NBA Week 2 recap

One undefeated team left after two weeks of basketball

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While no Cougs were selected in the 2022 NBA Draft, five players with ties to the state of Washington were selected on June 23, 2022

JAKE HULL, Evergreen reporter

Two weeks into the NBA season and the Milwaukee Bucks are the only undefeated team in basketball with a 6-0 record. 

Three teams have only lost one game: the Portland Trail Blazers, Utah Jazz and Cleveland Cavaliers. At the bottom of each conference are the Houston Rockets with a 1-7 record and the Orlando Magic with a 1-6 record. Other surprising team records after two weeks are from the Brooklyn Nets and Golden State Warriors. The Nets have a 2-5 record and are currently 12th in the Eastern Conference. In the West, the Warriors hold a 3-4 record and sit in 11th place. 

Early candidates for MVP are Luka Doncic, Ja Morant, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Donovan Mitchell. Doncic leads the league with 36.7 points per game. He is also averaging 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game. Both Morant and Antetokounmpo are averaging 33 points per game so far. 

Milwaukee Bucks (6-0)

The Milwaukee Bucks are the only undefeated team in basketball, they currently have a 6-0 record. In week two they defeated the Nets, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Detroit Pistons. Their closest game this season was against the Pistons where the Bucks won 110-108. Antetokounmpo had 31 points in this game. His high in a game so far in 2022 is 44. 

The Bucks second highest scorer this season has been Jrue Holiday. He has taken more of an offensive role to start the season as the Bucks are without guard Khris Middleton as he is recovering from an injury dating back to last season. Holiday is averaging 19.8 points per game this season, as well as eight assists and five rebounds. In week three the Bucks take on the Pistons, Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder. The only challenge the Bucks will have is against the Timberwolves who have a great starting five and big men that will challenge Antetokounmpo all game. 

Cleveland Cavaliers (5-1)

A bit of a surprise through week two is that the Cleveland Cavaliers have a 5-1 record and sit in second place in the Eastern Conference. After trading Collin Sexton for Donovan Mitchell and having Caris LeVert and Evan Mobley producing the Cavaliers jumped out to a great record early, beating the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics and Knicks to have a perfect week two. 

Against the Celtics the game went into overtime where the Cavaliers won 132-123 thanks to 41 points from LeVert, who is averaging 14.7 points and 6.7 assists a game this season. 

Mitchell leads the scoring for the Cavaliers offense with 32.2 points per game and 7.3 assists. The Cavaliers frontcourt of Mobley and Jarrett Allen combine for 17 rebounds a game and 2.2 blocks per game. In Week three the Cavaliers take on the Celtics, Pistons and Los Angeles Lakers. 

Utah Jazz (6-2)

The Utah Jazz, whose 6-2 record after two weeks may shock most after the team traded away their two best players in the offseason, giving up Mitchell to the Cavaliers and Rudy Gobert to the Timberwolves, the Jazz new pieces have stepped up and placed them third in the Western Conference. 

In Week two the Jazz defeated the Rockets and beat the Memphis Grizzlies twice. Their only loss in week two was a 117-101 defeat against Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets. Newly acquired players Lauri Markkannen and Collin Sexton help lead the Jazz offense, as well as defense. Markkanen is averaging 22.6 points a game as well as 9.3 rebounds and one block, Sexton is putting up 12.5 points a game. Week three sees the Jazz take on the Dallas Mavericks, Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers.

Golden State Warriors (3-4)

After winning the NBA Championship last season the Golden State Warriors have started the 2022-23 season with a 3-4 record including two straight losses to the Charlotte Hornets in overtime and the Pistons. Their only win of week two was against the Miami Heat.

Guard Stephen Curry has led the Warriors in scoring every game this season. Curry is averaging 31 points a game as well as 6.7 rebounds and 5.6 assists. Jordan Poole is second on the team in scoring with 17.9 per game. Other than Curry, Poole and Andrew Wiggins, the Warriors team has struggled to score and has had even more difficulty stopping their opponents. 

Week three sees the defending champs take on the Heat, Magic and New Orleans Pelicans. The Magic are currently the only team on paper after two weeks who the Warriors would be the betting favorite to beat.