Run it Back! NBA Week in Review - 2025-26 - Week #19

Untitled project from SquadCast === Jose: [00:00:00] Week 19 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 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 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. Week number 19. Now, once again, for the fourth week in a row, there are no new teams in or out of the top 10. All movement happened inside the top [00:01:00] 10. Let's see where things landed after week number 19. Starting us off at number 10 are the Phoenix Suns. They were one and two in week 19, and it cost them two spots. They dropped from number eight to number 10, but hang on to the top 10 Elite. Number nine are the Toronto Raptors. They were two and two in week 19, and that bumped them up from number 10 to number nine after week 19. The number nuggets were also one and two in week 19, like the Suns, but unlike the suns, that one and two bumped them up a spot. They moved from number nine to number eight, so clearly that wind just got them a few more points and it was enough to move them up one spot. They are number eight after week 19. The Minnesota Timberwolves were two in one in week 19, and that wasn't enough to move them up or to have them stay where they were. It cost them a spot. They dropped [00:02:00] one spot from number six to number seven in week 19. And the reason is because the Knicks were also two in one. But again, those points. Their accumulated points were just a little bit more than Minnesota. They played better teams and Minnesota then, and the Timberwolves are really close right now, so every point counts. The Knicks hop over the Timberwolves, they come in at number six after week number 19. And that's it for the movement in the top 10. The top five teams remain the same. The Houston rockets were three in one a week, 19, and that kept them at number five for the fourth week in a row. The Boston Celtics were also three in one a week, 19, and they stay at number four again for also the fourth week in a row. The Oklahoma City Thunder, which have been so good for so long, dominating the top 10. They're still had a good week at three and [00:03:00] one, but they can't move up. They are stuck at number three for the third week in a row. The San Antonio Spurs were perfect. They were three and oh and week number 19, but they could not move up. Two, the number one team, they're number two again for the third week in a row, and the number one team for the fifth week in a row. Two and one a week. 19. They are the Detroit Pistons. The pistons are quite a story. They have got to be finals odds on favorites, but I don't know that this is a team that scares you. This is a team that will beat you clearly. But is this a team that scares you? I just wonder if they're gonna make it out of the east. And we'll see regardless. Congrats to the Pistons and their fans. They're the number one team again [00:04:00] for the fourth week in a row. Nope, I dig it back for the fifth week in a row. That's the objective top 10 list for week number 19. 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 19 of the 20 25, 26 NBA season. These are the best by average in shooting rebounds, assists, blocks, steals, and points. We're going to condense our stats standouts this week to only the top five that is. Scoring rebounding assist deals and blocks, and those leaders were Khi Leonard. He led the association with 37 points per game. He only played in one game, but that's how averages work. He was the top dog. Nicoli Yoic not only led the association with 16.3 rebounds on average in week number 19. He also led in assists at 10.7. He is a [00:05:00] unicorn. Nick Clifford. Averaged four steals per game to lead the association. Congratulations to the Sacramento Kings player and Victor Wema. Sent back 4.3 blocks in week number 19 to lead everybody. Now as we look ahead to week number 20, the best game will be in San Antonio. Weby will be waiting for the East's best Detroit Pistons. They travel to Texas to take on the very hot San Antonio Spurs. You're no doubt going to hear a lot of talk about possible finals matchup when that game is played. And you know what? I wouldn't be surprised if that happens. I know I just said I would be surprised if if they made it out of the east. But. Again, this team wins, and at the end of the day, that's what you want outta your basketball team. They're winners. So let's see. It certainly could be a finals matchup. It will be a very good [00:06:00] game. Now we end with a segment we call full court press. We're normally, I ask AI for its thoughts on viral training, NBA press news as we head into week number 20. But instead of asking ai, I came up with my own topic this week, and it's a simple one. What is the MVP? This is something that's bothered me for a really long time, to be really honest with you. We're gonna start with a little English lesson. All right? And I had to look this up myself, so I'm not teaching y'all anything. I'm just repeating what I learned in the phrase most valuable player. The word valuable is an adjective modifying the noun player. If you look up the definition of valuable as an adjective, you'll get a clear and concise definition worth a lot of money. Now if we settle on that definition, every player in the NBA is valuable with the average salary being around $12 million a year. But obviously the valuable [00:07:00] in MVP means something else more along the lines of having desirable or esteemed characteristics or of great use or service. Neither of those definitions really help us though, which is the real problem with the MVP. No one can tell you exactly what it means. It really is this objective award given to whoever the voters feel is most deserving that year. And yes, voter fatigue is a real thing. For some reason, voters don't like to give the award to the most deserving player every year opting instead in some seasons, to give to the player who hasn't won it recently, or at least not to the player who has won it recently. Is that fair? I don't think so. So what's the answer? First, let's look into the players that are normally in the conversation for the award and see what players fit into each of the categories for this particular season. Lemme tell you what I mean. Generally, the [00:08:00] MVP award conversation starts with whoever's leading the NBA in scoring, right this year. That's Luca. And Luca is absolutely in a conversation. Then a lot of people will say, what's the best player. Now if you use game score to determine the best overall player, that would be Nicole Yoic, the best player on the best team is another category that we use and hear a lot though. The best team in the West, it's close, but let's give it to the thunder. That's Shay the best player in the East. That would be the Pistons, of course. That's Cade Cunningham again in the conversation. Shea's in the conversation. And then you get this kind of subjective. Category, the most impactful player right this season. That might be Victor Wema. Now, those are the categories that are generally in the conversation when you discuss MVP, the best score, the best player on the best team, and the most impactful player, those five players this season. That being Luca, Nicole, YOIC Shay, Kate [00:09:00] Cunningham, and Weby. Those happen to be your top five contenders in 20 25, 26. So it makes sense. Let's add into the mix a 65 game rule, right? Yoic can only miss two more games to be eligible or to not be eligible. Weby four. Luca six. Sha seven. Kate is safe. He's only missed six games, so he has a cushion of 12, but we have to add that into the mix 'cause some of these folks might miss a couple games and they're no longer eligible. But we still have to figure out how to pick a winner. How do we decide the MVP in a way that's a bit more objective as opposed to just, I think I want to give it to Cade or whoever. What if we simplify down to their rankings at the end of the season and categories that display three things. Number one, their individual brilliance. Number two, their overall game. Number three, the success of their team. That seems fair to me, and you can quantify [00:10:00] all three of those to determine individual excellence. Let's just look at your scoring. If you finish as a top score, you get one point, second gets you two, and so on. To determine your overall dominance, we use game score. Use the same scoring method first in game score gets you one point, second gets you two, et cetera. Then where did your team finish in your conference? If your team finished sixth, you get six points. Second, you get two nice and easy. So let's use that criteria using just those three quantifiable metrics to see who the MVP leader is right now. And you might be surprised it's not really close. First, the top score. That's Luca. He's number one. Shaa is number two. Nicole Yoic is number six, and Kate Cunningham comes in at 12. When it comes to game score, Nicole Yoic is number [00:11:00] one. Shaa is number two. Luca is number three, and Kate is number nine. And when he comes to your team performance, Lucas' team is in sixth. Nicole Yoic is in four fourth Shay and Cade. They're, they got their teams at number one. So when we line up all of those numbers, let's average 'em out and see who the MVP winner is at this point. Using these objective rankings, remember, you have to have the lowest score. Kate Cunningham, his average is 7.33, so he would come in fourth right now. Using these metrics. The third best player would be Nicole Yoic. His average is 3.67. Nick pardon me, Luca. Luca DCH would be number two at 3.33, which means that the number one overall player using only three [00:12:00] quantifiable metrics, scoring overall performance and team brilliance. She Gil, just Alexander. His average is 1.67, which is far and away the best. That makes the 2025 MBA objective MVP. She Gil, just Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Sounds good to me. Let's see how it plays out. That's it. Week number 19 of the 20 25, 26 NBA season is in the books. Join us again next week after week number 20 when we once again run it back.