Nuggets center Nikola Jokic has been named the Western Conference’s Player of the Week, while Hawks guard Trae Young has earned the honor in the Eastern Conference, the league announced Monday.
It’s the first time this season that Jokic has won the award, which is a little surprising, given his MVP-caliber numbers. During the week of January 17-23, the big man averaged a triple-double in three games, putting up 36.3 PPG, 11.3 RPG, 10.0 APG, and 2.3 SPG on .650/.400/.862 shooting in 39.2 MPG. The Nuggets went 2-1 in those games, with a loss to Memphis on Friday.
Young, meanwhile, led the Hawks to a 4-0 week, pulling the team within 1.5 games of a play-in spot in the East. The 23-year-old averaged 31.3 PPG, 9.0 APG, and 4.0 RPG with a .476 3PT% in 36.6 MPG, earning Player of the Week honors for a second time this season. He poured in eight 3-pointers in Atlanta’s win over Charlotte on Sunday.
Jokic won the West’s Player of the Week award over fellow nominees Luka Doncic, Devin Booker, Chris Paul, Dejounte Murray, and Jusuf Nurkic. The other nominees in the East were Joel Embiid, Jimmy Butler, Miles Bridges, Darius Garland, and Khris Middleton.
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