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Randy Foye
He's back!! It didn't take long for Mr. Foye to return to form. After being benched by Denver Nuggets coach Brian Shaw, largely because of a lengthy shooting slump, the Villanova alumnus quickly forced his way back into the starting lineup.
Foye contributed some impressive stat lines this past week, averaging 17 points, 5 boards, and 4 dimes in three games played. Coincidentally enough, the Nuggets won all three contests. He stamped his mark on the week with a vintage 23 point (stemming from seven made from distance), 5 rebound, 5 assist showing against the Boston Celtics. Check out his performance below:
Randy Foye 23 Points/5 Assists/7 Threes Full Highlights (1/7/2014) (via DownToBuck)
Despite his reputation as an all-around weapon coming out of college, Foye's role has been transformed into a mostly catch and shoot sharpshooter; but in those highlights you see the defense and unselfish play that made him such a weapon during his time at Villanova.
Teammate Ty Lawson, however, wouldn't mind if his new sidekick keeps launching from downtown. Lawson said,"I told him, 'You're getting wide open shots. All you got to do is set your feet and knock them down.' That's what he's been working on, getting his shot right." For now, as long as that shot is looking good, Foye will have the green light for the foreseeable future.
Kyle Lowry
Sometimes I feel like I'm running in circles trying to cover this guy. For the first time in weeks, there appears to be no specific trade rumors floating around Lowry. Talks with the Knicks died down after New York realized, "Hey, maybe giving up valuable first round draft picks for expiring contracts and veterans isn't the best idea!" For now, all remains quiet on the Toronto trade front as the Raptors are precariously perched as the fourth seed in the Eastern Conference standings.
The Raptors starting point guard is doing more than his fair share in making noise on the court, however. Over the past three games, Lowry remains the picture of consistency; he averaged 17 points, 7 assists, and 4 rebounds. Beyond posting gaudy stats, Lowry is doing a great job of taking care of the ball. The explosive guard ranks fifth in the league for assist to turnover ratio (3.31).
These impressive statistics are not going unnoticed by NBA analysts. According to this ESPN Insider article, Lowry ranks fourth among point guards and ninth overall for the ever-important Wins Above Replacement (WAR) rating. Bradford Doolittle attributes this success because "he is making more 3s than ever before, and he's posting the lowest turnover rate of his career."
It's great to see Lowry finally getting the attention he deserves as one of the premier lead guards in the NBA.
Dante Cunningham
It was another quiet week for Dante Cunningham. Only playing in two games, the Minnesota Timberwolves forward submitted a solid performance against his hometown 76ers. He managed to reel off 10 points on an efficient 5-9 shooting from the floor. Cunningham continues to provide quality minutes and energy for the Wolves as they fight for a playoff spot out West.
Maalik Wayns
Just as I was about to write a segment that Wayns might be out of a job for a while, the Los Angeles Clippers resigned the Villanova alumnus to a ten-day contract. This move comes just two days after the Clippers waived Wayns from the team. Wayns' employers must have hope that their reserve guard can regain his old form prior to his MCL injury. We'll keep a close eye to see how this new chance at life turns out.
Update: Wayns logged his first minutes last night against the Boston Celtics. He played three minutes, was 0-1 from the field and logged an assist and a foul. Great to see him back out on the court!
Maurice Sutton
We have a Mo' Sutton resurgence! After a steady decline in both minutes and production, Sutton once again contributed off the bench for the Tulsa 66ers. the 6'11" center out of Villanova turned in one of his best nights of the young year against the Maine Red Claws. He netted 8 points, ripped down 12 boards, and swatted 3 blocks in 26 minutes of play. Hopefully Sutton can keep this revival rolling!
Thanks for reading everyone!
