- Julius Randle Posts Up Dirk Nowitzki
Julius Randle showed here why he could soon be a force in the NBA. In addition to advancing the ball up court, Randle showed great footwork and poise to body Dirk out of the way. Randle performs a smooth crossover that advances him deep into the paint and then is able to stop on a dime, sending Dirk to the baseline. Randle finishes this play with a massive two-handed slam.
- Russell Westbrook Slams Down a Rebound
Although Steven Adams clearly released the ball after the buzzer, the terrific putback by Russell Westbrook still counted. Westbrook rose above Danilo Gallinari who is 6’10’’ to finish an emphatic slam-dunk. Westbrook is making an early case as to why he is one of the most athletic players in the league.
- DeMar DeRozan Displays Phenomenal Footwork
Demar DeRozan’s first spin move led him directly into a double team, but he uses his instincts and footwork to complete another spin move to split the defenders. DeRozan then uses his positioning to bank it off the backboard just over 6’9’’ Johnny O’Bryant before falling to the floor.
- Patrick Beverley Blows By Goran Dragic
Patrick Beverly finds himself in isolation with Goran Dragic and performs a nasty crossover that causes Dragic to lose his footing. As Dragic is stumbling backwards and falling, Beverly takes the open lane and powerfully completes the one-handed jam.
- Kenneth Faried Denies Kyle Singler
With the Thunder on a fastbreak and facing very little resistance to the basket, Kenneth Farried takes off from well in front of the restricted area and swats Kyle Singler’s shot straight into the Thunder’s bench. Farried shows hustle and skill to reject the ally-oop in open court.
- Steph Curry Puts Up 53 Points on the Pelicans
Steph Curry proved why he was the most valuable player of last season and why he is the best shooter in the NBA. Curry dropped 53 points on 63% shooting and while hitting eight three-pointers in the process. Curry had 28 points in the third quarter alone.
- Harrison Barnes Dunks Over Dwight Howard
Harrison Barnes sees an opening down low and quickly beats Trevor Ariza for position and is met by Dwight Howard. Howard stood no chance with his full extension as Barnes flew over him finishing at the rim with command.
- Giannis Antetokounmpo Completes the And-1
Giannis cuts from the corner down the baseline to the basket where he is fed the ball with only Nene Hilario in position to stop him. Giannis notices that Nene is trying to foul him so he switches the ball position mid air and uses strength to shield the contact in order to dunk the ball with one hand. Giannis hangs in the air for an extremely long time to finish this monstrous dunk.
- Justise Winslow Makes a Statement
Playing against the Charlotte Hornets who passed on him the draft, Justise Winslow makes his presence known on the court. First, Winslow swishes an open three-pointer displaying that he not only a defensive player, but also he can score when needed. In the very next possession for the Heat, Winslow runs the correct lane on a fastbreak where he is wide open and shows his patience by staying put. Eventually, Mario Chalmers finds Winslow where he easily beats Jeremy Lin off the dribble and explodes upwards to forcefully dunk the ball past two defenders. Those were the only two shots Winslow attempted during the game and finished with a plus/minus of +26.
- Russell Westbrook Shows Late Game Heroics
Trailing 93-75 going into the fourth quarter against the Magic, the Thunder needed their superstars to come alive. The Thunder managed to score 42 points in the fourth quarter to send the game into overtime because of Russell Westbrook’s bank shot from just inside of half court. The Thunder eventually won the game in double overtime because they were given the opportunity to extend the game with Westbrook’s incredible shot. Westbrook finished with 48 points and two rebounds shy of a triple double, while Kevin Durant contributed 43 points of his own.
Sources: NBA’s YouTube channel, NBAHighlights Daily Youtube channel
Image: Westbrook