 rebounds, 8 assists, 3 steals and 1 block to lead the Bucks in a victory over the Wizards on Saturday.

• Cole Anthony totaled 35 points, 8 rebounds, 9 assists, 1 steal and 1 block, while Kentavious Caldwell-Pope added 24 points, 2 rebounds, 2 assists and 2 blocks to lead the Magic to a win over the Heat on Saturday.

• Kristaps Porziņģis collected 22 points, 7 rebounds, 2 assists, 2 steals and 2 blocks in a win over the Bulls on Saturday. Porziņģis has averaged 19.4 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.6 blocks in nine games since his season debut on November 25th.

• Dillon Brooks reached the 20-point mark in back-to-back games for the first time this season when he posted 26 points, seven rebounds, two assists and a steal in Thursday’s win over the Pelicans, followed by 27 points, six rebounds , two assists and three steals in a win over the Raptors on Sunday.