Welcome to the NBA Hangover. We jot down NBA stuff mostly from last night that we want to talk about. Check it out.
LeBron James and Stephen Curry dominated Finals appearances in the 2010s.
(PHOTO CREDIT: Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images.)
The 2010s were quite a decade in the NBA.
The NBA made a transformation in their style of play. Three-pointers are way more prevalent this decade. The league average for three-pointers attempted is nearly 34 this season. 10 seasons ago (2009-10), the league average was at 18.1. And let’s go farther back to 1999-2000. The average then? 13.7.
So, yes, the game has changed. Analytics rose to the forefront of the NBA. We don’t just keep track of scoring averages anymore but we keep track of offensive rating, which is basically points per possession (offensive rating is used for points per 100 possessions). We have plus-minus, which is used for players on how the team performs when said player is on or off the court. And it was mentioned how midrange shots and post-ups are not the best way to score. It was because of analytics. Why shoot a 20-footer when you can get an additional point by taking a few steps back? We’re all finding out more efficient ways to score and that’s why three-pointers have risen this decade.
Of course, we have the players that defined the decade. LeBron James is a locomotive and his play isn’t the most graceful but his sheer size, basketball intelligence, and court vision made him one of a kind. Stephen Curry made the three-pointer his weapon of choice and it’s so terrifying how accurate he is no matter where he is on the court. James Harden has found many ways to score and is very deceptive on what he does on the court. Giannis Antetokounmpo has become a giant five-tool player and will run you over both offensively and defensively. Russell Westbrook has become a triple-double machine. Kevin Durant has one of the sweetest strokes to ever play the game and he moves like a guard at nearly 7 feet. Dirk Nowitzki was more of a player in the 2000s but his game peaked in 2011 when nobody could stop his perimeter shooting and his one-foot jumper that led him to the championship. And we have possibly the heir to the throne in Luka Doncic doing wondrous things at 20 years old.
LeBron is definitely Player of the Decade for me, though. Eight straight NBA Finals appearances. He won three MVPs this decade (2010, 2012, 2013). He also won three NBA championships. And of course, no one can forget how he led the Cleveland Cavaliers to an amazing comeback from down 3-1 in the Finals to win the NBA championship in 2016.
Let’s look at other “BEST OFs” this decade…
BEST TEAM OF THE DECADE
I mean, it could have been the 2016 Warriors that went 73-9. But their playoff record was very… flawed (and obviously, they didn’t win the championship). However, the 2017 Warriors that went 67-15 and a record 16-1 in the postseason would be it. Also, that team had just added Kevin Durant to add to the all-star trio of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green. It became extremely unfair, to be quite honest.
BEST SHOT OF THE DECADE
After all these years, this is STILL incredible to me. Trevor Booker does an amazing tap to the basket with 0.2 seconds left on the shotclock.
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
BEST CLUTCH SHOT OF THE DECADE
A CHAMPIONSHIP SERIES-SAVING SHOT by Ray Allen added to his legend. This three tied the game and sent Game 6 to overtime. The Heat would go on to win the game and tie the series. They would also go on to win Game 7 and the championship against the mighty Spurs.
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
You can watch the NBA’s Top 60 clutch plays of the decade here. I also considered Kyrie’s tiebreaking three in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals as well as Kawhi Leonard’s shot of destiny in the only Game 7 buzzer-beater in NBA Playoff History.
BEST DEFENSIVE PLAY OF THE DECADE
Before that ridiculous three by Kyrie, LeBron prevented the Warriors from breaking that 89-tie in Game 7 of the 2016 NBA Finals by chasing down Andre Iguodala for that gamebreaking block. The Warriors never did score again in this game.
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
There was really no other ones that I can remember fondly. Maybe Manu Ginobili‘s block on James Harden in Game 5 of the 2017 West Semis. But here is the NBA’s video of their Top 60 blocks.
BEST CROSSOVER OF THE DECADE
Stephen Curry made Chris Paul slip on this double move.
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
There are more juicy crossovers from this decade in this video from the NBA. Stephen Curry had another one where he got away from the Clippers. Joe Johnson made Paul Pierce sit. James Harden had one that left Wesley Johnson laying, even though there was help from a pushoff. And there was that LeBron James one where he got away from a couple of players and that even included a bounce through his teammate’s legs. Absurd.
BEST DUNK OF THE DECADE
Oh, good grief. This was a fatality. DeAndre Jordan annihilates Brandon Knight with this alley-oop jam.
(VIDEO CREDIT: NBA.)
You can check out the NBA’s best dunks of the decade here. His teammate, Blake Griffin, had a few wicked ones (dunks on Kris Humphries, Kendrick Perkins, Timofey Mozgov, and Danilo Gallinari). There was Derrick Jones, Jr. catching one in the sky from what looked to be a bad pass from Bam Adebayo. There was Paul George giving one to Birdman. But DeAndre’s devastation tops them all, in my view.
Bullet Passes
So Andre Drummond had a choice. Let the two points go and not be embarrassed on the airwaves and social media. Or try to block and risk that embarrassment.
Drummond went for the former.
HERE COMES DONOVAN! 🕸️🔨
Watch Live: https://t.co/lZZApswzuX pic.twitter.com/xKR6VZAy16
— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2019
Good grief, Donovan Mitchell.
I continue to marvel on how bad the race for the 8th seed is in both conferences.
It’s kind of hilarious that the 10-22 Washington Wizards have a legit shot at the 8th seed at the moment. Only 3.5 games behind #8 Orlando. Ouch.
On the other side, #8 through #14 are only separated by 3.5 games themselves.
Realistically, every team but the Hawks still have a shot at this. Forget about tanking, right?
Speaking OF the Wizards, good on them for pulling off the upset against the hot hot Heat. Take a look at the ones that led the scoring for D.C.
Jordan McRae had 29 points. He was a late second round pick in 2014. He was probably best known for scoring 36 points for the Cavs in the final game of the 2015-16 regular season. He wasn’t in the league in the 2017-18 season before getting with the Wizards the next season. His two-way deal turned into a regular NBA deal with the Wizards late last season.
Garrison Mathews went for 28 points. Went undrafted before getting picked up by the Wizards on a two-way deal. That was his 11th game of the season and he took advantage of the opportunity.
Ian Mahinmi scored 25. He’s been around. He came into the league with the Spurs in 2007 after being picked late in the first round two years earlier by them. He was good in a limited role and averaged 9.3 points and 7.1 rebounds in 2015-16. That prompted the Wizards to sign him to a 4-year, $64 million deal. He hadn’t done much of note after signing… until Monday night.
Ish Smith put in 19 points. Came into the league at 2010 and was also undrafted. He has been around. Seriously. He’s played for 11 different teams. Smith did have a three-year stay with Detroit before coming to the Wizards. He’s actually a legit rotation player but he was always looked at as a replaceable piece.
I mean, that core won’t win you a ton of games. But for that one night, they showed that they are legit NBA players.
The Scoreboard
ATL 101 (7-27) @ ORL 93 (14-19)
MIA 105 (24-9) @ WAS 123 (10-22)
MIL 123 (30-5) @ CHI 102 (13-21)
BRK 115 (16-16) @ MIN 122 (12-20) (OT)
DET 81 (12-22) @ UTA 104 (21-12)
PHX 122 (13-20) @ POR 116 (14-20)
Watch This Play
Zach LaVine normally does the dunking but this time around, he watched Giannis Antetokounmpo fly by.
(VIDEO CREDIT: Chaz Clavant NBA.)
Giannis is such a devastating game-dunker.
Happy New Year, everyone!
Rey-Rey is on Twitter at @TheNoLookPass.
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