Finalists for NBA season awards are set

Now already a few games into the Conference Finals, the NBA has revealed the finalists for their regular season awards.

Who will be named the 2017-18 NBA MVP? Rookie of the year? There are some fresh faces on these short lists for the NBA's prestigious accolades.

Below are the top-3 players in each category as selected by the NBA:

Kia NBA Most Valuable Player

  • Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
  • James Harden, Houston Rockets
  • LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers

Kia NBA Rookie of the Year

  • Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
  • Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
  • Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics

Kia NBA Sixth Man Award

  • Eric Gordon, Houston Rockets
  • Fred VanVleet, Toronto Raptors
  • Lou Williams, LA Clippers

Kia NBA Defensive Player of the Year

  • Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
  • Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
  • Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz

Kia NBA Most Improved Player

  • Clint Capela, Houston Rockets
  • Spencer Dinwiddie, Brooklyn Nets
  • Victor Oladipo, Indiana Pacers

NBA Coach of the Year

  • Dwane Casey, Toronto Raptors
  • Quin Snyder, Utah Jazz
  • Brad Stevens, Boston Celtics

Predicting winners - A few opinions

James Harden is the favorite to win MVP and has been all season. Stepping back, LeBron James is likely the only reason his team made the playoffs. Houston might have gotten in without Harden. Tough call, but Harden was the best player on the best team this season.

 This seems like a good year to split Rookie of the Year honors. Mitchell and Simmons have both been spectacular. Really, the whole rookie class has been great.

Lou Williams has sixth man sown up. Shoutout though to former Missouri Valley Conference player, Fred VanVleet - the unofficial captain off the bench for the best second unit in the league.

The Jazz had a surprisingly good year. That is because of their defense, which was centered around Rudy Gobert, your DPY. Most improved is tough between Oladipo and Capela. Another toss up, but Oladipo will likely win.

For coach of the year, it certainly seems like Brad Stevens should take it, though all those listed were great. Gregg Popovich, Erik Spoelstra, and Brett Brown deserve shoutouts as well.

Winners will be announced Monday, June 25. Did the NBA leave anyone off? Who do you think will win the awards? Let us know in the comments below!

 

NBA 2018 draft lottery order revealed

The Phoenix Suns are set to select first in the 2018 draft. Who will they take?

In the NBA draft, the first 14 picks are determined by their lottery system. Phoenix had about a 25 percent chance to come away with the top pick in this year's draft. The odds held true for them, while there were a couple of variances in the order.

Statistically, Memphis had an excellent chance at picking second or at least third. It was the Sacramento Kings that lucked into the second spot, however. The Atlanta Hawks also moved up, sliding into third by luck of the draw.

Memphis joins Dallas as the two "losers" of the lottery that were bumped down further than expected, though both retain top-5 selections. The draft order is below:

1: Phoenix Suns
2: Sacramento Kings
3: Atlanta Hawks
4: Memphis Grizzlies
5: Dallas Mavericks
6: Orlando Magic
7: Chicago Bulls
8: Cleveland Cavaliers (via Brooklyn Nets)
9: New York Knicks
10: Philadelphia 76ers (via L.A. Lakers)
11: Charlotte Hornets
12: L.A. Clippers (via Detroit Pistons)
13: L.A. Clippers
14: Denver Nuggets

Top basketball prospects in the world will be selected

This year's draft class looks strong, though it will have a tough act to follow after the dominant display by last year's crop of rookies.

The Phoenix Suns are expected to take Deandre Ayton from Arizona to fill there need for a reliable big man. However, their hiring of head coach Igor Kokoskov could suggest that they take European standout Luka Doncic. Kokoskov coached Doncic for the Slovenian national team.

Ayton's size and skill versus Doncic's savvy and athleticism will be an interesting comparison in this draft and likely years to come. The Kings will likely be thrilled to select the whichever player Phoenix leaves on the board.

Potential abounds for all of the remaining teams in the form of Duke's Marvin Bagley, Texas' Mo Bamba, OU's Trae Young, and more.

The draft is scheduled for June 21st. The Basketball Movement will continue to track the draft and it's prospects, so keep it locked right here.

Highs and lows of coaching on display in the NBA

It has been an interesting few weeks for coaches in the NBA - Some shouldering blame and others receiving high praise.

Toronto Raptors Head Coach, Dwane Casey just received the Michael H. Goldberg NBCA Coach of the Year Award as voted on by head coaches around the league. A day or two later, he was fired. Wait, what?

Casey's Raptors had the second-best record in the league this season (ahead of the Warriors) and the number one seed in the East. However, for the third consecutive season, they were knocked out by LeBron James and the Cleveland Cavaliers.

Yes, LeBron is one of the premier athletes in the world and one of the greatest basketball players of all-time. Still, a clean sweep did not look good for the Raps. Toronto needed some kind of shake-up to try and get over this LeBron-shaped hump that seems to keep them from reaching their potential.

Still, a pretty wild end to Dwane Casey's 7-year tenure with the Raptors. His dismissal after sustained success in Toronto exemplifies the volatility of the head coach position. Unfortunately it seems to serve as a scapegoat for many organizations year after year.

The highs of coaching - Brad Stevens

Coaches may receive a lot of the blame when things go wrong, as Dwane Casey did. Unfortunately they do not always get the praise when things are finally going right, because that is simply their expectation.

Furthering the example of volatility in coaching - Brad Stevens of the Boston Celtics is receiving very high praise for what his young squad is accomplishing.

To start the Celtics season, they lost Gordon Hayward (Stevens' old player in his Butler days) to a gruesome ankle injury in their first game. They made the playoffs anyway, but lost All-Star Kyrie Irving to an injury before they started.

“As a coach I think that’s one of the things we have to exude: the ability to move on regardless of the result.”
— Brad Stevens

Despite all this, they have moved on to the Eastern Conference finals, with their coach receiving much of the credit for guiding their very young team. Steven is deserving, but too often coaches are treated as lesser parts of their teams. It is always good to see good coaches recognized.

Around the league

The good news for Dwane Casey is that he will have a long list of teams that will be interested in his services. Other top coaches this year such as Stevens, Gregg Popovich, and Mike D'Antoni will be recognized and given the opportunity to stay with their squads.

76ers coach Brett Brown has garnered a lot of recognition for finally having a successful year after many organized seasons of tanking. Upon losing to the Celtics in the playoffs, he said a few days later that he believed the team needed help. ESPN jumped on him like crazy for making such a comment even though they agreed.

Life as a coach is tough.

David Fizdale has been named the head coach of the New York Knicks, Sixers assistant Lloyd Peirce was named as coach of the Atlanta Hawks, and the New Orleans Hornets hired Spurs assistant James Borrego.

Job security is a fickle thing at the pro level, but hey, the paychecks are pretty nice. A lot of these highs and lows of coaching apply all the way down to coaching kids. It can be very rewarding but also pretty tough. Coaches, hang in there. Players and parents, take it easy on 'em. They are doing a tough job the best they can.

2018 NBA Conference Finals are set

Four teams remain as the NBA playoffs second round concludes, giving way to the Eastern and Western Conference Finals.

Many NBA fans will tell you that the second round matchups ended predictably. In the West, the 1 seed Houston Rockets knocked off a tough young Utah Jazz squad 4-1. The Golden State Warriors, now fully healthy with the return of Steph Curry, defeated Anthony Davis' New Orleans Pelicans 4-1 as well.

In the Eastern Conference side of things, one constant has remained predictable over the last decade; LeBron James own the East until further notice.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have bumped the Toronto Raptors from the playoffs for three straight years. They made a clean 4-0 sweep of them this year despite a franchise best 59 wins and a 1 seed for the Raps. The Boston Celtics bounced the Philadelphia 76ers last night in a thriller (4-1) despite losing Kyrie Irving to surgery before the playoffs.

This was a relatively quick second round, considering the seven-game-series format for all four matchups. One sweep and three 4-1 victories means a little break and then to the Conference Finals.

What to watch for in the ECF and WCF

Games resume this Sunday, May 13th with the Cavs in Boston for game one. The Celtics are lacking their biggest stars in Irving and Gordon Hayward due to injuries, but have been as tough as anyone. The scrappyness of Terry Rozier, Jaylen Brown, and rookie Jayson Tatum paired with the steadying hand of veteran Al Horford has made for a lethal combination.

For the Cavs, this is likely the weakest squad LeBron has had in years. That hasn't slowed him down though, as a he personally sliced through a tough Raptors squad like butter. The winner in the East will have a brief celebration as they enter the NBA Finals as severe underdogs.

Many pundits agree that the winner of the Rockets/Warriors series will with the NBA Finals as well. Both teams, especially at full strength, are offensive juggernauts with improved defenses to boot.

The Western Conference Championship will be must-see-basketball. The reigining champion Warriors return the same four All-Stars that led them last year. The Rockets sport two unproven (in the playoffs) All-Stars in James Harden and Chris Paul. This is Paul's first WCF despite his successes with the Clippers previously.

Don't forget to tune in to these matchups and stay up to date with all the NBA movement by keeping it right here with us! 

Let's talk about LeBron James

One of the greatest basketball players of all time, LeBron James just keeps doing his thing.

James came into the league out of high school, bringing a ridiculous amount of hype with him. The expectations for LeBron were through the roof, yet somehow, he delivered. Great things were anticipated, but going down as one of the top players of all-time is never a reasonable expectation for any individual.

A one-of-a-kind physical specimen, the league had not seen anything like him since Magic Johnson. For all Johnson's skill, not even he had James' speed and strength.

The ball-handling, passing, athleticism, leadership, defense, basketball I.Q., and improved shooting in a 6-8, 250lb man; his place among the best of all-time is not really up for debate. Where exactly he falls may be, but not his overall basketball greatness.

He isn't done yet

LeBron James entered in the league in 2003, so it feels like he has been around forever. This year is his 15th season. That totals 1,143 regular season games, not to mention 225 playoff contests. How is there still tread on his basketball tires?

The sustained greatness is certainly one of the things that propels the "greatness" conversation. His Cleveland Cavaliers had an up-and-down season, yet are still hanging around in the playoffs. If they go all the way, it will be LeBron's 8th consecutive NBA Finals appearance.

LeBron has owned the Eastern Conference for almost a decade.

Last night, his Cavs, fresh off a seven game series with Indy, beat the 1 seed Raptors in Toronto. It took overtime to do it; 46 minutes and a triple-double from James.

Can he keep it up?

Even with a less-familiar host of teammates than in recent seasons, LeBron is finding a way to get it done. In his age-33 season, he played all 82 games for the first time in his career.

Getting to the Finals will be tougher this year than in any of the previous seven seasons. Once the Eastern team gets there, they will likely earn a date with the Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors. Maybe not as fun when you think of it that way.

Regardless of how it all shakes out, one thing is certain: LeBron James is a constant, dependable force in the NBA.

He won't be going anywhere for a few years (well, aside from his pending free agency). Appreciate his basketball mastery while you can. He is physically gifted, but there are parts of his game that any player can work to emulate.

Keep a close eye on King James and stay involved with The Basketball Movement to get the most out of your hoops experience.

First round of NBA Playoffs nears its conclusion

The first round of the NBA Playoffs are almost over, save for a pair of exciting game sevens.

All of the first round matchups in the NBA have been decided but two, which will make for some must-see TV. The Western Conference is ready to go, while the matches in the East have yet to be determined. That will change in about 24 hours.

In the West, the 1 and 2 seed teams predictably handled their competition. The Houston Rockets beat the Timberwolves 4-1 and the Golden State Warriors defeated the Spurs 4-0. The rest of the West, who all finished with similar records, had a couple of upsets.

The 4 seeded OKC Thunder fell to the 5 seed Jazz last night to lose the series 4-2. The 6 seed Pelicans had a much more surprising start to their playoffs, sweeping the 3 seed Trailblazers. The New Orleans Pelicans could be an interesting foe for the potentially Steph Curry-less Warriors in the second round.

The beasts of the East

The 1 seed Raptors handled the Wizards 4-2 and the young 3 seed Philly team defeated the Heat 4-1. The other matchups are yet to be decided, coming down to one of the best parts of playoff ball: game sevens.

Tonight, the 2-seed Celtics will try to remain near the top of the food chain despite losing Kyrie Irving to injury. They will face of with Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Milwaukee Bucks at 7:00 PM central on TNT.

LeBron James is looking for his (ridiculous) 8th consecutive Finals appearance. That is in jeopardy as his Cavaliers have been pushed to game 7 by potential Most Improved Player, Victor Oladipo and the Pacers. That game will be on tomorrow at noon central on ABC.

Sit back and enjoy the show.

The Celtics/Bucks game tonight should be a lot of fun. The second round actually tips off tonight as well as Anthony Davis and the Pelicans open their series with the Warriors.

Tomorrow's tilt between the Cavs and Pacers should also be very entertaining as one of the greatest players ever will attempt to build on his legacy. That will conclude the first round of the 2017-18 NBA Playoffs.

A shake-up is always nice, but it also seems a little silly to bet against LeBron James. Enjoy the show and as always, check out the rest of The Basketball Movement blog while you're here!

 

The 2017-18 NBA rookie class was dominant

Though the 2017-18 regular season is over, we are still seeing plenty of rookie prowess with the postseason underway.

Even though the Rookie of the Year honor is essentially a two-man race, it is worth stopping to admire the work put in by this season's entire rookie class. So many of them came in to play large roles on their teams. Some rebuilding, and some legitimate playoff contenders.

An argument could be made that at least seven or eight of these guys could have beat out Malcolm Brogdon for ROY honors last year if they had entered the league. Brogdon represented a bit of a down rookie year, but still. The stark comparison between last year and this one is noteworthy.

A couple of fun, unorthodox rookies were Milos Teodosic and Andre Ingram. Teodosic came over from Europe at the age of 30 and started slinging flashy passes for the Clippers, though his season was marred by injury. Andre Ingram at 32 had spent his entire career in the G-League, but was to finally called up by the Lakers for their last two games. LA loves the old fellas.

Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell

The aforementioned two-man race is between Ben Simmons of the Sixers and Donovan Mitchell of the Jazz. Both teams are still in the thick of the playoffs, led by their star rookies.

Simmons is likely the front-runner; a Magic Johnson-esque 6-10 point guard that puts up well-rounded lines without needing an outside shot. Once he develops as a perimeter threat and more efficient free throw shooter, he will be one of the best in the game.

Donovan Mitchell is the offensive focal point of the defense-heavy Utah Jazz squad. He leads rookies in scoring as the only one to average over 20 per contest. The sky is the limit as he improves his efficiency and ball-distribution.

The other guys/studs

Any other season, Kyle Kuzma, Jayson Tatum, Lauri Markkanan, and Dennis Smith Jr. would be legit ROY contenders. Tatum had a great year shooting the ball and doing everything asked of him for an already established Celtic squad. The others listed above stood out due to necessity on weaker teams, but had fantastic years.

You could even argue that Josh Jackson, De'Aaron Fox, Bogdon Bogdonovic, and Lonzo Ball could have been in contention on down-years like in 2016-17. All of the above players so-far averaged double-digit scoring. Ball spent much of the year hurt, however. Bogdonovic won MVP of the rookie-sophomore game that probably featured many future All-Stars.

All this and we barely got to see anything out of number one draft pick, Markelle Fultz due to a shoulder injury. He is now coming of the bench for the playoff Sixers though. A couple of other rookies that had solid seasons that we'll see more of in the future are John Collins, Jarrett Allen, Bam Adebayo, and Mike James.

A couple of rookies that saw plenty of time, but will hope to produce more in the future were Frank Ntilikina and Malik Monk.

The Basketball Movement looks forward to monitoring the progress of all of these players and getting to work with more and more NBA talent moving forward. Great season, everyone!

Any statistics used from Basketball Reference

Perspective: Erin Popovich passes away at 67

Greg Popovich's wife, Erin passed away Wednesday after battling an illness for a long time according to ESPN.

The head coach of the San Antonio Spurs, Greg Popovich has been a key figure in the NBA for a long time. The news of the passing of his wife, Erin is a tough blow to the basketball community. Gregg and Erin Popovich had been married for over 40 years, had two children, and two grandchildren. The couple met while Coach Pop was an assistant coach at the Air Force Academy. 

As devastating as it must be to the Popovich family, it also serves a reminder of what it truly important.

The game seems insignificant in the face of such real-life tragedy. However, the fraternity created by basketball can be a tremendous source of support and family. Stars such as Kevin Durant and LeBron James both used the term "family" when presented with the news of Erin's passing.

This is not enjoyable news to deliver, but we hope that it brings about feelings of appreciation for the people and things that we have. Gregg Popovich has been a polarizing figure of late, becoming more bold with political statements and always firing off sarcasm and wit. No-matter your stance on him, this is a tragedy that must be respected. 

ESPN staff writer, Michael C. Wright reported the following quote from the Spurs General Manager.

“We’re all suffering a profound loss to a really important member of our family and our team. Erin and Gregg were best friends who were together for 40 years, and Erin’s impact and influence on our organization, on our families, on our players and their families will be felt for years to come. I spoke to Pop this morning. He’s overwhelmed by the support. He’s very appreciative of the love that’s been shared with our group, and with him and his family and Erin’s family. As you’d expect from Pop, he wants our focus to be about the game today, about this series, and that’s what today will be about. We’ll miss Erin a lot, and the focus of our team will be on supporting Pop. But we’ve got basketball to get back to”
— Spus G.M., R.C. Buford

The Basketball Movement's thoughts are with the Popovich family and the Spurs organization in this difficult time. Coach Pop will of course miss game 3 of the first round series with the Golden State Warriors (GSW leads 2-0).

NBA's 2017-18 regular season stat leaders

Things are heating up in the NBA playoffs and the regular season has officially come and gone.

Let's take a look back at the 2017-18 NBA regular season to see how things shook out as far as statistical leaders. There was a lot of exciting young talent on display this season, but familiar names still sit near the top of each list.

One category however did yield an unexpected result. The NBA's steals leader this season was Victor Oladipo of the Indiana Pacers. He is a candidate for most improved player and averaged 2.6 steals per contest. We see the number 2.6 again in the other defensive category, as the New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis led the NBA with that many blocks per game.

The LA Clippers' DeAndre Jordan had the highest defensive rebound percentage at 37.6, but it was the Detroit Pistons' Andre Drummond who not only collected the most defensive rebounds, but also the most rebounds in general. He averaged 16 boards per game.

Offensive stats leaders

 Last year's MVP, Russell Westbrook of the OKC Thunder averaged a triple-double again. It is the first time a player has ever accomplished the feat twice. He was the only player to even average double-digit assists this season at 10.2 a game. He also led in field goals missed and turnovers (by 34 TOs over LeBron). You have to take the bad with the good.

Speaking of Cleveland's LeBron James, he led the NBA in minutes in his age 33 season (36.9 per game). An impressive feat for the star that also made the most field goals in the NBA (857).

Now for the scoring champion. Three-point shooting and free throw prowess added up in a big way for the Houston Rockets' MVP hopeful, James Harden. He was the only player over the 30 ppg mark at 30.4 points per contest. He attempted and made the most triples and attempted and made the most free throws. He was third in assists and turnovers as well.

A few other interesting statistics

Six players made 90 percent or better at the free throw stripe: J.J. Redick, Jamal Murray, Marco Belinelli, Damian Lillard, Chris Paul, and the leader, Steph Curry (92 percent). Plenty of players shot a nice percentage from three, with Darren Collison hitting an impressive 46.8 percent.

Clint Capela of the Rockets edged DeAndre Jordan in field goal percentage with 65 percent. True shooting percentage (takes into account 2's, 3's, and FTs) was led by Steph Curry at 67.5 percent, with Springfield, MO's Anthony Tolliver in second.

Karl-Anthony Towns of the Timberwolves had the most fouls, and the Charlotte Hornets' Dwight Howard had the most technicals (17).

It was a fun regular season and should prove to be an exciting playoff season as well. The Basketball Movement intends to stay on top of the league and keep delivering news, so stay tuned!

All stats per Basketball Reference

The NBA Playoffs start on Saturday

The 2017-18 NBA season had its dramatic wrap-up last night, so the first round playoff matchups are set.

It feels like the big NCAA tournament just finished, yet we are already on the precipice of another great bracket of basketball. This time, it is the NBA's turn. Familiar faces abound, but there are some notable newcomers as well. Let's see how the regular season shook out.

Much of the seeding was not decided until last night, with many close teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. There was however one game that undeniably stood out as the most dramatic.

You know how every action movie has someone sliding under a huge door right before it closes? Well the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets had identical records, were the 8 and 9 seeds (top eight make it), and played each other last night. Minnesota made it in at the very last second, with the game going into overtime.

It was a fantastic game that served as a preview for the kind of basketball goodness that is in store this playoff season.

First round matchups

On both sides of the bracket, great matchups are ubiquitous and upset-potential abounds. That's fancy talk for: this should be fun. The Warriors are not favorites to defend their title, dropping 10 of their last 17 entering the preseason. Steph Curry is still on the shelf as well.

West

Houston (1) vs. Minnesota (8) - Here are your title favorites. The Timberwolves are rewarded for making it in with a matchup against the top team in the NBA through the regular season.

Oklahoma City (4) vs. Utah (5) - Russell Westbrook locked up a triple-double average last night and is the second player ever to do it twice. Yet, they are barely favorited despite no All-Stars for the Jazz.

Portland (3) vs. New Orleans (6) - The Trailblazers are one of the hottest teams in the league. Despite the injury to DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis and the Pelicans should give them plenty of trouble.

Golden State (2) vs. San Antonio (7) - The Spurs are in for the 21st season in a row. They certainly aren't as strong as normal. The Warriors are down Steph Curry, leaving them only one MVP and two other All-Stars.

East

Toronto (1) vs. Washington (8) - With John Wall back, the Wizards are a scary 8 seed. The Raptors have had their best season in years and anything short of the Finals will be a letdown.

Cleveland (4) vs. Indiana (5) - The Pacers have been better than anyone might have expected. Unfortunately for them, LeBron James seems to find himself in the NBA Finals almost every single season.

Philadelphia (3) vs. Miami (6) - The 76ers won 50+ games for the first time since Iverson. It will be interesting to see how far their young stars can take them. An injured Joel Embiid could be trouble against the Heat's Hassan Whiteside.

Boston (2) vs. Milwaukee (7) - The Celtics are without Hayward and Irving, but have scrapped all season against the odds. Do not count them out, even against Giannis Antetokounmpo and the Bucks.

Perseverance: 32-year-old rookie makes a splash

After 10 years in the NBA's G-League (formerly the D-League), Andre Ingram finally plays an NBA game.

Andre Ingram was signed by the Los Angeles Lakers to play the final two games of their season. Several of the Lakers' young players are nursing injuries and the team has been officially eliminated from the playoff race for over a week now.

At 32-years-old, Ingram was called up for the first time from his 10-year stint in the G-League. According to the NY Times, he is the oldest American rookie in 50 years. He got the nod to enter the game in the first quarter from Head Coach Luke Walton. It was then that Ingram did what he had been doing for years, made it rain from deep.

Apparently, this fella has hit three pointers at a 46 percent  clip in his G-League career. He is the all-time leader in made triples in the league. He drained all three of his attempts from deep in the first half, finishing the home loss with 19 points, 3 boards and blocks, one 1 assist, steal, and turnover.

Basketball has given us a shining example of perseverance in Andre Ingram

The man's G-League stats are a bit of a head-scratcher. How had this three point sniper not been called up before? No doubt Ingram had been scratching is now greying head before any of the rest of us. Yet he patiently waited for his time to come, and he stepped up to the plate when his number was called.

This type of feel-good story is not uncommon in the sport of basketball. The sport requires a lot of hard work and grit, and this player personifies that. More often than not, hard work pays off in some shape or form. Sometimes, that requires patience, which is not always easy.

We are thrilled that Andre Ingram got to live out his dream (and make approximately 73 percent of his G-League salary in three days). We wish him luck in the Lakers' final game tonight. Maybe someone will take a chance on the long range shooter next season and we can continue to watch his story unfold.

The NBA's Lou Willams sets a great example off the bench

The NBA has a shoo-in Sixth Man of the Year in Lou Williams of the Los Angeles Clippers.

Coming off the bench is not always as easy as Lou Williams makes it look. He led his team in scoring and assists, taking on a larger role after the Blake Griffin trade earlier in the season. The guard averaged career-best numbers across the board - all in his 13th pro season.

Williams has predominantly come of the bench his entire professional career. He was the NBA's Sixth Man of the Year in 2014-15 with the Toronto Raptors as well, averaging a career-best 15.5 PPG. This season he is averaging 22.6, nearly becoming an All-Star and almost pushing the Clippers to the playoffs.

A great perimeter shooter, Sweet Lou has to always be focused so he can come in firing. Coming off the bench means warming up with everyone, but then sitting to start each contest. As a sixth man, he comes in decently quickly. But what about the 7th, 8th, or 9th man?

Coming off the bench is a challenge - Embrace it

There is no denying that it is more glamorous to be a starter in your sport. There are only so many starting spots, and it is up to the coach to determine who gets them. If you come off the bench, but believe that you should be starting, you are in an excellent position to prove it.

As a reserve, you will predominantly be playing against other reserves. If you are able to stand out and effectively dominate your opponents, then that will show to not only your coach, but your teammates, and spectators. Sometimes however, that is just the most effective strategy that the team needs.

Many teams choose to bring very talented players off of the bench to balance the skill level they have on the floor at all times. Lou Williams is the leading scorer for the Clips because he can score like crazy against opposing reserves.

Donte DiVincenzo was the NCAA Finals MVP despite coming off the bench. Coming off the pine does not mean you cannot still get on a heater. Andre Iguodala came off the bench in the 2015 NBA finals and won MVP with his stellar defense.

Do not worry about starting, worry about helping the team

As we have discussed before, there is beauty in knowing your limits. If you are not given a starting opportunity, that does not mean that you cannot strive to become the team's top defender, rebounder, or playmaker. Accepting a role is one of the most important things a player can do to propel a great team.

The award is not final, but everyone and their brother can see that Lou Williams will become the 2017-18 NBA Sixth Man of the Year. Congratulations to him and all of the other competing players such as Eric Gordon, Will Barton, and Missouri Valley Conference Alum Fred VanVleet.

Players that have declared for the 2018 NBA draft

Hundreds of college players and multiple overseas prospects have already declared for the NBA draft.

The NBA draft only has two rounds with 30 picks apiece. So, only 60 of these prospects will actually be selected in the 2018 NBA draft. Certainly worth a shot if you think you have even an outside chance.

Draft time is also excellent for getting yourself in front of NBA teams and scouts, as they will host workouts and combines. There is also the Summer league, so even if you are not a lottery pick in the draft, you can be invited to play and test your skills against NBA or near-NBA level talent.

Players like Villanova's Donte Divincenzo's draft NBA draft stock will never be higher, so stay heads up for some big names declaring sooner than later.

As mentioned, hundreds of hopefuls have already declared. There are likely more to keep popping up in the coming weeks. The 2018 draft is not until June, so this is not a draft preview. Now is just the time for players to put themselves on the map. Let's check out some of the top prospects from ESPN's top 100.

Top 100 underclassmen or internationals who have declared for the draft and foregone college eligibility.

Top 100 Prospects: In

PLAYER, YEAR, TEAM, HT, POS

Deandre Ayton, Freshman, Arizona, 7-0, C

Jaren Jackson Jr., Freshman, Michigan St., 6-11, PF/C

Marvin Bagley III, Freshman, Duke, 6-11, PF/C

Mohamed Bamba, Freshman, Texas, 7-0, C

Michael Porter Jr., Freshman, Missouri, 6-10, SF/PF

Trae Young, Freshman, Oklahoma, 6-2, PG

Collin Sexton, Freshman, Alabama, 6-2, PG

Miles Bridges, Sophomore, Michigan St., 6-6, SF/PF

Robert Williams, Sophomore, Texas A&M, 6-10, C

Kevin Knox, Freshman, Kentucky, 6-9, SF/PF

Lonnie Walker IV, Freshman, Miami FL, 6-4, SG

Mitchell Robinson, Freshman, None, 6-11, C

Keita Bates-Diop, Junior, Ohio St, 6-7, PF

Aaron Holiday, Junior, UCLA, 6-1, PG

Troy Brown, Freshman, Oregon, 6-7, SG

Anfernee Simons, HS Senior, IMG Academy, 6-4, SG

De'Anthony Melton, Junior, USC, 6-3, PG/SG

Shake Milton, Junior, SMU, 6-6, PG/SG

Chimezie Metu, Junior, USC, 6-10, PF/C

Justin Jackson, Sophomore, Maryland, 6-7, SF/PF

Landry Shamet, Sophomore, Wichita St., 6-4, PG

Malik Newman, Sophomore, Kansas, 6-4, PG/SG

Tony Carr, Sophomore, Penn St., 6-3, PG

Trevon Duval, Freshman, Duke, 6-3, PG

Ray Spalding, Junior, Louisville, 6-10, PF

Brandon McCoy, Freshman, UNLV, 6-11, C

Rawle Alkins, Sophomore, Arizona, 6-5, SG

Allonzo Trier, Junior, Arizona, 6-5, SG

Billy Preston, Freshman, Igokea, 6-10, PF

Matur Maker, International, Mississauga Prep, 6-10, C

 

Top 100 underclassmen who have declared for the draft but can still withdraw.

Top 100 Prospects: Testing

PLAYER, YEAR, TEAM, HT, POS

Zhaire Smith, Freshman, Texas Tech, 6-5, SF

Jacob Evans, Junior, Cincinnati, 6-6, SG/SF

Bruce Brown, Sophomore, Miami FL, 6-3, SG

Melvin Frazier, Junior, Tulane, 6-6, SF

Jontay Porter, Freshman, Missouri, 6-10, C

Jerome Robinson, Junior, Boston College, 6-5, PG

Jalen Hudson, Junior, Florida, 6-5, SG

PJ Washington, Freshman, Kentucky, 6-8, PF

Josh Okogie, Sophomore, Georgia Tech, 6-4, SG

Jarrey Foster, Junior, SMU, 6-6, SG

Shamorie Ponds, Sophomore, St. John's, 6-1, PG

Sagaba Konate, Sophomore, West Virginia, 6-8, C

Kerwin Roach, Junior, Texas, 6-3, SG

Kris Wilkes, Freshman, UCLA, 6-7, SF/PF

Carsen Edwards, Sophomore, Purdue, 6-0, PG

Issuf Sanon, International, Olimpija Ljubljana, 6-4, PG/SG

Lindell Wigginton, Freshman, Iowa St., 6-2, PG

Kostas Antetokounmpo, Freshman, Dayton, 6-10, SF

Ethan Happ, Junior, Wisconsin, 6-10, PF/C

Terence Davis, Junior, Mississippi, 6-4, SG

Cody Martin, Junior, Nevada, 6-7, SF

William McDowell-White, International, Bamberg, 6-5, PG

Caleb Martin, Junior, Nevada, 6-7, SF

And more! ESPN has a comprehensive list of the undecided players and player that are automatically eligible due to being seniors.

There are still plenty of undecided players, such as Villanova's DiVincenzo and Mikal Bridges. A few noteworth seniors that have yet to officially declare are Duke's Grayson Allen and Missouri State's Alize Johnson. The most notable prospect outside of the top 100 has to be LiAngelo Ball, who is currently playing in Lithuania.

These list are of course subject to change. The Basketball Movement will do its best to stay on top of player movement at all levels going forward. Stay tuned!

Kyrie Irving to miss the 2018 NBA playoffs

Irving had successful surgery on March 24, but it has been revealed that he has a bacterial infection at the surgical site.

The surgery Kyrie Irving had was to remove a tension wire that was placed to mend his left patellar fracture from a 2015 playoff injury. An infection has since appeared where the hardware is in his leg. He must now undergo surgery on his patella to remove two screws.

Early estimates suggest that he will miss 4-6 months following the procedure. This is of course a huge blow to Irving and his team, who thought they would have him back early in the 2018 NBA playoffs. 

Irving spoke out to his fans about the new happenings on Instagram:

“The hardest thing to do sometimes is accept the uncontrollable things life throws at you. You try consistently to learn, grow, and prepare everyday to equip your mind, body, and spirit with tools to deal with some of those things, but I feel when those moments arise they all give you a sense of unfulfillment, simply because it puts some of your professional journey and goals on a brief hold. It’s simply a test of your perseverance and Will, to be present, even in the wake of what’s going on. In this case, finding out I have an infection in my knee is definitely a moment that I now accept and move past without holding on to the all the what ifs, proving the nay-Sayers completely f***ing wrong, and accomplishing the goals I’ve set out for the team and myself. This season was only a snapshot of what’s to come from me. Trust Me. “The journey back to the top of Mt. Everest continues.” #StandingRockSiouxTribe Let’s go Celtics!! Celtics fans, I look forward to hearing how loud it gets in the TD Garden during the playoffs and experiencing how intense the environment gets. Thank you all!”

Kyrie was dealt to the Celtics for Isaiah Thomas and company this offseason. His transition was seamless in regards to the game of basketball. Despite losing running-mate Gordan Hayward to injury in their first game, Irving propelled the team, putting up MVP-like effort.

The Boston Celtics are currently the 2 seed in the East behind the Toronto Raptors. This clearly changes their playoffs hopes a bit. They will still be a tough out for someone, executing their scrappy style under head coach Brad Stevens.

With this and all of the other injuries going into the 2018 playoffs, it has become a two-team race in the Eastern Conference. We will see if the Raptors can hold off LeBron James and his new-look Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Basketball Movement wishes Kyrie Irving a speedy and effective recovery.

Injuries abound for many NBA playoffs teams

With the regular season winding down, many playoff-bound teams in the NBA are monitoring injuries to key players.

NBA and NCAA basketball fans alike are in the middle of one of the best times of the year for the sport. March Madness is in full swing and the NBA regular season is coming to a close, which means one very exciting thing: the playoffs are almost here.

Unfortunately, there are many teams this year that are dealing with injuries while the playoffs are quickly approaching (playoffs begin Saturday, Apr 14). There is still plenty of time for those players that are dealing with very minor injuries, but for many playoff teams, there are longer-term issues at hand.

We already saw the Boston Celtics lose Gordon Hayward to a leg injury to start the season, so we knew he would be out at this point. Kyrie Irving is the big question mark for the C's right now. The Celtics are number 2 in the East and have already declared that Irving is out for the regular season. His return in the playoffs will truly shift the balance of power. Marcus Smart is also nursing a thumb injury, not expected back until May.

Welcome back, Markelle Fultz

For the Philidelphia 76ers, they finally look healthy, with number 1 pick Markelle Fultz coming back from his season-long shoulder injury last night. "The process" is shaping up nicely in Philly. The Washington Wizards are now expecting star John Wall back after a lengthy absence as well.

The Milwaukee Bucks are hoping that last year's Rookie of the Year, Malcolm Brogdon will be back sometime in April, so chalk him up as questionable for the playoffs. Current 8 seed Miami is hoping that Hassan Whiteside can hold up after missing a lot of time this season. He is currently out with a hip injury.

In the Western Conference, the top seeded Houston Rockets are healthy and already starting to rest players to stay that way. It is the 2 seed that is one of the biggest playoff mysteries, injury-wise...

The Golden State Warriors are banged up

Before the emergence of Houston, the only thing that everyone said could stop the Warriors was injuries. Well, they are pretty battered and bruised right now. Draymond Green is just sick at the moment, ready to return soon. However, Kevin Durant and Klay Thompson had more serious injuries, though they are expected back before April begins.

Thompson's shooting thumb and Durant's rib are two things the Warriors can ill-afford to chance as far as rushing them back. Steph Curry is the real story though. A grade 2 MCL sprain will sideline Curry for what coach Steve Kerr says will be at least the first round of the playoffs. 

“Hopefully, I prove what coach said was wrong and put myself in position to get back as soon as possible, but right now, who knows? Just try to do my job in the rehab process and get back as soon as I can.”
— Stephen Curry

The rest of the West

C.J. Wilcox of the Portland Trailblazers is out indefinitely with a knee issue. The Oklahoma City Thunder have already lost all-pro defender Andre Roberson to season-ending surgery. The New Orleans Pelicans took one of the biggest injury hits of the season, losing DeMarcus Cousins to an achilles injury. The Pels have lost a couple role players as well.

The only San Antonio Spur on the injury report is Kawhi Leonard, but there seems to be more to the story there than an injury keeping him from playing. For the Minnesota Timberwolves, All-Star Jimmy Butler is determined to return before the playoffs, though his surgery for his torn meniscus was only in February.

The Utah Jazz currently hold down the final playoff spot and are missing perimeter defender, Thabo Sefolosha, who is out for the season. The Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers are fighting to overtake the Jazz for that spot. Gary Harris should be back soon for the Nuggets while the Clips have lost a couple of guards for the season: Avery Bradley and Patrick Beverly.

Hopefully these teams and players can heal up, because no-matter who you root for, the game is at its best when everyone is fully healthy and ready to go. For more on the NBA and everything basketball, you are in the right place - The Basketball Movement. Check out our NCAA final four preview here.

Injury notes per Rotoworld.

NBA looks to eliminate the "one-and-done"

With NCAA teams under fire for rule violations related to amateurism and preferential treatment, the NBA seeks to pave a new path for elite players.

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver is currently looking into changes in the way the NBA interacts with top high school talent, according to a report by ESPN's Brian Windhorst. This is of course a large step, as the league is not currently allowed to do so, requiring players to be 19 or a year removed from high school before entering the league.

Nothing conclusive has come from the Commissioners office, though we will likely hear more in the coming months. These restructuring initiatives of course hinge on the recent scandals surrounding NCAA and youth basketball. 

Between the multitude of jobs around the league and the infrastructure provided by the G-League (formerly the D-League), paid positions or playing opportunities certainly abound. There are several options here besides just reducing the required age to 18 again.

“We’re spending a lot of time on [youth basketball]. I think there is a big opportunity, on a global basis, focus on elite players in terms of better training, better fitness, so that they ultimately can be successful at the highest level.”
— Adam Silver

The above is a quote from the Commissioner given over All-Star weekend, though talks have recently accelerated due to the FBI investigation of the NCAA.

The takeaways thus far are simply that the NBA, the top global basketball league, is taking close note of the happenings at every level of the sport. More will be coming on this, likely once the NCAA tourney has ended. Stay at The Basketball Movement for everything high school, NCAA, AND pro basketball for more.

See ESPN's full report here.

 

 

SLAM top 100 NBA players

SLAM Magazine has released a special issue highlighting who they believe to be the top 100 NBA players of all-time.

One of the best things about humans as that we are all wonderfully different. We look differently, act differently, and all have unique opinions. Opinions lead to debates and debates lead to lists like the recent SLAM Top 100.

SLAM is one of the premier outlets for NBA culture on down through prominent high school ballers.

How tall a task is it to rank every basketball player through all-time against each other? It is really impossible to judge the greatness of Steph Curry against "The Admiral" David Robinson. SLAM recently put themselves out there and produced what they believe to be the best possible evaluation.

Below is a complete list of their selections:

A few things jump out from this list, though different things likely jump out for different individuals. There are a lot of players on the list that many did not have the opportunity to watch when they were in the league. Was Dolph Schayes really better than Vince Carter? Pretty tough to say.

Michael Jordan at 1 is tough to dispute. Kobe at number 5 would likely draw plenty of arguments both ways, same for Bird at 10.

One thing that stands out to this blogger is how difficult it is to gauge active players - especially younger ones. Perhaps it is a little early to have Giannis Antetokounmpo ten spots higher that Carmelo Anthony. On the other hand, maybe James Harden should already have passed Tracy McGrady. See? Tough to judge.

Stephen Curry may be the toughest pick to gauge because he is already at 19 - ahead of Karl Malone, Dwyane Wade, John Stockton, Allen Iverson, and well, most people obviously.

What do you think? Any big snubs of note? Players too high or low? Please let us know in the comments below or on Twitter @BBall_Movement

Recap - NBA All-Star Weekend 2018

Another NBA All-Star weekend in the books, this time with some new formats and faces, which all worked for the most part.

Here at The Basketball Movement, we are all about everything basketball from the NBA on down. We previewed NBA All-Star Friday, Saturday, and Sunday nights to let you know what to look for. The NBA changed a couple things, but overall it was a great spectacle of the sport as usual.

As always, one great takeaway from the weekend was the presence of basketball royalty. From coverage by Reggie Miller, Shaquille O'neal, and more to courtside appearances by Jerry West, Julius Erving, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, and Bill Russell, some of the greats were in attendance, including our own Rob Yanders.

The pageantry of the weekend is typically robust, but may have been a little too above-and-beyond with strange All-Star game intros and a national anthem that was shaky at best (sorry, Fergie).

Back to basketball...

The future of basketball is in good hands

The Basketball Movement tracks players from high school, to college, to the pros. We are very familiar with the pipeline that tells us how high the talent level is looking over the next few years. Some of this is already very apparent from what we saw from the young guys this weekend.

The Rising Stars U.S.A. vs. the World game featuring NBA rookie and sophomore players was a great show of the league's young talent. Joel Embiid participated though he was also a starter in the big Sunday night game. Rookie of the Year frontrunners Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell both quietly had efficient, well-rounded games.

The Sacramento Kings had a great showing with two of the top player in the game - Buddy Hield and the game's MVP, Bogdan Bogdanavic. It looks like their rebuild is coming along nicely. Kyle Kuzma of the Lakers and Jamal Murray of the Nuggets showed out too. The Celtics Jaylen Brown had the top stat line with 35 points and 10 boards.

The young talent did not stop on Friday, as they young guns were well represented over the next few events as well.

Skill and three-point competitions as good as ever

The skills competition did not have as many big names as we may have seen in the past, but was still highly entertaining. Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets took the title by beating the Bulls sharpshooting rookie, Laurie Markkanen in the final round.

Since introducing post players into the event, the bigs had been undefeated, winning the last two years. The guards took it back in this one, despite the presence of All-Stars Joel Ebiid, Andre Drummond, and Al Horford.

The three-point shootout featured a stacked field of long-range snipers and was set up to be gold from the start. Last year's winner Eric Gordon of the Rockets couldn't escape the first round, while 2016 winner Klay Thompson advanced easily to the finals.

Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns ousted the Warriors former champ in epic fashion, scoring a contest record 28 points on 20 of 25 shooting (of course money balls have not always been a thing). The three-point shot is alive and well in the NBA and we will only see shooting improve.

Oh, there was a slam dunk competition also

The 2016 slam dunk contest may have spoiled us. Zach Lavine and Aaron Gordon's high-flying masterpiece was easily one of the all-time greats in dunk contest history. A couple years later, the contest was entertaining, but struggled to live up to the lofty standards.

The bottom two participants only got one round to show their stuff, which is unfortunate, because Dennis Smith Jr. may have had the top dunk of the evening with his reverse, between-the-legs 360.

Larry Nance Jr. used his fathers influence to great effect by putting on his uniform for a throwback dunk. Nance' "Double-Tap" dunk was one of the most memorable from the contest.

Rookie Donovan Mitchell was filling in for the injured Aaron Gordon and won the whole thing. His first "Rec League" dunk was fun, but he mostly leaned on nostalgia the rest of the way over innovation.

The Vince Carter slam was an exact replica of the 2000 Vinsanity reverse 360 windmill. Nance was more innovative, so it was arguably a cheap way to earn the championship round scores.

SUNDAY SUNDAY SUNDAY

The Sunday night All-Star game was one of the best we have seen in years. The league ramped up the monetary incentives, though they were geared toward charity. The new format featured captain-picked squad for added intrigue.

The league wanted more defense/competitive basketball and the players certainly delivered. It was a down-to-the-wire contest with a defensive stop sealing the deal for team LeBron. Not even Stephen Curry could get a final shot off against a LeBron James/Kevin Durant double-team.

Highlights were frequent as usual, though the heightened defense also allowed fewer of the high-flying dunks fans might be used to. We saw well-rounded games from Damian Lillard, DeMar DeRozen, Kyrie Irving, and Joel Embiid.

A lot of players seem to be developing beef with Embiid, who has still not played 82 games total in his career. This seems to speak volumes for how intimidating a force he is becoming in the NBA.

LeBron James was the undisputed MVP. His 29-10-8 line was the most impressive in the contest. In a game in which the best of the NBA came to play, King James still stood out as the top player. Will we ever see LeBron get old and slow down? Probably, but it does not look like it will be soon.

Here's to the final stretch of the season

Talent old and new was on full display and the NBA is looking as strong as ever. It will be exciting to see these stars head back to their teams and gear up for what is looking to be a dramatic final portion of the season.

Keep it locked to The Basketball Movement as we follow along here and on Twitter @BBall_Movement

All stats per ESPN.com

NBA All-Star Sunday Night

Ladies and gentlmen, the moment you have all been waiting for - the 2018 NBA All-Star game!

It has already been an exciting NBA All-Star weekend with plenty of young talent, memorable dunks, and dazzling skills.

Last night gave us skill competition champ Spencer Dinwiddie of the Brooklyn Nets, 3-point champ Devin Booker of the Phoenix Suns, and slam dunk master Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz.

Did the best shooter win? Was Donovan Mitchell the rightful winner of the dunk contest or did he just cash in on nostalgia instead of innovation? We will go more in-depth tomorrow with a recap of the full weekend.

For now though, it is time to look ahead to tonight - the main event.

Sunday night's 67th annual NBA All-Star game

At a glance, one can quickly determine that team LeBron vs. team Stephen is a different format than in previous years. We have broken down the new format for you already here at The Movement.

The general change is that the top vote-getters in each conference are team captains that select their teams using players from either conference. Fan voted starters were selected first, then coach selected reserves.

Team LeBron has suffered four injuries that required NBA-chosen fill-in players. Team Stephen remains unchanged. LeBron has stated that reserve Russell Westbrook will replace the injured DeMarcus Cousins in his starting lineup.

The starters:

Team Lebron: Kyrie Irving, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Anthony Davis, and *DeMarcus Cousins

Team Stephen: Steph Curry, DeMarr DeRozen, Giannis Antetokounmpo, James Harden, and Joel Embiid

The reserves:

Team LeBron: *Kristaps Porzingis, *Kevin Love, Bradley Beal, LaMarcus Aldridge, *John Wall, Victor Oladipo, Russell Westbrook, +Goran Dragic, +Andre Drummond, +Kemba Walker, and +Paul George

Team Stephen: Kyle Lowry, Karl-Anthony Towns, Draymond Green, Klay Thompson, Al Horford, Damian Lillard, and Jimmy Butler

* Injured - will not play

+ Replaced injured player

Things to watch for

Team LeBron seems to have some statistical advantages over Team Stephen, with higher total points, rebounds, assists, blocks, and steals over the course of the season. Team Stephen only leads in 3-point makes (stats per NBA.com)

That is not to say Team LeBron will walk all over them. No team that includes Curry, Harden, and more can be doubted. They will also have the chemistry of three Golden State teammates on their side.

The other Warrior, Kevin Durant, will be going against them while teaming up with old ally Russell Westbrook. LeBron and Kyrie Irving are another former tandem that will be joining forces. How these allies turned foes interact will be interesting to watch.

Check back to The Basketball Movement tomorrow for a recap of this game and the All-Star weekend as a whole.

NBA All-Star Saturday Night

A stacked 3 point contest field and a promising dunk contest highlight NBA All-Star Saturday Night.

As anticipated, Friday night kicked off NBA All-Star weekend in a big way with the Rising Star challenge. Bogdan Bogdonavic, Serbian rookie for the Sacramento Kings took home the MVP trophy for his part in the Team World three-point barrage.

We also got a preview of the hops rookies Dennis Smith Jr. and Donovan Mitchell will display tonight in the slam dunk competition. It will be a full Saturday of events to keep the momentum going in an exciting All-Star weekend.

Things kick off Saturday on NBA TV with hall of fame announcements at 12:00 (CST). NBA All-Star practice and media day will immediately follow. Commisioner Adam Silver will be available to the media at 6:00 (CST).

Then, the real fun begins.

State Farm All-Star Saturday Night

At 7:00 (CST) begins the first event: the Taco Bell Skills Challenge. This one has been growing in popularity and will once again feature guards and bigs alike. The contestants are as follows (per NBA.com):

2018 Participants: 
Spencer Dinwiddie (Nets), Joel Embiid (76ers), Al Horford (Celtics), Lauri Markkanen (Bulls), Buddy Hield (Kings), Jamal Murray (Nuggets), *Kristaps Porzingis (Knicks), Andre Drummond (Pistons), Lou Williams (Clippers).

* = injured and will not participate

The JBL Three-Point Contest is up next. Defending champ Eric Gordon is back as well a '16 winner Klay Thompson. There are better shooters in the NBA than ever before and that will be on full display in this contest.

Here is the full list of participants (per NBA.com):

2018 Participants:
Eric Gordon (Rockets), Klay Thompson (Warriors), Bradley Beal (Wizards), Paul George (Thunder), Kyle Lowry (Raptors), Devin Booker (Suns), Wayne Ellington (Heat), Tobias Harris (Clippers)

The main event: Verizon Slam Dunk

The skills event is fun and the three-point contest is impressive, but there is one Saturday night event that always steals the show.

The slam dunk contest is primed to be great once again this year. Aaron Gordon unfortunately had to withdraw due to injury, but the NBA did a great job of filling his spot with bouncy rookie Donovan Mitchell. Full list of participants:

2018 Participants:  
Victor Oladipo (Pacers), Larry Nance Jr. (Cavaliers), Dennis Smith Jr. (Mavericks), Donovan Mitchell(Jazz)

Mitchell and Smith Jr. are two exciting rookies that seem to top the predictions for most players and analysts. Victor "Mr. 360" Oladipo participated in the 2015 contest, falling to Zach Lavine, but he certainly is capable of putting on a show.

Larry Nance Jr. has big shoes to fill as his Father won the first even dunk contest. He has plenty of highlights to his name and fills the spot of the tallest participant.

Basketball fans are in for a treat once again this Saturday with what should prove to be a highly entertaining evening of flashy skills, three-point dominance, and thunderous dunks.

As always, keep it locked to The Basketball Movement as we continue to follow some of the most exciting events in hoops.