Run it Back! NBA Week in Review - 2025-26 - Week #8

Untitled project from SquadCast === Jose: [00:00:00] Week number eight 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 and then highlight the marquee matchup for the. 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 eight. At number 10 or the Phoenix Suns, they went one on one in week number eight, which was enough to propel them from 12 up to the top 10 in what was really a short week because of the NBA Cup games. Now the next three teams all. Dropped one spot. We'll start at number nine with the Boston Celtics. They were also one and one in week number eight that dropped them [00:01:00] from number eight this week. They come in at number nine. The Miami Heat were oh and one in week number eight, dropping them from number seven, again, two number eight, and the Los Angeles Lakers were one and one in week number eight, which saw them drop from number six to number seven. Now the New York Knicks, they had a pretty good week. They were three and oh in week number eight, including a NBA cup win. They are in the finals. We'll talk a little bit more about that and that three and oh week propelled them all the way from number 10 up. To number six, very good week deed for the New York Knicks. The number nuggets come in at number five. They were two and oh in week number eight. But that dropped them actually from number four to number five. And that's because the other team in the NBA Cup finals. No, it's not the Oklahoma City Thunder. It's a San Antonio Spurs. And if you watch that game. You know what a great game that was. So again, we'll talk a little bit [00:02:00] more about that as we move on. The Spurs were three and oh and week number eight, and that moved them up. One spot leapfrogging the Denver nuggets from number five. They come in at number four this week. Now the top three remains the same. Houston Woods one and oh and week eight, that keeps them at number three, the Detroit Pistons. Right now, the best in the East were one and oh, and week eight. That keeps them at number two. And the Oklahoma City Thunder, who had a loss in this week two and one, that loss of course to the San Antonio Spurs in the NBA Cups semifinals, but it didn't do them any damage in the standings. They still are number one. After week number eight, that's the objective top 10 list for week number eight. 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 eight of the 20 25 26 NBA season. These are the best by average in shooting rebounds, assists [00:03:00] blocks, steals points, and game score. Again, keep in mind, short weeks. So a lot of the players only had one or two games. So the numbers might be a little skewed. You'll see what I mean. Steph Curry, no issues there. He led everybody with a great game, 39 points. He only played that one game, but that's how averages work. He led the association. Marcus Smart only played one game, but boy was it a good one for him. He led everybody with three, three point field goals made. I said three. I think I said it should have been eight. Eight three point field goals made to lead everybody. Steph Curry and Donovan Mitchell both led the NBA in total field goals made at 14. Donovan Mitchell played in two games. Steph Curry. Only in one up S of the Houston Rockets pulled down 15 rebounds in the one game he played to lead everybody while Isaiah Hartenstein also played one game and pulled down eight offensive rebounds. LeBron James, the incredible LeBron James, the fact that we're still [00:04:00] mentioning his name in the top of the, of any list is incredible. He played two games and led everybody with 10 and defensive rebounds. Opera in Sango, also in his one game, had 10. Now assists is it's indicative of the NBA that we find ourselves in. You would normally see guards here. We've seen nobody but Nicole Yoic as the assist leader since we've been tracking this season. We, Nicole Yoic didn't lead everybody in assist this year, or pardon me this week, but Jalen Johnson did. The Atlanta Hawk had 12 assists on average over his two games played. Jay Huff is having a little bit of a resurgence. Good for him. He led everybody with two blocks, pardon me, with 3.5 blocks over his two games played, and he's joined by O Waku Ang great name. I hope I pronounced it well. I'm not familiar with his game, but he's having a heck of a season for the Atlanta Hawks. He also sent back 3.5 shots in his two games. Played Upward in San Goon, [00:05:00] had four steals to lead everybody. And Nicola Yoic. He's never far from this list. He led everybody with a phenomenal game score of 33.4 over his two games played. Now, as we look ahead to week number nine, we have the game that statistically doesn't count, the NBA, pardon me, the finals of the NBA Cup based only on chatter online. This seems to be growing on people. Last week I asked if anyone can stop the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Spurs said yeah, we can do that. And they did in what was really a phenomenal game. The Spurs will take on the New York Knicks in the NBA Cup finals in week number nine. Now, remember I said statistically, no, pardon me. Remember that I said that based on chatter alone. The game seems to be growing it's more than just online chatter. You'll see what I mean. We end it with a segment we call full court press. I ask AI to scour the internet and read every article out there and find trending news. [00:06:00] What's the press saying? What's going on in the NBA as we head into week number nine? And this is what came up with. A lot of NB cup, NBA cup stuff. The Knicks versus Spurs, NBA Cup final when Bama were here win against the 24 and two they were 24 1 at the time. But between now 24 and two, Oklahoma City Thunder, Jalen Brunson is a real MVP cup MVP candidate. And then the trade eligibility floodgates opening on the 15th of December. And of course the blockbuster rumors that are always bubbling at this time of year around Giannis ad Trey and others. But I wanna focus on the NBA cup now. I'll admit it, I'm still not sold. While I get the concept and understand the reason behind it, the tournament still feels forced to me. The courts look silly, and I really don't care who wins. But honestly, it seems like I'm in the minority and I'm becoming more and more aware of that. Overall on, in addition to online chatter being very positive, viewership [00:07:00] is up with over 40 million people watching the 2025 group stage. That's a 90% year over year increase. Cub Games average 2.2 billion. That's a B billion views across all NBA platforms. That's a 41% jump from last season. Group games get 17% more views than non cup matches, which shocking to me. November games are the best ever in average attendance over the three years since the cup started. And probably most importantly, players love it. Jalen Brunson recently said, the atmosphere, it's a different feel. You can't really explain it. You just know there's something else at stake. When there's a chance to win something, go and win it. And that's a player's mentality, right? I don't care if you just, played in elementary school or if you got that athletic genius inside you, man, if there's a chance to win something, you're gonna go out and win it. And the NBA players have really adopted that. And they want to win this. Of course it helps. I imagine that [00:08:00] 500,000 to the winner is the, the pot at the end of the rainbow. It's gotta help a little bit. One thing I will admit though, the games have a playoff atmosphere. The semis between the spurs and the thunder, I've alluded it to it a couple of times already, was really good basketball and really fun to watch. But I do think that the next phase has got to be. That players want the trophy over the money. In other words, the championship has to mean something right now, I just don't know that it does. Players have to want to lift that trophy and be crowned NBA Cup final or NBA Cup champions over the money. When the NBA Cup crosses that barrier, then you're really onto something and then maybe then I'll jump on the bandwagon. But for now, I'm definitely excited to watch the finals. Will the Knicks win something for the first time since 1973? Will it matter to Nick fans if they do, or will the Spurs show them that the [00:09:00] NBA well rather, will the Spurs show them and the NBA that they are right on the heels of the defending champion OKC Thunder. Beating them in the semis was no fluke, and that they are a very real threat. It should be fun despite not being, I'll say not yet. Being a card carrying member of the fan club, I will absolutely be watching the NBA Cup finals. That's it. Week number berated of the 20 25 26 NBA season is in the books. Join us again next week after week number one after week number nine, when we once again run it back.