MY ACCOUNT
There are just days remaining in the 2021-22 NBA regular season, but plenty is still on the line.
While the red-hot Phoenix Suns have long since secured the top seed in the Western Conference, four teams retain realistic hopes of leading the East.
Which of their superstar players are in the best shape heading into April, though?
Stats Perform’s NBA Heat Check highlights the standout performers of the past month…
RUNNING HOT…
Jayson Tatum
Only the Suns (.867) had a better winning percentage in March than the Boston Celtics (.786, tied with the Memphis Grizzlies and Milwaukee Bucks) – and much of that was due to an outstanding month from three-time All-Star Tatum.
His 32.8 points per game in March ranked third behind LeBron James (34.3) and Giannis Antetokounmpo (33.3) but significantly appeared to represent a major leap, having averaged 25.7 to that point. It was the fourth-largest increase in scoring across the NBA last month.
It figures that Tatum’s three-point shooting should also be up, as he made 4.2 threes per game in March, compared to 2.8 previously.
Tatum actually saw the fourth-largest decrease in rebounding, from 8.3 per game to 6.6, but the Celtics were down in this regard across the board and it did not seem to hamper them.
Jordan Poole
As the Celtics climbed in the East, the Golden State Warriors fell in the West – but Poole did more than most to keep them competitive.
Stephen Curry’s absence for the second half of the month was the chief factor in the Warriors’ fading form, yet Poole is increasingly proving he can be the man to fill the void when the team’s superstar guard is out.
Poole was the sole player to see a greater increase in threes made than Tatum in March (2.3 per game to 4.2), while his scoring improved from 16.1 points per game to 25.4 – second only to Drew Eubanks in this regard (4.8 to 15.0).
Those are stunning statistics but remain in line with how Poole has played all season long when Curry has been out. He has started all 12 games he has played without Curry, averaging 35.7 minutes (up from 28.6), 10.7 three-point attempts (up from 6.8), 4.3 three-point makes (up from 2.4), 5.2 assists (up from 3.5) and, admittedly, 3.3 turnovers (up from 2.2).
While taking more shots, Poole’s field-goal percentage decreases slightly without Curry, yet his three-point shooting and free-throw percentage are both up, perhaps showing Golden State a future beyond the two-time MVP.
Cade Cunningham
The Detroit Pistons are nowhere near the playoff picture, but March did wonders for Cunningham’s Rookie of the Year hopes.
While Evan Mobley suffered an ankle sprain that makes another appearance before the end of the regular season far from certain, Cunningham averaged 22.9 points, up on 16.0. The number one overall pick is up to 17.6 for the year, leading all rookies.
GOING COLD…
D’Angelo Russell
Russell is merely the third man on the Minnesota Timberwolves, but that looked to be evidence of the team’s depth of scoring options at the start of March.
Although the T-Wolves remain one of only five teams to have had three different players average 18 or more points while playing in at least 60 games, Russell’s scoring has dipped significantly from 19.4 at the end of February to 18.0 now.
Having scored just 13.1 points per game in March, Russell saw the largest decrease in the league, while his fall in three-point shots made (3.0 to 1.7) was also the greatest.
The former Warrior has too often struggled for consistency this season, but his four-point performance in the face of intense Celtics defense last weekend was especially alarming.
