Run it Back! NBA Week in Review - 2025-26 - Week #17

RIB-Feb 15 === thepeachbasket_1_02-15-2026_171631: [00:00:00] Week 17 of the 20 25, 26 NB. A season is over, which means it's time to run it back. This is run it back NBA week in review. I'm Jose Salviati, Editor at thePeachBasket.net, and this is the show where we recap the week that was in the NBA by sharing the only objective NBA power rankings. The stats standouts. That's the best to do it by average in the week. That was. And then we take a look at the viral news in the NBA in a segment we call full core press. Finally, we highlight the marquee matchup for the week to come. We start like we always do, with the only objective overall top 10 NBA power rankings anywhere. You can read more about how we get to these rankings and see the entire list@thepeachbasket.net. Let's take a look at the top 10 at the conclusion of week number 17. ~Now, a quick caveat before we start. This was a short week because of All Star Game Weekend, so there was not a lot of movement. In fact, there were only two teams that moved within the top 10.~ ~No new teams came into the top 10 for the third week in a row. Of course that means nobody left. Let's take a look at where everybody stacks up. Coming in at number 10 though, Toronto Raptors were one on one and week number 17 and that kept them with their head just above water. I will say though, that the Cleveland Cavaliers are coming on strong.~ ~They are the number 11 team and just behind the rafters. But on we go. Number nine, the Minnesota Timberwolves were three in one, A really good week. They played a lot of games, actually more than anyone else, and but it didn't really give them any momentum. Kept them at number nine. Moving into All Star Week, the number 18 of the Phoenix Suns.~ ~They were two in one in week number 17. We're number eight.~ ~A minute.~ Now it was a short week in the NBA, but despite that there was quite a bit of movement in the top 10. Although for the third week in a row, no new teams entered the top 10, which of course means [00:01:00] nobody left the top 10. Coming in at number 10 are the Toronto Raptors. They were one and one in week number 17, which kept their head just above water. Holding on to number 10, but I do want to say and call out that the Cleveland Cavaliers are hot on their heels. They were three oh and week number 17. Moved up quite a few spots to number 11 and are hot on the heels of the Toronto Raptors. At number 10. The number nine team were the Minnesota Timberwolves. They played a lot of games in a shortened week. They were three in one. But it wasn't enough to move them up. They come in at number nine for the second week in a row, the number 18 of the Phoenix Suns. They were two in one a week, number 17, which saw them drop one spot to number eight, and they were surpassed by the number 17. They were number eight last week. The Denver Nuggets were two and one and week number 17, but they accrued a just a few more points. If you wanna understand how that works, please visit the peach basket.net. The Denver Nuggets and the Phoenix Suns had the [00:02:00] same record. But the nuggets clearly accrued a couple more points, which was enough to leapfrog them over Phoenix. They come in at number seven, the Knicks were two in one and week 17 and stay at number six for the second week in a row. The ~raptors, no, we already talked about the Raptors. The ~rockets ~rather~ were one in one week number 17. And that was enough to keep them at number five for the second week in a row. The Boston Celtics were 1 0 1 and week number 17, which keeps them at number four for the second week in a row. And then we see the first real movement for this team. In a while. Certainly this low in the rankings at number three are the Oklahoma City Thunder. There were two on one a week number 17, which is pretty good, but not good enough to keep 'em at number two, they dropped one spot to number three this week. This is the first time since we've been tracking this season that they have been this low. The San Antonio Spurs leapfrog them. [00:03:00] Why? Why? Because they were three and oh, and that is better than two and one. In week number 17, the Spurs move up from number three to number two. And they are now looking up only at the Detroit Pistons who are two and oh and week number 17, and keep the top spot for the third week in a row. That's the objective top 10 list for week number 17. If you wanna see where all 30 teams land this week, please visit the peach basket.net. Now let's shift our focus to the players. These are the best to do it by average in week number 17 at the 20 25 26 NBA season. These are the best by average in shooting rebounds, assists blocks, steals points, and game score. We start with someone who, honestly, best of my knowledge has not been the top score since we've been tracking these stats standouts, and that's Victor Wema. But he is on on a bit of a tear and he's looking to number one, change things in the All-Star game, which we'll talk a little bit about later. But [00:04:00] also carry his spurs forward and he did a heck of a job in week number 17. He averaged 33 points per game in his two games. Played to lead the association. Sam Merrill plays for the Cleveland Cavaliers, and he was the top sniper averaging six three points. Shots made over his two games, played and Nick Claxton played one game and hit 12 field goals to lead everyone in that category. Now it's interesting when we look at rebounding number one not the defensive rebounds or total rebounds, but offensive rebounds. We'll take a look at that in a minute. First Ole Yoki played two games and pulled down 14.5 rebounds to lead everyone. And we're gonna jump over to defensive rebounds before we get to offensive rebounds. 'cause that's where the interesting story is. Two players averaged 12 defensive rebounds to lead the association. Jalen Johnson and Alex Sarr, they both played one game and pulled down 12 boards. Now, offensive rebounds to me is where the dogs are, right? These are the guys who just. Are hungry for that [00:05:00] basketball. It's not easy to get offensive rebounds. So I have a warm spot in my heart for the folks that lead this category week to week and in week number 17, four players played two games and all pulled down 4.5 offensive rebounds. So quick shout out to Justin Ang. I know I butcher in apologies, Dayron Sharp. Trace Jackson Davis and also Igo Dora, a player that I really did not, whose name I didn't recognize. He plays for the Phoenix sons and had himself a heck of a week. So congratulations to all four. Moving on, let's take a look at the top assists man in the NBA for week number 17. LeBron James and Nicole Yoic. Couple of OGs, they both played two games and dished out 11 assists. The top rim protector was Scotty Barnes and Miles Turner. They both played two games and sent back 3.5 shots, and Jalen Suggs played two games and took away [00:06:00] 4.5 positions from the other team to lead everyone. The top game score went to Victor Wema again with a respectable 28.2. Those are the top stats standouts for week number 17. Now let's look ahead at to week number 18. There are a couple of good games coming up in the week after the All-Star game. We start with the Battle of LA with the Clippers traveling to the Lakers. Then the Knicks host, the number one team in the East, the Detroit Pistons which of course is gonna be a great game. But then there's a really interesting inter conference matchup between the suddenly hot Cleveland Cavaliers and the Oklahoma City Thunder. The ~clouds will, the~ calves ~rather,~ will take on the thunder in Oklahoma in week number 18, in which should be a really good game. And we get to see if the calves are for real or if this is just a maybe a peak too soon moment for the Cleveland Cavaliers. Now we end our segment with a our show, rather with a segment we call full court press, where I ask AI for its thoughts on viral training, [00:07:00] NBA news and see what it says. Now, normally that's what I do, but today being Allstar weekend at really the end of Allstar weekend, I. I'm gonna take control over AI and we're gonna talk about the All-Star game. A lot of folks have given a lot of opinions about it. I'm gonna give you one word answers for each of the events, specifically on Saturday and Sunday. Alright, we're gonna start with the dunk contest. The duck contest was a dud and I don't know if there's any bringing it back. I know that. You don't have to be a star to have the Allstar dunk contest be engaging. You don't. Mack McClung is not a star. He won the last three Terrence Stansberry look him up from the eighties was not a star, but he was incredible in the Allstar dunk contest. Again, back in the eighties. What you do need is some creativity some [00:08:00] passion a desire. And the thing is that maybe we've done every dunk there is to do. I'm not sure what it is, but. Everything about the dunk contest looks tired, and I think the only way that you're going to revitalize it is to get the stars in involved. Steph Curry just recently said he's gonna be in the three point shooting contest next year. Now if you get him in the dunk contest, that'd be something wouldn't be good, but it'd be something. And that might get people to watch, but to get it to be competitive and entertaining, I think that ship might have sailed. Unfortunately, the shooting Stars contest was cute. I think it was really cool to see Ron Harper and his sons play the game. ~Rick Brunson getting passes from his son or from his father.~ Rick Brunson passing to his son was very cool. It really didn't tell us anything. And there, there were, I think anybody could have, been there. Matter of fact, anybody was, the passers were celebrities, so it was cute. It wasn't anything that. I think it's gonna take off or be anything [00:09:00] that, people are excited to watch. So the dunk contest, a dud, the shooting stars contest was cute. The three point contest, man, that was nostalgic. I thought I was misreading it when I read that that Dame had won it. I thought I, I thought it was, a couple years back or something like, what's going on? He hasn't played a game yet. But he's clearly healthy enough to perform in the three point shooting contest and healthy enough to win it. That was fun to watch. And in that last round, in the final, when Devin Booker needed one of three made shots, one of three shots to go at the end, and he missed all three. It was epic. And you could see the booker was bummed and you could see that Dame was happy. It was fun to watch. It was an exciting contest. And it was absolutely nostalgic. And then we go to the marquee, right? The All-Star game itself. Instead of one game, there were four. It was the world versus the USA, i, when it came out, I, I [00:10:00] figured, let's see. I, I didn't think it was gonna be great. I didn't think it was gonna be bad. I, let's wait and see and I think it, it definitely was improved. What I saw in the games that I hadn't seen in an All star game in a long time was a competitive nature. I saw block shots, I saw people diving for for loose balls. And I saw some passion. I saw people really legitimately wanting to win those games, which is something I haven't seen in the all strike game in a very long time. Now, the, the rub there or the concern is this is an Olympic year, so USA versus the world, matters. It mean something. Is it gonna mean anything next year? Is it gonna mean anything? The year after or the year after is another Olympic year. So it might, but can they sustain this? I'm not sure if they found the answer to the All-Star game or if they just, put a bandaid and a broken arm and it seemed to work well this time. I will say though, that the games were fun to watch. The final was not, but the semis were and I enjoyed what Victor win Hamma did. He kept his word. He said he was gonna compete and he [00:11:00] competed. His team went oh and two but you could tell he wanted to win. There was a passion there that I haven't seen in a very long time. And it was fun. It was fun to watch, but it's over now and we have to wait and see if again, if they can replicate it or if this was a one-off. But overall. I talked to a few of our creators on the Peach Basket Slack channel and they all seem to agree that it was somewhere between an eight, outta 10 to a nine outta 10. That's the Allstar game itself, not the Allstar weekend. So congrats to Adam Silver. You got a lot more word to do. There's a lot of problems in the NBA, but at least the All-Star game fix that you applied seemed to have. Worked out. Let's let's see what you do next year. That's it. Week number 17, and the Allstar Game Week end is over and, wait, let me do that again. That's it. Week number 17 of the 20 25 26 NBA season is in the books as is Allstar weekend. Join us again next week after week number 18 [00:12:00] when we once again run it back.