The New Year is here, which means more than one third of the NBA season is behind us. With 2015 in the review, we can reflect on the remarkable start for the defending champion Golden State Warriors, who lost just two games in before January 1st. They have ruled the headlines and continue to be the talk of the league, but will someone else take their place in 2016? Time will tell but, for now, here is a look back at the final week of 2015 in the NBA.
*All stats and records recorded prior to Monday night's games
Winners
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls' week was captivated by four wins, three of which came against top powers in the Eastern Conference. In their most recent victory against the Toronto Raptors, Jimmy Butler topped Michael Jordan's team record with 40 points in a half. After scoring just two points in the first half, the 2015 Most Improved Player took offense to an elbow to the face that required stitches at halftime.
Butler then took to the floor in the second half, topping Air Jordan's previous mark of 39 points in a half. It was an exclamation point on an excellent week for the Bulls. While Derrick Rose was getting an MRI on his knee and missed all but one of the Bulls' four games last week, Butler averaged 24.5 points-per-game while Pau Gasol averaged 17.8 along with 9.8 rebounds. It appears as though Fred Hoiberg listened to Butler's criticism and the Chi-Town Kids' four-game win streak has vaulted them back to second place in the Eastern Conference.
Los Angeles Lakers
Having won three of four games last week, the Lakers finally discovered great team basketball. 2015 Sixth Man, Louis Williams, woke up and averaged a team-high 21.0 points-per-game last week. Kobe Bryant has maintained his average of 17.5 points-per-game, but his rebounding has increased.
In fact, Bryant recorded a double-double in his final visit to TD Garden, grabbing 11 boards against the Boston Celtics last Wednesday. Jordan Clarkson had a game-high 24 points in that contest and has been on a tear of late. Larry Nance Jr. and Julius Randle averaged double-doubles in the Lakers' four games last week and, if D'Angelo Russell and Nick Young can get going, Byron Scott may find his ticket out of last place in the Western Conference.
San Antonio Spurs
The Spurs snuck in to the top spot on NBA.com's power rankings after a 3-0 week complimented a Warriors loss. Gregg Popovich has constructed a four game win streak, all of which has come at AT&T Center. The Spurs are 20-0 at home this season and, as has been the case all season, they remain on the tail of the Warriors in the West. At 29-6, the Spurs have yet to lose back-to-back games this season and remain the best defensive team in the NBA.
Kemba Walker
The Charlotte Hornets' point guard had the best week of any player to finish out December. Walker led all players with 29.3 points-per-game last week, which was fueled by two 30-point performances. Although the Hornets lost three of their last four games, Walker has been on fire. The 25 year-old also averaged 3.0 steals-per-game last week and has been tenacious in all facets of the game. If you haven't been playing him in your fantasy leagues, wake up and smell the roses.
Brook Lopez
The Eastern Conference Player of the Week scored a season-high 30 points against the Celtics on Saturday to compliment 13 rebounds. Lopez averaged 26.7 points and 13.3 rebounds in the Nets' three games surrounding New Year's Day. While his team has slumped, Lopez has found his stroke and had one of the best weeks in the NBA to wrap up December.
Hassan Whiteside
After taking to Instagram around Christmas time to garner votes for the All-Star game, Whiteside walked the walk behind his talk. Averaging a league-high 4.0 blocks-per-game, the fourth-year big man upped his average by blocking 4.3 shots-per-game in four contests for the Miami Heat last week.
Whiteside was also among the top rebounders, while averaging a double-double in that span. The 26 year-old center has continued his strong play after emerging as a top shot-blocker in the NBA last year. Only time will tell if Whiteside's play carries over into 2016 and buys him a ticket to the All-Star Game in February.
Draymond Green
With Stephen Curry going down with a shin injury, the Warriors' were tested in their final games of 2015. Green and the Warriors struggled in their first game without Curry, losing to the Dallas Mavericks 114-91. But, in their next two games, it was the Mean Green Machine who took the reins.
The Western Conference Player of the Week is now coming off back-to-back triple-doubles and, in the Warriors' four games last week, the fourth-year power forward averaged 18.8 points, 11.3 rebounds, and 9.5 assists. His season averages are certainly All-Star worthy and may only improve if Curry remains on the sideline.
Losers
Phoenix Suns
No team in the NBA has been a bigger mess than the Suns as of late. An unhappy owner is the least of their problems as their leading scorer, Eric Bledsoe was lost for the season with a torn meniscus. The Suns have lost nine straight and are just three games ahead of the last placed Lakers in the West.
With each piece from their three-headed monster at point guard now gone, it is time for the Suns to hit the Reset button. The return they got for trading Goran Dragic and Isaiah Thomas mid-season last year was underwhelming and, while they were able to acquire Brandon Knight from the Milwaukee Bucks, losing Bledsoe for the season is the nail in the coffin.
Denver Nuggets
The Nuggets have lost six straight and, while partially due to a brutal schedule which has included the Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs, Cleveland Cavaliers, and Golden State Warriors, the Nugs failed to salvage a win in two contests against the Portland Trail Blazers. The Blazers have been without Damian Lillard for the past seven games and, yet, the Nuggets could not find a way to pick up ground in a Western Conference that currently has two of the top eight teams under .500.
Al Jefferson
After returning from a four-game suspension, Jefferson played just 33 minutes in two games, recording five points. Injuries have also forced him to miss significant time this season and, as of last Thursday, Jefferson underwent surgery to repair a torn meniscus. The twelfth-year center has played in just 19 games this season and, while the Hornets played well in his absence, they are not in good shape to continue doing so. Having lost three straight and seven of their last ten, the Hornets have slipped out of a playoff position. Fortunately for them, Jefferson is expected to be back mid-February.
O.J. Mayo and Marcus Morris
Both Mayo and Morris lost their tempers in recent games. Mayo was ejected after receiving a technical foul and subsequently charging the floor. It was a tough scene to watch, with Bucks' personnel holding the eighth-year veteran back before escorting him to the lockerroom.
As for Morris, who has been on the hot seat with the Detroit Pistons, Paul George was the irritant, drawing a push from the fifth-year center. The play came at the end of a game between the Pistons and Indiana Pacers and was much ado about nothing. Nevertheless, it brought back memories of the Malace at the Palace between the two teams.