Kevin Durant is the Western Conference Player of the Week

When Stephen Curry exited a game last week with a sprained ankle, one thing was quickly clear: the Golden State Warriors needed Kevin Durant. Curry’s injury presented an opportunity for Durant to assert himself as a player who can lead the team to victory as the main cog.

So far, so good. Durant has been phenomenal in Curry’s absence, and was recognized as such by the league, by being named the Western Conference Player of the Week .

During the week, Durant averaged 30.0 points, 9.3 rebounds, and 7.3 assists per game, notched a triple-double, and helped the Warriors cap off a perfect six-game road trip. Not bad at all.

It’s the 26th time that Durant has been named the West’s Player of the Week, which is pretty stunning. It’s the second time he’s done so as a member of the Warriors, though I’d suspect that that number will rise quite a bit before all is said and done.

It’s also the first time that a Warrior has won the award this season. They captured the honor four times last year (once by Durant and thrice by Curry), so they’ve got some catching up to do!

Congrats, KD. Well deserved!