2019 NBA Predictions

The NBA is back today. I think we have a pretty good idea of who’s gonna win the Finals, but the awards are up for grabs. These are my predictions.

MVP – LeBron James

(photo via Washington Post)

If the Lakers can manage to win 50 games this year, the award is as good as his. Nobody from the Warriors can win it, and unless Giannis and the Bucks take a huge step this year, or LeBron misses more than 15 games, the MVP is as good as LeBron’s.

Sixth Man of the Year – Terry Rozier

(photo via Hardwood Houdini)

This award could easily go to Lou Williams again, but Rozier makes a very compelling case. Rozier will lead what is probably the best second unit in the NBA. If he can become a more efficient scorer and the Celtics can win 57 games this year — which I think they can — then Rozier should win the award.

Rookie of the Year – Luka Doncic

(photo via The Smoking Cuban)

Doncic wins my vote mainly based on the idea that he’s the most NBA ready due to having played against high-level competition for the years. His adjustment to the NBA won’t be nearly as tough as top pick Deandre Ayton’s.

Most Improved Player – Jamal Murray

(photo via NBA.com) 

Murray may already be too good to win this award, but he hasn’t been recognized for it. If Murray can score 22 points per game and the Nuggets make the playoffs, then he’ll get the recognition he deserves and win the Most Improved Player award.

Defensive Player of the Year – Rudy Gobert

(photo via SLC Dunk)

If the Jazz can get a top 5 seed, it will be because of their defense. Gobert is as dominant on defense as anyone has been in the history of the NBA, and he deserves to win this award every healthy year he plays in the NBA.

Coach of the Year – Brad Stevens

(photo via Liberty Ballers)

The Celtics win 60 games this year on the back of young players like Jaylen Brown, Jayson Tatum, and Terry Rozier. How could Stevens not win this award?

Knicks Vegas Summer League Review

On Thursday, the Knicks got ousted from the tournament 82-75 by Guerschon Yabusele and the Boston Celtics. Still, Summer League has been more than pleasing for Knicks fans.

Mitchell Robinson’s offensive game and interior defensive excellency is very similar to Rockets big man Clint Capela. (photo via clutchpoints.com)

Draft day question mark Kevin Knox averaged an efficient 23.3 points and 7.3 rebounds through three games before having a tough game against the Celtics. Against the Celtics, he shot 5-20 in a 15 point game. Before that, though, Knox was unstoppable. His three point shot looks good, and even more impressive is his dribble drive ability. Countless two-handed dunk highlights went viral across the internet during Knox’s first couple of games. His start was plenty promising, but the first serviceable NBA defender that Knox faced was the Celtics’ jacked forward Semi Ojeleye, who shut Knox down. His offense is his calling card, but his defense looked surprisingly okay. If he can be a consistent seven to eight rebound per game player, then that will be a huge help to the Knicks.

Mitchell Robinson can’t shoot, no threes, no free throws, nothing outside the paint. But he already seems like a draft steal. He played fine through his first three games, averaging 11.3 points and 9 rebounds per game, but then he exploded against the Celtics in a 17 point, 12 rebound, 6 block performance. His path to playing time is tough, but someday, likely once Kanter is gone, Mitchell Robinson will have an important role on the Knicks.

Knox and Robinson will both struggle transitioning to the NBA, but down the line, they should be important pieces to the Knicks title hopes.

How Ty Lue Lost Last Night’s Game

Ty Lue is terrible. David Blatt is better than him, and that’s saying something. Last night’s game was winnable, and it was a must-win. But of course, Ty Lue coached his team right out of the game.

Sure, the Cavs could have played better. LeBron had one of his worst shooting performances of the playoffs. They shot under 30% from three. They shot almost 10% worse than the Warriors from the field.

But Rodney Hood played 25 minutes.

Rodney Hood is great on offense, but he’s arguably the biggest defensive liability in the NBA. (photo via Factory of Sadness)

Ty Lue kept Rodney Hood in for 25 minutes. Hood was great on offense, but the Warriors scored just about every time that they tested Rodney Hood on defense, and that’s what lost them the game. Kevin Durant shot a perfect 6 for 6 when he was guarded by Hood. After Hood managed to score a quick 6 points in the first couple of minutes of the fourth, he was obliterated on defense. But then Lue actually made a solid defensive adjustment, he put Hood on the ice cold Curry and basically told him to go stand in the corner and make sure Curry doesn’t get the ball. It worked okay, but then the Warriors started to attack Hood with ball screens and it all went down from there.

Open layup after open layup were scored by the Warriors — Jeff Van Gundy couldn’t believe it, and it was Hood’s fault time after time. The worst part about Lue’s decision to leave Hood on the court was that they stopped using him on offense. Hood is a great offensive player, he is the second best (behind LeBron) on the Cavs in getting his own bucket. But when he is standing in the corner on offense, not doing anything, and then completely ruining the defense on the other end, that’s when you need to find a new coach.

The Cavs were up 97-96 with three minutes to go. Rodney Hood was guarding Steph Curry on the corner, but for some reason, he guarded Curry on the wrong side. He gave him a wide open layup to give the Warriors a one point edge. The Cavs came back down and were stripped by Andre Iguodala. On the breakaway, Rodney Hood messed up again. He told JR Smith that he would get Curry and then went on to leave Curry wide open for a three — which, of course, he hit to go up by 4. LeBron hit a three on the other end, cutting the lead to 1. The next play, Hood denied DRAYMOND GREEN the ball while Andre Iguodala ran to the hoop and dunked on Tristan Thompson. A Draymond Green three would’ve been a welcome sight for the Cavs, but instead, Hood decided that he couldn’t help to stop Iguodala’s dunk because Draymond might hit a three. The Cavs missed another shot. One minute left. Rodney Hood gets switched onto Kevin Durant, Durant hit the dagger three to basically end the game. Admittedly, Hood couldn’t have done much to stop Durant, but ten crucial straight Warriors points in two minutes were all Hood’s fault. And who didn’t take him out? Ty Lue.

NFL’s Anthem Rule

On Wednesday, the NFL owners supposedly unanimously approved a new policy that requires players to stand if they are on the field during the performance. It does, however, give the players the option to remain in the locker room if they prefer. If a player kneels or sits during, then the team is subjected to a fine. Those teams will also have the option to fine any team personnel for the infraction.

Donald Trump is happy. He said “You have to stand proudly for the National Anthem. You shouldn’t be playing, you shouldn’t be there. Maybe they shouldn’t be in the country… the NFL owners did the right thing.” The NFL’s decision to pursue this policy seems like the NFL is trying to avoid having the president turn its back on their large corporation.

Cavs-Warriors Round 4, Two Games In

On Thursday, the Cavs blew their best opportunity to steal a game in Golden State. The Cavs out-rebounded the Warriors 53 to 38 and still managed to lose. LeBron’s incredible 51 point performance was overshadowed by George Hill’s missed free throw and JR Smith’s poor decision making. No matter what JR says, it’s pretty obvious that he thought that the Cavs were up by 1.

Steph Curry is pretty good. (photo via Sports Illustrated)

Game 2 was different. The Warriors clearly outplayed the Cavs. The game was still close enough to be interesting throughout. The lead stayed anywhere from 6 to 12 points from the second quarter to about 7 minutes and 54 seconds left in the fourth, when Steph Curry made a desperation rainbow fade away from 30 feet. After that shot, the game was pretty much over. Before that moment, though, it felt like the Cavs could go on a quick 8-0 run at any point and be right back in the game. Steph Curry made a finals record 9 threes to score 33 points to go along with 8 assists.Losing that game has officially taken them out of this series. The Warriors are a much better team than the Cavs, and the only way that the Cavs would have a chance is if they could steal one game on the road and then defend their home court. Game 1 was their best shot — no Andre Iguodala, they were underestimated by the -1000 Warriors, and Klay Thompson was hampered by his early game ankle injury. But no one showed up besides LeBron and Kevin Love.

 

Three Potential Steals in the 2018 NBA Draft

Today, I’ll be discussing three underrated prospects in this year’s 2018 NBA Draft that could end up being steals and among the best players of this draft class.

First up is Mohamed Bamba. The seven foot Center has excellent defensive potential and has received Rudy Gobert comparisons. His physical tools contribute to his impressive shot blocking ability; despite his 7’9″ Wingspan and 9’6″ standing reach, Bamba is surprisingly quick on his feet which allows him to stay with smaller guards and recover for blocks at the rim when he is beat. Bamba also boasted 16.2 rebounds per 40 min and is predicted to be at least a respectable midrange shooter once he transitions to the NBA. NBA Analyst Jay Williams guaranteed that Bamba will be a future 1st Team All Defensive member, signifying the belief around the league in the big man’s potential to be one of the NBA’s best defenders. His defensive versatility, tenacity on the boards and developing offensive game make him an intriguing young prospect for a number of teams. The Knicks, for example, who have the 9th pick in the draft, will have to consider Bamba and the defensive potential a Bamba-Porzingis frontcourt would pose in the paint.

Mo Bamba Blocking Duke’s Marvin Bagley III (Via RagSports)

Next up is Oklahoma Sooners Point Guard Trae Young. Young is easily my favorite player in the draft. He has drawn Steph Curry comparisons for his offensive game. A terrific shooter, Young made 42% of his field goal attempts and 36% of his three pointers. Young possess great ball handling and shooting which contribute to his fluid style of play. His great court vision also allows him to control the game with draw-and-kick passes to open teammates. On the defensive end, he makes up for his lack of size and 6’0″ frame with lateral quickness and high basketball I.Q. I witnessed firsthand Trae Young taking over games with his shooting, scoring, and playmaking ability and these are skills that will translate well to the NBA game. As the first player in College basketball History to lead the nation in both scoring and assists, Young has the potential to be a transcendent offensive player and is worth the risk.

Trae Young bringing the ball up the court (Via http://www.nydailynews.com)

The third player I will be talking about is Villanova Wildcats wing Mikal Bridges. An excellent “Three and D” prospect who has won two National Championships in his college career, Bridges has excellent physical tools, great length, and impressive shooting ability. With averages of over 50% FG and 90% FT, there is no doubt that Bridges will be an efficient scorer once he transitions to the NBA. Additionally, his 6’7″ height and 7’1″ wingspan gives him the ability to defend multiple positions, switch effectively on pick and rolls, and jump the passing lanes for steals. While he needs to improve his ability to get to the rim and become a more dynamic ball handler, Bridges will be a solid starter in the league for years to come and provide a spark with his shooting and defense for whichever team drafts him.

Mikal Bridges shooting a pair of free throws (Via Big East Coast Bias)

 

 

Knicks Hire David Fizdale as New Coach

This past Tuesday, the New York Knicks introduced their new Head Coach, David Fizdale. While this marks the Knicks’ fifth coaching change in the past four years, the hiring of Fizdale brings a sense of optimism to the future of this franchise. The two-time NBA Champion has an excellent reputation around the league as a “culture changer” and someone who will hold his players accountable.

David Fizdale during his tenure as head Coach of the Memphis Grizzlies (Via http://www.NJ.com)

Many teams demonstrated interest in Fizdale as he interviewed with Phoenix, Atlanta, Orlando and Charlotte prior to accepting the Knicks’ job. Fizdale noted he wants a “loud defense that sparks the offense”, which is something that the Knicks have lacked, as they ranked a meager 21st in the league in Defensive efficiency this season. The hiring of Fizdale also bodes well for the development of Knicks’ cornerstone Kristaps Porzingis. “The best way to describe him is he’s the future of the NBA,” Fizdale said of the Latvian big man. “Look around who’s playing right now. They all got guys super-long, super-athletic, super-skilled, super-tough-minded. He fits all of the qualities of a megastar and a guy who can really propel a franchise forward to high places.” The persona of Fizdale seems to fit perfectly with the Knicks as well. His infamous “Take that for data” rant of this past postseason embodies the New York Grit that has made the Knicks one of the NBA’s most historic franchises and meshes perfectly with the mentality that must be instilled in younger Knicks Kristaps Porzingis and Frank Ntilikina.

The hiring of David Fizdale seems to be a great move for the Knicks moving forward, as the two-time NBA Champion is as respected an individual around the league as any other Head Coach and will have a significant positive impact on the culture of the Knicks’ franchise as well as the development of the team’s younger stars.

Frank Ntilikina (left) and Kristaps Porzingis (right) highfiving after a Knicks’ basket (Via Bleacher Report)

Boston Celtics vs. Milwaukee Bucks Overview

After the first week of the 2018 NBA Playoffs, The second seeded Boston Celtics hold a 2-0 lead against the seventh seeded Milwaukee Bucks. Despite losing significant contributions from Allstars Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward as well as defensive gem Marcus Smart and role player Daniel Theis, Boston has time and again managed to surpass expectations. Many thought it would be difficult for Boston to even make it past the first round, especially against the Bucks’ star player Giannis Anteokounmpo, but the Celtics have persevered throughout this series, and their 2-0 lead puts them in a great position to advance to the Eastern Conference semifinals.

Game 1 in Boston exemplified the sheer grit that the Celtics seem to embody on a nightly basis. After the Buck’s Malcolm Brogdon tied the game at 96 a piece with 10.3 seconds remaining, backup point guard Terry Rozier splashed in a clutch three to put Boston up three after a beautiful crossover move on Eric Bledsoe. Following this, the Buck’s Khris Middleton made a deep three pointer from over 30 feet away with just 0.5 seconds left. However, in overtime, the Celtic’s gritty defense along with the play of Jayston Tatum and Terry Rozier, sealed the victory for Boston.

Terry Rozier celebrating after his clucth three pointer on Eric Bledsoe (Via the Boston Globe)

The point guard matchup has been particularly significant throughout the series. Time and time again, Rozier has stepped up, outplaying veteran guard Eric Bledsoe with with 23 points in each of the first two games. In addition to Rozier, Boston’s younger, less experienced players have played exceptionally well and continue to improve; Shooting guard Jaylen Brown came out with 30 points in Game 1 after a 20 point showing in the first outing. The Celtics backcourt of Rozier and Brown is currently outscoring that of the Bucks 96-25.

The Celtics’ Jaylen Brown (right) shooting against the Bucks’ Jabari Parker (left) en route to his 30 point Game 2 performance (Via CLNS Media)

Although Boston will continue to deal with injuries and a lack of starpower, the Celtics have proven that they can persevere to win games in these difficult matchups and it will be interesting to see just how far Brad Stevens can lead his young team in these 2018 Playoffs.

 

 

 

 

My NBA Award Picks

My NBA Award Picks

It’s definitely a tough year to make these picks considering the quantity of stars that have missed large portions of the season due to injury. Steph Curry, Chris Paul, Demarcus Cousins, Kawhi Leonard, Gordon Hayward, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Kristaps Porzingis, Rudy Gobert… the list goes on. To make it much easier for myself, I didn’t consider anyone who played less than 61 games — three quarters of the NBA season.

First Team All NBA

(photo via Sports Illustrated)

G Damian Lillard

G James Harden

F LeBron James

F Giannis Antetokounmpo

C Anthony Davis

James Harden and Anthony Davis were the only easy picks here. Lillard wasn’t a tough pick to make, but Russell Westbrook is currently .1 rebounds away from averaging another triple double and no one seems to be talking about it. Since 2018 has started, Lillard has arguably been the best player in the NBA and has led the Trail Blazers to the 3 seed in the West, he is a first team caliber player. The F spots were tough. James, Antetokounmpo, and Durant are basically interchangeable, and they had to fill two spots. It was too hard for me to keep LeBron off of the first team when you combine his career best rebounds/assists with the mess that he’s played with all season — even if he didn’t play defense this year. Giannis ended up getting my vote over Durant simply because they are so close, but Giannis has played nine more games then him. When two players are this close, a ninth of the season is more than enough to put one over the other.

Second Team All NBA

(photo via USAToday.com)

G Russell Westbrook

G Victor Oladipo

F Kevin Durant

F LaMarcus Aldridge

C Joel Embiid

Durant and Westbrook were easy. Aldridge basically single handedly kept the Spurs in the playoffs amid whatever has been going on with Kawhi this year. The second guard spot was up for grabs between Victor Oladipo and DeMar Derozan. I went with Oladipo because at the end of the day, Oladipo is a better defender, a better shooter, played more games, and managed to bring the Pacers to the 5 seed. Admittedly, the Raptors are the 1 seed, but still, they were supposed to be good. The Pacers were one of the favorites for the number one pick this year, and the fact that they are the 5 seed despite a very disappointing year from Myles Turner is amazing. I reluctantly ended up putting Embiid on the second team. Karl Anthony Towns is going to complete another 82 game season, and his offensive numbers are very comparable to Embiid’s. Embiid’s defense simply blows Towns’ away. The defensive difference was enough for me to overlook the 20 game difference as Embiid barely slid past my 61 game requirement.

Third Team All NBA

(photo via Sports Illustrated)

G DeMar Derozan

G Bradley Beal

F Paul George

F Al Horford

C Karl Anthony Towns

Derozan and Towns make the third team. Bradley Beal makes it because of his two month stretch right after Wall’s injury. Without Wall, Beal stepped up, averaging just under 25 points a night while playing elite defense. If you’re winning over ten games in a row playing next to Tomas Satoranzky, you deserve to be on the third team. Paul George’s season has been kind of disappointing, but still definitely third team caliber with all of the injuries. He is about to become one of five players all time to shoot 40 percent from three while averaging 2.5 steals per game — the definition of an elite 3 and D player. Horford is boring, he sets good screens, anchors a great defense, shoots 45% from three, and has managed to avoid injury all season. Irving had an electric start to the season, but Horford was the core of the Celtics ability to win after Hayward went down.

All Rookie Team

(photo via USAToday.com)

Donovan Mitchell

Ben Simmons

Kyle Kuzma

Jayson Tatum

John Collins

The first four names listed above were easy. Mitchell replaced Hayward and got the Jazz home court in the west with Gobert missing half the season. Simmons has been a consistent triple double threat, and he was the second biggest piece in Philly’s 180 as they went from the top of the lottery to home court in the east. Kuzma has been the most consistent scorer for the Lakers — not saying much — but still worth all rookie first team. Tatum averaged 15 and 8 this season and has singlehandedly won multiple games for the Celtics this season. The last spot was tough, I gave it to Collins because he was basically the only bright spot for the Hawks this season and I like the way he plays, but this spot could have gone to 10 different guys. For such a supposedly great draft class, there is a surprising absence of top picks from last year’s draft on the team. In fact, Tatum was the only top 10 pick (Simmons was technically drafted in the 2016 draft). Fultz didn’t play until the end of the season. Ball started poorly and has definitely looked better in the second half, but his shooting numbers are some of the worst in NBA history. Jackson, Isaac, Fox, Ntilikina, Smith Jr, none of the top guys from this draft have been exceptional.

All Defensive Team

(photo via Sports Illustrated)

G Victor Oladipo

G Jaylen Brown

F Giannis Antetokounmpo

F Robert Covington

C Anthony Davis

Guard was not easy at all. Brown and Oladipo are both great defenders and they both played a lot of games. All of the elite guard defenders who have made this team in the past didn’t meet my 61 game requirement — Conley didn’t play this year, CP3 missed by 6 games, and Tony Allen hasn’t played since December. Gobert would be the number one defender if he met the games requirement. Porzingis would have made the team as well if he qualified. Antetokounmpo’s length and athleticism have made his defense better than any other wing in the NBA this year. Covington led the NBA in deflections this season and guards all three perimeter spots. Embiid and him have almost single-handedly given the 76ers a top 5 defense. Anthony Davis led the NBA in blocks, again. Him and Embiid were very close, but when you consider Davis has played 13 games more than him, the choice becomes more obvious. When he played, Embiid may have been the best defender in the league, but his defense wasn’t 13 games better than AD’s.

Rookie of the Year

(photo via Clutchpoints.com)

Ben Simmons

Mitchell and Simmons are neck and neck. Simmons scores 16 a game to along with 8 rebounds and 8 assists. Mitchell scores 20 points per game with 4 assists and 4 rebounds. The stats are close, and this late run that the 76ers are making (without Joel Embiid) will be the difference in pushing Simmons over Mitchell in ROTY voting.

Defensive Player of the Year

(photo via USAToday.com)

Anthony Davis

Gobert would win this award if he played 5 more games. However, Anthony Davis led the NBA in blocks, was top 25 in steals, and played 75 games. He anchored one of the better defenses in the league. Embiid gets my second place vote, but Davis wins over him for the same reasons I gave earlier.

Most Improved Player

(photo via Sports Illustrated)

Victor Oladipo

This was the easiest pick I had to make. Oladipo went from one of the least efficient seasons in NBA history on the Thunder from one of the more efficient seasons in the league on the Pacers. Indiana was supposed to be terrible this year, instead, they’re the 5 seed in the playoffs. His points, assists, rebounds, blocks, steals, FG%, 3PT%, and FT% all increased considerably this year. Second place is probably Spencer Dinwiddie, but he is a very distant second.

Coach of the Year

(photo via CelticsBlog.com)

Brad Stevens

The Jazz’s Quin Snyder would also be a good pick here, but Stevens has dealt with so much adversity this season and still managed to secure the 2 seed. Hayward went down 5 minutes into the season. Kyrie Irving and Marcus Smart are also both out for the season. Daniel Theis is hurt and Terry Rozier has been dealing with his own nagging knee injury recently. The team is so injured that they had to start Kadeem Allen at point guard on Wednesday. Still, Stevens has managed to consistently make the best of a bad situation, and he has backed up the Celtics hot start.

Executive of the Year

(photo via USAToday.com)

Danny Ainge

The Celtics aren’t the one seed like they were last year, but, when healthy, this team would beat last year’s team nine times out of ten. Ainge made the bold move of taking a one seed and trading everyone. The only players from last year’s team are Al Horford, Marcus Smart, Jaylen Brown, and Terry Rozier — all 11 others left. This team still managed to win more games than they did last year even with all of their injuries.

 

Sixth Man

(photo via Sports Illustrated)

Lou Williams

Tied with Oladipo for the easiest pick to make. Lou Williams has been the best player on a pretty terrible Clippers team that is 2 games out of the playoffs. Blake Griffin left, and Lou Williams stepped up to keep this team in playoff contention through the season. Why he didn’t get in the starting lineup I have no idea. Maybe he wanted to win the Sixth Man of the Year award after losing to Eric Gordon last year.

MVP

(photo via Sports Illustrated)

James Harden

I was very tempted to put Anthony Davis here instead, but Harden definitely deserves MVP this year. He was my MVP last year, and although his numbers are a little bit less impressive, he is a much stronger candidate this year. The Rockets won 66 games, 6 more than any other team. Harden leads the NBA in win shares, points, and PER. To go along with his 30 points, he gets 8.8 assists and 5.4 rebounds. Also, most importantly, his defense has significantly improved from being a complete liability to about league average without his offense dropping off.

 

 

2018 NBA Allstar Saturday Night Recap

The NBA’s annual Allstar Weekend, taking place in Los Angeles this year, was full of exciting competition among some of the NBA’s best up and coming players. 

2018 NBA Skills Challenge Champion Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets                                     (Via The Los Angeles Times)

The first contest of the night, the Skills Challenge, tests player’s overall skills such as ball-handling, 3 point shooting, passing ability, and finishing around the rim. Participants are required to dribble the length of the court through an obstacle course made of defenders. They must then pass a basketball with precision in order to get it into the net. After this, players take off into the obstacle course once more, finishing with a layup once they reach the end of the court. The last aspect of the sequence is sprinting back down to the three-point line and being the first to make a three-pointer. In the semifinals, Spencer Dinwiddie eliminated the Nuggets’ Jamal Murray while Lauri Markkanen beat the Sixers’ Joel Embiid. Embiid eliminated Al Horford, who missed his first three 3 pointers, despite having an early lead. In the first round, Dinwiddie came from behind and connected on his initial three point attempt to defeat the Kings’ Buddy Hield. Jamal Murray was able to eliminate Lou Williams of the Clippers making his third 3-point attempt before the Clippers’ Lou Williams could attempt his first, thanks to an early lead. The contest saw Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets defeat Lauri Markkanen in the final round for the award. The contest’s emergence of multiple big men against guards in the past few years has proved to enhance the excitement surrounding the competition. This year’s participants included Big men Joel Embiid of the Philadelphia 76ers, Lauri Markkanen of the Chicago Bulls, Andre Drummond of the Detroit Pistons, and Al Horford of the Boston Celtics. The guard spots were comprised of Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers, Jamal Murray of the Denver Nuggets, Buddy Hield of the Sacramento Kings, and Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets, who would go on to win it all.

The second event of the evening was the JBL Three Point Contest. The skilled sharpshooters of this year’s group included reigning champion Eric Gordon of the Houston Rockets, first time Allstar Bradley Beal of the Washington Wizards, shooting guard Wayne Ellington of the Miami Heat, small forward Tobias Harris of the Los Angeles Clippers, point guard Kyle Lowry of the Toronto Raptors, Allstar Paul George of the Oklahoma City Thunder, splash brother Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors, and last but not least, sharpshooter Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns.

The 2018 NBA Three Point Contest Participants                                                    (Via The Source)

Some players who have participated in this contest in years past seemed to struggle, such as Kyle Lowry and Paul George who each finished with scores of 11 and 9, respectively. Conversely, inexperienced players such as Wayne Ellington and Tobias Harris came out firing, scoring 17 and 18 points, in the first round. As usual, the contest’s second round was comprised of the highest three scores from the initial round, being Tobias Harris (18), Devin Booker (19) and Klay Thompson (19). However, Harris was quickly eliminated in the second round by Booker who put up an NBA record 28 points. Many fans figured topping this feat would be impossible, but if anyone could do it, it was Klay Thompson. The Allstar shooting guard provided plenty of suspense through an impressive start but ultimately fell just 3 points short of Booker with a score of 25, in what was one of the most historic three point contests the NBA has ever seen. 

Devin Booker shooting a money ball in his NBA record 28 point round of the three point contest (Via the Los Angeles Times)

The final event of the evening was the highly anticipated Kia Slam Dunk Contest. This year’s judges were notable comedian Chris Rock, music icon DJ Khaled, NBA Legend “Dr. J” Julius Erving, WNBA commissioner Lisa Leslie, and Actor Mark Wahlberg. This year’s contestants were all 25 or younger, many of them perceived to be future Allstars. From Dennis Smith Jr.’s through the legs slam to Larry Nance Jr. imitating his father’s vintage dunk while wearing his old Suns jersey, the contestants were able to put on quite an exciting show. Victor Oladipo’s showmanship was made evident through his spectacular dunk while wearing the Black Panther mask.

Victor Oladipo wearing the Black Panther mask as he does the memorable “Wakanda Forever” handshake with the film’s male lead Chad Boseman                                                                                (Via Mashable)

Donovan Mitchell’s creativity was on full display throughout the entire contest, with his initial use of two hoops as a means of giving himself a self-alley oop in the first round. The contest’s final round provided plenty of excitement surrounding the Mitchell vs. Nance Jr. matchup. Larry Nance Jr. boasted a perfect score of 50 with his “double tap” alley-oop to himself off the backboard. Many fans thought this would be impossible to surpass but Mitchell did just that. After removing his jersey, Donovan Mitchell revealed a throwback Vince Carter Raptors jersey from when the legend won the Slam Dunk Contest back in the year 2000. Mitchell rose up and perfectly pulled off Carter’s vintage “360 windmill” dunk with innate accuracy. Mitchell followed this up with the exact gesture of pointing both hands upwards and a few remarks of “It’s Over!!” for good measure, a Carter signature. They say imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, and it seemed as if the nostalgia surrounding Vince’s dunk and the difficulty of accomplishing such a spectacular feat in such precise and detailed fashion allowed Mitchell to be crowned the 2018 Kia Slam Dunk Contest Champion, in what was a memorable event, to say the least.

Donovan Mitchell paying homage to Vince Carter’s signature celebration                                                                                (Via the Los Angeles Times)