The NBA gets better and better each season, and the 2014-15 season was nothing short of amazing. Here’s a quick look at my 10 favorite moments of 2015.
10. KYRIE IRVING SCORES 57 POINTS AGAINST SAN ANTONIO
-It’s rare that we see an individual player have a career night against the Spurs, but Kyrie Irving did that and more in an overtime thriller last March. Irving finished with 57 points (20-32 FG & 7-7 on 3’s). No Spurs opponent has scored more points in their franchise history.
When you throw the Spurs better defenders in Danny Green, Kawhi Leonard and Marco Belinelli and it still has no effect; you’re in for a long evening. And that’s exactly what happened.
9. MR. TRIPLE-DOUBLE RUSSELL WESTBROOK
-For years, many NBA fans, writers and former players criticized Oklahoma City Thunder point guard Russell Westbrook for being an inefficient one-man show, or taking shots away from fellow All-star Kevin Durant. That all changed last season. After Durant went down for the season with numerous injuries to his ankle, Westbrook took over and emerged as one of the top point guards in the league, and had one of the better stretches in NBA history. Here are some of his other accomplishments.
Westbrook led the league with 11 triple-double games (9 after the All-star break ties Grant Hill for most after the break), and won the NBA scoring title after averaging 28.1 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 8.6 APG.
Westbrook had seven games in which he finished with 30 points or more and a triple-double. Only Michael Jordan (10) finish with more 30PT triple double games in the last 50 years. – Per Sporting News
Won All-star game MVP honors and NBA scoring title
8. KLAY THOMPSON GOES NUTS FOR 37 POINTS IN ONE QUARTER
-I think it’s becoming a theme for Golden State Warrior players to have ridiculous home games against the Sacramento Kings. But last January, Thompson put on a performance for the ages. And it only took 12 minutes to do so.
Thompson made NBA history by scoring 37 points in a quarter while knocking down 9 3-pointers, and tied an NBA record in a quarter by shooting 13-13 FG. Thompson couldn’t miss, literally.
He scored 19 consecutive points in the quarter, and finished with a career high of 52 points.
7. RAJON RONDO & DEANDRE JORDAN BURNS THE DALLAS MAVERICKS
– Rajon Rondo being dealt to the Dallas Mavericks was supposed to push the Mavericks back into NBA title contention. It turned out to be the complete opposite.
Rondo, an NBA champion, was a bad fit in Dallas from the beginning. He was the only Maverick to play over 1,000 minutes during the regular season and have a negative net rating. He had verbal spats during games with coach Rick Carlisle, and the Mavericks offense suffered even more with Rondo on the floor.
It all ended once the Mavericks announced after Game 2 road loss to the Houston Rockets in the first round, a game in which Rondo only played 10 total minutes, would miss the remainder of the postseason due to a “back injury”
You notice the quotation marks, right?
Which makes matters worse, Rondo bolted to the Sacramento Kings during the offseason and has somewhat resurrected his career there. Also, the Boston Celtics could hold the Mavericks 2016 1st round pick if it falls outside the top 7.
And then, the “Emoji Battle” for DeAndre Jordan happened!
DeAndre Jordan sent the NBA world on a exciting ride during the offseason. After coming off the best season of his career, Jordan was destined to land a big contract for his work.
After receiving offers from the New York Knicks, cross town rivals Los Angeles Lakers and current team Los Angeles Clippers; the Dallas Mavericks quite possibly made the best offer.
The Mavericks wined and dined Jordan for over two weeks. Mavs owner Mark Cuban and coach Carlisle threw the idea of Jordan becoming a focal point in their offense. Mavs forward and part time GM Chandler Parsons took him to dinners and clubs around the DFW area. Former Blazers and now Mavs guard Wesley Matthews announced his commitment to signing with the team. Everything was falling into place once Jordan verbally committed to signing with the Mavericks.
And then……….Jordan call to Clippers coach Doc Rivers happened….. Then, the Clippers teammates kidnapping of DeAndre Jordan in his Houston home happened…. Then, the stalking of Mark Cuban and Chandler Parsons outside of DeAndre Jordan’s Houston home happened…. Then, the Twitter Emoji Battle happened….. Then, the Blake Griffin Twitter photo happened….. And then…….. Jordan re-signs with the Clippers.
All of this on the day of July 8th.
6. KRISTAP PORZINGIS FROM DRAFT DAY DUD, TO NEW YORK NEW PHENOMENOM
– The New York Knicks fan base has always been the hostile type, but they represent their team to the fullest. Win or lose.
The 2014-15 season for the Knicks was the worst in franchise history, finishing with a 17-65 record. They finished with their worst offensive rating since the 1998-99 season, injuries plagued the roster, and Knicks President of Basketball Operations came under fire for lack of aggressiveness in bringing talent to the roster.
So it’s safe to say that the summer of 2015 was a big deal for the Knicks franchise and it’s fan base. They had money to spend on a big time talent or two, and the #4 overall selection to groom around All-star and franchise cornerstone Carmelo Anthony. And with young studs like Jahlil Okafor, Karl-Anrhony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Emmanuel Mudiay and others on showcase during the June 26th NBA Draft; it was almost certain that the Knicks would make the wrong pick. And then, it happened……
“With the 4th pick, the New York Knicks select…. KRISTAP PORZINGIS!”
Then came the boo’s and the tears from Knicks faithful. The “WHO IN THE HELL IS THIS” followed. And also, the hysterical laughing from other NBA fan bases, including myself.
Nobody had followed this guy from overseas before draft. But one opening night, in which he had a solid 16 PT – 5 REB outing, and a 13 PT – 14 REB three games later against San Antonio, then the 29 PT – 11 REB game later that month, and of course his 7 BLK game in which he tied Knick great Patrick Ewing for that record as a rookie.
Thus far, Porzingis averages are 13 PPG – 8 RPG – 2 BPG, and is giving Minnesota Timberwolves #1 overall selection Towns a run for his money for Rookie of the Year honors. But what’s even more impressive, the same Knicks fans that boo’ed him during Draft night are chanting his name nightly at “The Garden”.
5. LOS ANGELES CLIPPERS – SAN ANTONIO SPURS 1ST RD CLASSIC
-This seven game 1st round series deserved to be the Western Conference. We got robbed.
Everyone from both rosters came ready to play. Well, everyone except Tony Parker.
Clippers forward Blake Griffin displayed how dominant he can be when the bright lights come on. He scored, he defended, and he facilitated the ball. We saw his all-around game be put on display as he dazzled through the series, and teammate Chris Paul was Chris Paul. Spurs legend Tim Duncan visited the “fountain of youth” before the series, averaging 17 & 11, while Kawhi Leonard took another step onto the level of being called a “superstar”.
Game 7 was nothing short of amazing. Duncan finished with 27 points and 11 rebounds, Griffin finished with a triple-double (24 – 13 – 10), and Paul fought through an hamstring injury and hit the game winning floater over Duncan to move rhe Clippers to the 2nd round.
4. LEBRON JAMES 2015 NBA FINALS
-LeBron James almost made good on his mission by wielding the Cleveland Cavaliers to the postseason. Going in, the Cavs were the odds on favorite to win their 1st NBA Championship.
That was until All-star forward Kevin Love (shoulder) and guard Kyrie Irving (knee) would be sidelined due to injuries throughout the postseason. But that didn’t stop LeBron James.
James hit game winning baskets against the Chicago Bulls in the semi-finals, and led the the Cavs to a sweep over the #1 seed over the Atlanta Hawks to advance to the Finals. Although James shot poorly from the field, 36 PPG, 13 RPG & 9 APG through six games.
He literally carried the Cavs throughout the Finals. Check out the rest of the roster’s scoring when James wasn’t on the floor….
JR Smith: 0-9 FG
Matthew Delladova: 0-7 FG
James Jones: 0-3 FG
Iman Shumpert: 0-2 FG
That’s 0-21 in six games during periods of the game when James wasn’t on the floor. That atrocious. The Cavs points per 100 possessions dropped from 97.3 to 50.1 when James wasn’t on the floor.
Long story short, if LeBron James was awarded the 2015 NBA Finals MVP while losing the NBA Finals; I wouldn’t be upset.
2. STEPHEN CURRY RISING
– STEPHEN CURRY IS THE BEST PLAYER IN THE NBA AT THIS VERY MOMENT. Not LeBron James, Anthony Davis, Kevin Durant or Russell Westbrook; but Stephen Curry.
From breaking his own record of 3-PT made, to leading his Golden State Warriors team to a 67 win season, to winning regular season MVP honors, to giving the Warriors it’s first NBA championship in 30 years; 2015 was the year of Stephen Curry.
1. 2015 NBA CHAMPIONS-GOLDEN STATE WARRIORS
– After the questionable firing of former head coach Mark Jackson, much wasn’t expected of the young Warriors team. Especially with bringing in a rookie head coach in Steve Kerr.
But you couldn’t tell one bit.
Kerr raised eyebrows before the season even begun by moving veterans David Lee and Andre Iguodala to the bench to start young players Draymond Green and Harrison Barnes. The move improved the pace for the Warriors making them even more lethal.
They went on to win a franchise record of 67 wins during the regular season, Stephen Curry won the 2015 MVP, and defeated the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2015 NBA Finals. One would think they’d have a “championship hangover” during the new 2015-16 season…. WRONG!
The Warriors broke the NBA record for the best start in NBA history, by starting the season 24-0, and Stephen Curry looks to be the front runner for the MVP award again. All of this while head coach Kerr is out after back surgery and intern coach Luke Walton holding down the fort.