There is still more than a handful of games (14-17) remaining in the regular season, but the OSPR race is all but over. Sorry to suck out the excitement.
We guess there’s a chance that someone could go on a historic run never seen before. And that the King sits out the rest of the games, not just the second game of back-to-backs.
But does anyone think those things are going to happen?
Also, assuming nothing changes in the next couple weeks, some longtime OSPR mainstays will be nowhere to be found when the season wraps up. We’re looking at you Dwyane Wade, Dirk Nowitzki, Tony Parker, Dwight Howard and even the Gasol brothers.
- NOTE: Statistics are through games of March 7
- Any player who turns 32 during regular season can be added to rankings.
- Check out previous rankings
1. LeBron James (34), Los Angeles Lakers
Previous rank: 1
Latest stats: 7 games, 28.6 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 10.3 apg
Season stats: 27.1 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 8.0 apg
James more or less clinched back-to-back OSPR titles with Wednesday’s 31-point performance in which he surpassed Michael Jordan for fourth on all-time scoring list. Despite the Lakers’ woes, he hasn’t missed a beat, managing to pour in 24 or more points in eight straight. During that span, James has notched 10 or more assists five times and eight more boards four times.
2. Lou Williams (32), LA Clippers
Previous rank: 2
Latest stats: 7 games, 19.6 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.9 apg
Season stats: 19.8 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.4 apg
Absent are the 30-point offerings, with the last one coming Feb. 13 — a span of eight games. In fact, Williams has gone for 20 or more just three times in the last seven games. So why hasn’t he taken a tumble? Because he’s still scored 17 or more in every game, despite some rather ugly shooting numbers (36.2 FG% and 23.5 3PT%).
2a. LaMarcus Aldridge (33), San Antonio Spurs
Previous rank: 3
Latest stats: 7 games, 22.1 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.6 apg
Season stats: 21.1 ppg, 8.9 rpg, 2.4 apg
Aldridge’s 32-point outing Wednesday against the Hawks propelled him into a tie with Williams for the No. 2 slot. In addition to that performance, Aldridge went over 20 points in four of the other six games. Yes, we can’t overlook his six-point showing on Feb. 22 that started the stint, but he rebounded very nicely, shooting 54.4 from the field for the seven games.
4. Kyle Lowry (32), Toronto Raptors
Previous rank: 5
Latest stats: 6 games, 17.5 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 7.8 apg
Season stats: 14.7 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 9.0 apg
It was a bit of a roller coaster stint for Lowry. There was his excellent 35-point performance against the Pistons. There were the three solid outings in which he put up between 17-19 points and 10 assists twice. And there was the two forgettable games where he scored less than 10 points, shooting a combined 27.2 FG% and 11.1 3PT%.
5. Chris Paul (33), Houston Rockets
Previous rank: 7
Latest stats: 6 games, 15.7 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 10.2 apg
Season stats: 15.8 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 8.3 apg
Paul started off supremely strong with 23 points and 17 assists in a win over the Warriors. He left a bad taste in our mouth with his most recent showing of five points on 1-for-10 shooting. In between, however, there was a lot to like: three games of 15 or more points, three games of 10 or more assists.
6. J.J. Redick (34), Philadelphia 76ers
Previous rank: 4
Latest stats: 6 games, 13.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 2.0 apg
Season stats: 18.0 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 2.7 apg
The streak is dead. After 56 consecutive games with double-figure scoring, Redick managed just seven (1-for-10 shooting) in a loss to the Trail Blazers. Adding to the misery, he scored just six last Saturday against the Warriors. In his last six games, Redick is shooting just 32.0 FG% and 32.6 3PT% — and that’s including Tuesday’s showing in which he went 8-for-16 and 6-for-9 from deep.
7. Paul Millsap (34), Denver Nuggets
Previous rank: Just missed
Latest stats: 7 games, 14.6 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.7 apg
Season stats: 12.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg, 1.9 apg
Millsap started strong, posting three straight double-doubles. He followed that up with two games of 15 or more points. A five-point showing on Monday slowed things, but he bounced right back with 16 and eight on Wednesday against the Lakers. Over the seven games, Millsap shot a respectable 48.1 from the field and 34.8 from deep. For good measure, he added 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks.
8. Al Horford (32), Boston Celtics
Previous rank: 8
Latest stats: 7 games, 14.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 4.1 apg
Season stats: 13.1 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 4.0 apg
Horford went for 18 or more points in four of seven games, shooting a blistering 58.9 percent from the field. Yes, he did have two single-digit scoring games, but the other five games were strong enough to hold his position. In addition to the scoring, Horford managed five or more rebounds in four games and five or more assists in three.
9. Trevor Ariza (33), Washington Wizards
Previous rank: 9
Latest stats: 6 games, 14.2 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 4.0 apg
Season stats: 12.9 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 3.9 apg
There was a bit of symmetry in Ariza’s last six games: three good showings (16 points, 22 and 23) and three bad (six, eight and 10). But what really stood out was the win-loss splits. In three wins, Ariza averaged 20.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 51.4 FG%. In three losses, he averaged just 8.0 points, 5.3 rebounds and 30.3 FG%.
10. Jeff Green (32), Washington Wizards
Previous rank: Just missed
Latest stats: 6 games, 13.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 1.3 apg
Season stats: 12.5 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.0 apg
If not for last a four-point effort on Feb. 23 against the Pacers, Green would’ve climbed up another spot or two. That’s because in the other five games, he scored between 13-16 in all of them while shooting better than 50 percent from the field in four games. With that said, we’d like to see more board work since he’s failed to grab more than five in six straight.
Just missed the cut: Marc Gasol, Rudy Gay, Vince Carter, Rajon Rondo, Dwyane Wade
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