Nov 18, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts in the second half against the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

nba

NBA Weekly Takeaways: Wizards hit new low, Warriors slump and more

Let’s dive into the top five takeaways from this week!

Nov 18, 2024; Inglewood, California, USA; Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) reacts in the second half against the LA Clippers at Intuit Dome. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Another week in the NBA has come to a close, and as always, it delivered its fair share of surprises. We saw winners stumble, and underdogs rise. Some teams thrived with their stars back in action, while others found a way to win despite losing their biggest names.

So let’s dive into the top five takeaways from this week.

No win November for the Wizards

The Washington Wizards just pulled off the kind of streak no one wants: 0-14 in November. The Wizards became just the second team in nine years (joining the 2023 Detroit Pistons) to achieve the dubious honor of going winless for an entire month.

The Washington Wizards finally completes the “No-Win-November” 🔥😤 pic.twitter.com/cpQVl4p0Fk
— NBA Memes (@NBAMemes) December 1, 2024

Mavericks thriving without Luka Doncic

Who knew the secret to the Mavericks winning games was Luka Doncic sitting out?

Ever since Luka hit the sidelines, the Mavs have suddenly discovered a winning formula, going 7-1 in their last eight games.

Kyrie Irving looks like the leader everyone forgot he could be. It’s almost like Luka’s absence forced the rest of the squad to level up—and, boy, have they.

Now, no one is saying the Mavericks are better without Luka (we are not that bold), but it sure feels like they have found a groove without their superstar hogging the spotlight—or the ball.

Warriors’ Curry rush wears off

The Warriors started the season 12-3, and fans who had written them off suddenly started dusting off their “Strength in Numbers” merch. But now? A four-game losing streak has brought them crashing back to Earth faster than Draymond Green in foul trouble.

It seems Steph Curry’s ‘night night’ celebration has put the team’s winning streak to sleep.

Wolves are howling… in frustration

Last year, the Minnesota Timberwolves were a Western Conference juggernaut, finishing 56-26 and making it to the conference finals. This year? They’re 8-10 and making their fans regret every piece of playoff merch they bought last spring.

Anthony Edwards‘ recent statement about players “gradually growing away from each other” confirms that all is not well in the Timberwolves’ locker room. Maybe it’s time to call up Ted Lasso. Who knows, maybe a pep talk and some biscuits could bring the players closer.

Also Read: NBA Cup Scenarios: Which teams can still qualify for the 2024 NBA Cup knockout stages?

Bucks back on track

The Milwaukee Bucks have turned their season around in spectacular fashion. After losing six straight games to start the year, they have now won six in a row, with Giannis Antetokounmpo just casually dropping masterclass performances one after another.

Giannis looks like he’s back in MVP form, and the Bucks are starting to remind everyone why they were a preseason favorite.

Image Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Anthony Edwards

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Luka Doncic

Steph Curry

Washington Wizards

Swati Bhatia

nba

mlb

wnba

I work as a content strategist, specializing in creating engaging content about the NBA, WNBA, and MLB. My main focus is on writing breaking news updates, research-based articles, and covering trending topics. Right now, I’m leading the content team for the NBA, WNBA, and MLB categories at Playoffs English.