J.R. Smith: Roc-A-Fella Records Era

One of the best oops of '04-05 season was this no-look Baron Davis lob to a teenage J.R. Smith against the Raptors:

Baron Davis to J.R. Smith

(January 16, 2005)

The finish was exceptional. The Roc-A-Fella/Diamond Dallas Page celebration on the other hand was a little confusing, which is probably the same as saying it was quintessential Smith.

Now the closest Roc-A-Fella release to this game was Cam'ron's "Purple Haze". So as an accompaniment to this play and the subsequent gesture, we're just gonna let you enjoy this slice of mid-2000s brilliance.

(Thank you William Bell, Mavis Staples, Kanye West and Brian "All Day" Miller)

BONUS: Baron continued to throw ridiculous alley-oops even in the twilight of his playing career:

Baron Davis to DeAndre Jordan

(December 27, 2009)

Card of the Week: DeAndre Jordan Rookie Standout

Upper Deck gives young DeAndre the '92 Draft Class treatment.

Upper Deck Lineage Rookie Standout DeAndre Jordan #RS42

(2008-09)

Baseline Leaner Award Tour: Day 1

(Image courtesy of idiots)

With only a few games left in the season, it's almost time for David Stern Dave Chappelle in white face Adam Silver to hand out the yearly trophies and we feel we should follow The Comissioner's lead. As well as the standard bundle - MVP, Rookie of the Year, Most Improved Player, Sixth Man of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year - we've decided to create a few of our own. Each day this week, we'll be making our picks. Starting with the hardware currently belonging to Paul George..

Most Improved Player

5. Terrence Jones

2012-13: 19 games - 14.5 mpg - 5.5 ppg - 3.4 rpg

2013-14: 74 games - 27.2 mpg - 11.9 ppg - 6.9 rpg 

Along with getting part of the Houston Texans logo shaved into his forehead, Terrence has had himself a memorable 2013-14 on the floor. After appearing in just 19 games last season, Terrence beat out other "stretch 4" candidates/perennial All-Stars/probable David Guetta fans Donatas Montejunas and Omri Casspi for the right to start alongside Dwight Howard.

A ferocious rim attacker with a reasonable outside shot, the former #8 ranked high school player in America and product of John Calipari's NBA factory spent this season proving why he was such a highly rated prospect.

4. DeAndre Jordan

2012-13: 8.8 ppg - 7.2 rpg - 1.4 bpg - .643 FG%

2013-14: 10.5 ppg - 13.7 rpg - 2.5 bpg - .675 FG%

It's come as no surprise to us that the only man capable of making Kendrick Perkins look competent has also gotten the most out of DeAndre Jordan. Formerly limited to dunking alleyoops, rebounding and blocking shots, DeAndre is now capable of dunking more alleyoops, getting more rebounds and blocking more shots.

While he hasn't exactly expanded his repertoire, DeAndre has certainly increased his output, leading the league in rebounding and field goal percentage.

3. Goran Dragic

2012-13: 14.7 ppg - 7.4 apg - .443 FG% - .319 3PFG%

2013-14: 20.4 ppg - 5.9 apg - .506 FG% - .415 3PFG%

We were disappointed to find that no one had photoshopped Goran's head onto the body of Smaug or one of Daenerys Targaryen's weird mutant kids*, because if anything deserves to be immortalized on the small or big screen, it's The Dragon's 2013-14 season. Combining the one-man fastbreak game of Tony Parker, craftiness of fellow left hander Manu Ginobili and outside shooting of former mentor Steve Nash, Dragic's game has become as effective as it is spectacular.

The Suns are this year's People's Champions a.k.a. Everyone's 2nd Favourite Team and he is the straw that stirs the drink.

* We're also too lazy to do it ourselves.

2. Lance Stephenson

2012-13: 8.8 ppg - 3.9 rpg - 2.9 apg

2013-14: 13.8 ppg - 7.2 rpg - 4.6 apg

If there is anyone better than Dragic at taking the ball the length of the floor and making a play, it may be Lance. In just 5 years, he has gone from prodigy - becoming the leading scorer in the history of New York city high school basketball - to flameout - struggling in college and subsequently being drafted 40th overall - to redemption story. This season has been his best as a pro, racking up 20 double-doubles and 5 triple-doubles and generally causing mayhem on a nightly basis.

Once considered lucky to even make the NBA, Stephenson is now a key piece for the potential Eastern Conference Champion Indiana Pacers. Additionally, should Indiana and Miami meet in the playoffs, he's at $3-to-$1 odds to chokeslam his nemesis Dwyane Wade (through the ABC announcer's table?) - which we're not condoning... but we're 100% condoning.

1. Gerald Green

2012-13: 7.0 ppg - .366 FG% - .314 3PFG%

2013-14: 16.0 ppg- .445 FG% - .400 3PFG%

The winner of our first award is Gerald Green, who may owe his exit from Indiana and subsequent opportunity in Phoenix to the rise of Stephenson. In the Pacers slow-paced system, Gerald was somewhat of a misfit, playing in only 60 games last season and struggling mightily. In the Suns Hornacek-conceived, Dragic-led turbo attack, however, Gerald is perfectly cast.

His season averages may not look that impressive but the baseline from which he began was far lower than the other contenders. 28 year old "shooting" guards who've just shot .366 for an entire year normally find themselves in China (aging in dog years with with Steve Francis) rather than signing on for another NBA job. Gerald has completed a truly remarkable 180 in Phoenix.

Consider his post All-Star break numbers, too: 19.1 ppg, .450 FG% and a ridiculous .428 3PFG% on over 6 attempts per game. In April, during the Suns fight-to-the-death playoff battle royale with Dallas and Memphis, his numbers are even better: 21.3 ppg, .512 FG% and a basically cheating .500 3PFG% on almost 7 attempts per game. Right now, Green may be in the 4 or 5 best scorers in the entire league.

Simply put, he's gone from playoff DNP to keeper of dreams/destroyer of souls in the stories of 3 possible playoff teams - and that's why he's our MIP

 MIP REWIND

 1993-94 MIP 

It's been twenty years since Don "American Pie" MacLean was awarded MIP. Don would go on to be the the first NBA player to be suspended for eating performance enhancing drugs. Nothing further Your Honor.

 

2003-04 MIP 

Z-Bo won MIP a decade ago after going Ape Tit for 200 during the '03-04 season. His scoring increased by 12 points per game and his boards per game were up by half a dozen. He also reduced his "Ruben Patterson Sucker Punches" to less than one a season.

Who Dunked It Better? Marcus Camby vs DeAndre Jordan

DeAndre Jordan dropped out of the attic last night during the Clippers dunk fest against Detroit, getting way above the rim (above the rim) on this lob from J.J. Redick.

We take you back four years, to when DeAndre was a rookie, and the starting center for the pre-Lob City Clippers was none other than Marcus Camby, aka DeAndre Jordan before DeAndre Jordan.
 

 

So maybe Camby never threw down 360 between the legs dunks in warm-ups, but he was an athletic, shot blocking five man who developed into an all around defensive menace with a nice outside touch.

Marcus Camby vs Milwaukee Bucks

(January 17, 2009)

DeAndre Jordan vs Detroit Pistons

(January 20, 2014)

By the way, the 2008-09 Clippers roster featured the layup line legend Mike Taylor. We will revisit his aerial antics at another time in the next post.

Card of the Week: Tim Thomas ft. the Karl Malone "Special Delivery" Dunk

The other night against the Thunder, Quincy Miller broke out what we consider to be the most pedestrian signature dunk in NBA history, the Karl Malone "Special Delivery".

We re-visited a Ball Is Life mixtape to find that Quincy has been doing this for a while.

However, over the past twenty years there have been a few other players to have paid homage to this dunk, and we thank Quincy for providing the inspiration behind this edition of Card of the Week.

TIM THOMAS. While you shudder, the double-headband donning 6'10 forward was an explosive dunker when he felt like it, particularly during his younger days as a Sixer and Buck. His 1997-98 Flair Showcase card has him in full Special Delivery mode albeit with the palm of his left hand not quite cupping the rear of his cranium.

On the subject of Tim Thomas, special mention must go to The Grand Archives, who has shown our man a lot of love on his exceptionally curated basketball Tumblr.

Thomas aside, the greatest player to ever execute this dunk in an NBA game is none other than the King himself back on December 9, 2008:

The story does not end here though. At the height of his powers in the early 90s, Scottie Pippen pulled out the Special Delivery while Malone was actually still doing the dunk himself. We suspect this particular effort may not fall into the "imitation is the highest form of flattery" category.

But like all good Card of the Week entries, this is a cautionary tale. You best have a clear runway if you are going to attempt any form of fast break showboating. In our opinion, this is the greatest chase-down block by Hakeem Olajuwon during his stellar career. And he's had a few.

UPDATE

Since we ran this piece, a number of other examples have been submitted by numerous members of our extended family, including efforts by the Dank Brothers, Blake and DeAndre Griffin:

Even Shawn Kemp, the swaggiest dunker this side of Ricky Davis indulged in a little Mailman action for the enjoyment of Vincent Askew.

We can't let this go without featuring this incredible homage by none other than Eric Montross, in high school no less. 

If you know what film this screenshot is taken from we'll send you on an all expenses paid dinner with Eric. He is a good man.

EPILOGUE

Et tu, Lamar?