Best Buzzer Beater - Max Strus’ 59 foot shot to beat Dallas. Even though it was just a regular season February game, that was one of the more entertaining and definitely memorable Cavs games from last year. I’ve been going to Cavs games for about 25 years and that was one of the most electric (non-playoff) moments I’ve experienced in person.
Best “What If” moment(s) - What if Murray doesn’t make those two clutch shots in the Lakers series? Think this would also expand to what if Lakers eventually win out and make it to the Finals. I would think a Lakers-Celtics matchup would be bery highly rated at a time when the NBA was in the midst of negotiations. Who would have the bragging rights coming into this year for all time championships. As a Lakers fan with clear bias, I would like to think this what if moment would have a snowball effect through the league and playoffs.
Best Block of the Year has to be the Anthony Edwards block at the end of the Wolves/Pacers game on March 7. With 7 seconds left and the Wolves leading by two, Edwards misses a free throw and Indiana elects to play it out without calling a time out. The Pacers get a nice break and it looks like they've got a layup to beat the buzzer and send the game into overtime. Except Edwards busts it down the floor after his miss, chases down the player going for the layup, and goes up...and up...and up...HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE RIM as he erases the shot and preserves the win. His crash landing after the block had everyone holding their breath...but when he got up off the floor to celebrate, we knew all was OK and that the most athletic block Wolves fans have seen wasn't going to have a giant "but..." attached to the end of it.
Best close of the year belongs to Cade Cunningham for the game against the Hawks. Hits the game winning basket against the Hawks top Two defenders with a running left hook layup. Then makes the game saving block on the Hawks' center!! Us Pistons fans need this Mark!! Merry Christmas
To piggyback off of what @harrisonfaigen said, the "Best/Most Stunning" moment of this past year was Minnesota winning on the road, in Game 7, at Denver this past playoffs.
That series had so many twists & turns. It went from Minnesota shockingly defeating the champs in 4-5 games...to Denver then summoning the will of the champion to win in 7 games...to Minnesota bouncing back to deliver the knockout blow capped off by Anthony Edwards announcing to the World that he was ready to hold the mantle as the Next American Superstar.
Ahhh, if only we could hold time in a bottle. They ended up crashing and burning in the next round and may never reach those heights again after trading KAT just mere months later.
Still, I'll never forget the moment I realized Minnesota was going to win. And then, having my mouth remain open for hours--STUNNED!!! STUNNED--I tell you!
It's the stuff where Legends are born. Sure hope we get to see the Wolves re-discover that magic in 2025 (somehow)...
I wanted to share my favorite term introduced this year into the NBA discourse--introduced by our very own Marc Stein:
"Superstack"
This was a word I never knew I needed, but it now enhances everything I Love about this community! Can't wait to read every new post I get in my inbox.
This Superstack is ready to wipe the floor with all competition. Look forward to 2025 and beyond!
Best game - US vs Serbia in Olympic mens' semi-finals. That's the type of intensity Adam Silver would love for the ASG.
Best playoff series - Wolves over Nuggets. Defending champions with best player in the world losing game 7 at home to upstart team with ascendant star.
Best picture - Steph's 3 over Wemby in gold medal game.
Best trade - Knicks-Raptors trade involving OG, RJ and IQ. Helped Knicks get to another level in 23-24, then help initiate more changes in offseason. Finally gave Raptors a direction to go with instead of sitting on the fence. Managed a trade that benefit both sides despite ongoing lawsuit between teams.
Best podcasting moment(s) - Marc reacting to Haynes' Popeyes walking home story and Marc reacting in real-time as Haynes try to avoid being kicked out of library by security.
One quick comment on suffering through a fallow year in Hockey. Last year watching the Sharks was hard. They had to tear it down to the studs to rebuild, but setting futility records and suffering through a league worst record was not great.
This year, they're still in the bottom-5, but seeing Macklin Celebrini prove his value as the #1 overall pick and a bunch of the other youngsters start to really mature (Eklund, Zetterburg) or get opportunity (Smith, Askaraov, Mukhamadullin).. the excitement is palpable in the stands. It might take another couple years for them to become a real playoff threat, but watching them compete and even surprise better teams is fun.
It does take vision and a plan.. I watched the Warriors struggle with this for years before landing on the recipe (and the franchise changing player in Curry) that set them on an upward trajectory. Losing is never fun, but the journey can be quite rewarding.
Jaylen Brown in game 1 of the finals early 2nd quarter. Part of a crazy onslaught the Celtics put on to start the game and set the tone for the rest of his finals performance. The angle he jumped at I was sure it was gonna be short.
🏀 Best playoff series
Nuggets-TWolves. One of 3 series that went 7 games but this one had the best story line and some crazy swings.
🏀 Best pass.
Been trying to find the play but I can’t remember who it was. This year there was a play where someone saved a ball from going out of bounds and they passed the ball behind their back up the court to a streaking teammate who dunked.
🏀 Best picture.
Tatum holding up his son with the confetti raining down.
🏀 Best trade.
Atlanta getting amazing value for Dejounte Murray. Personally I felt Trae should be the one to go but they got a great haul for
Dejounte. Picks AND Daniels who is looking very impressive.
🏀 Best halftime act.
Red Panda. Forever and always. No explanation needed.
🏀 Best buzzer-beater.
Payton Pritchard game 5 of the finals. The moment it was clear the Celtics would roll in that game and complete the quest for banner 18. A team so dominant they have their basketball version of Devin Hester.
🏀 Best Olympic moment (that involved NBA players).
This should come as no surprise but I would nominate Puerto Rico beating a Sabonis-lead Lithuania on home court to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 20 years. Don’t know if I will ever experience an atmosphere like that at a basketball game again.
If I had to choose a moment from the Olympics itself it’s pretty obvious to go with Curry’s flurry of threes in the gold medal game. Bonus points for listening to it with French announcers “the devil named curry is killing us”.
For Best Pass, I'd like to nominate two as a combined choice. Within a week of each other, Brandin Podziemski (11/15) and Reed Sheppard (11/22) both made 'falling out of bounds, behind the back, 3/4 court for breakaway dunk" passes that were clear pass of the year candidates. They were both made by young players known for their 'savvy and court awareness' and.. two is better than one, is it not?
For Best Olympic Moment (involving NBA players)... can it be anything other than the Curry Flurry in the gold medal game that ended with the Golden Dagger? Epic finish to seal the Gold Medal for the US and put a nice bow on Curry's list of accomplishments.
For Best Game Highlights? Hangtime compilation? (new category).. I'd nominate Ja Morant's dual 360 layups that he completed in the same game against Brooklyn.
For Best Dunk.. obviously, there are a half dozen Ant dunks from last year that were pretty spectacular, and the Jalen Johnson dunk over Austin Reaves (a poor-man's imitation of Carter over Weiss) was pretty good. But (partly being the homer I am) I give the nod to the Trayce Jackson-Davis dunk on Wemby. He took Wemby straight on, got a half step and flushed it over his outstretched arm. It was memorable because it was the nearly last pick in the NBA draft, an undersized upper-classman, dunking on the 1st pick in the NBA draft, an outsized teenage phenom.
Best Trade: Dejounte Murray for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and two first-round picks
Dyson Daniels has been a godsend to the Atlanta Hawks defense helping elevate them from a bottom-rated defense in 2023 to a consistent league average in 2024. Individually, Daniels accomplishing a first-team all-defense nod would be a very plausible outcome for him this season. Nance Jr. is stuck in a crowded center room but is a very moveable asset from a trade perspective. He can give teams some 3-point juice at the 5 position and moves the basketball well. Two first-round picks are sweet. Oh, and Cody Zeller.
Best Buzzer Beater - Max Strus’ 59 foot shot to beat Dallas. Even though it was just a regular season February game, that was one of the more entertaining and definitely memorable Cavs games from last year. I’ve been going to Cavs games for about 25 years and that was one of the most electric (non-playoff) moments I’ve experienced in person.
Best “What If” moment(s) - What if Murray doesn’t make those two clutch shots in the Lakers series? Think this would also expand to what if Lakers eventually win out and make it to the Finals. I would think a Lakers-Celtics matchup would be bery highly rated at a time when the NBA was in the midst of negotiations. Who would have the bragging rights coming into this year for all time championships. As a Lakers fan with clear bias, I would like to think this what if moment would have a snowball effect through the league and playoffs.
Best Block of the Year has to be the Anthony Edwards block at the end of the Wolves/Pacers game on March 7. With 7 seconds left and the Wolves leading by two, Edwards misses a free throw and Indiana elects to play it out without calling a time out. The Pacers get a nice break and it looks like they've got a layup to beat the buzzer and send the game into overtime. Except Edwards busts it down the floor after his miss, chases down the player going for the layup, and goes up...and up...and up...HITTING HIS HEAD ON THE RIM as he erases the shot and preserves the win. His crash landing after the block had everyone holding their breath...but when he got up off the floor to celebrate, we knew all was OK and that the most athletic block Wolves fans have seen wasn't going to have a giant "but..." attached to the end of it.
Best close of the year belongs to Cade Cunningham for the game against the Hawks. Hits the game winning basket against the Hawks top Two defenders with a running left hook layup. Then makes the game saving block on the Hawks' center!! Us Pistons fans need this Mark!! Merry Christmas
To piggyback off of what @harrisonfaigen said, the "Best/Most Stunning" moment of this past year was Minnesota winning on the road, in Game 7, at Denver this past playoffs.
That series had so many twists & turns. It went from Minnesota shockingly defeating the champs in 4-5 games...to Denver then summoning the will of the champion to win in 7 games...to Minnesota bouncing back to deliver the knockout blow capped off by Anthony Edwards announcing to the World that he was ready to hold the mantle as the Next American Superstar.
Ahhh, if only we could hold time in a bottle. They ended up crashing and burning in the next round and may never reach those heights again after trading KAT just mere months later.
Still, I'll never forget the moment I realized Minnesota was going to win. And then, having my mouth remain open for hours--STUNNED!!! STUNNED--I tell you!
It's the stuff where Legends are born. Sure hope we get to see the Wolves re-discover that magic in 2025 (somehow)...
I wanted to share my favorite term introduced this year into the NBA discourse--introduced by our very own Marc Stein:
"Superstack"
This was a word I never knew I needed, but it now enhances everything I Love about this community! Can't wait to read every new post I get in my inbox.
This Superstack is ready to wipe the floor with all competition. Look forward to 2025 and beyond!
Jim Barnett going crazy and being a fan when Klay scored 37 in a quarter against the Kings. There could be a whole section of best Klay games.
Best game - US vs Serbia in Olympic mens' semi-finals. That's the type of intensity Adam Silver would love for the ASG.
Best playoff series - Wolves over Nuggets. Defending champions with best player in the world losing game 7 at home to upstart team with ascendant star.
Best picture - Steph's 3 over Wemby in gold medal game.
Best trade - Knicks-Raptors trade involving OG, RJ and IQ. Helped Knicks get to another level in 23-24, then help initiate more changes in offseason. Finally gave Raptors a direction to go with instead of sitting on the fence. Managed a trade that benefit both sides despite ongoing lawsuit between teams.
Best podcasting moment(s) - Marc reacting to Haynes' Popeyes walking home story and Marc reacting in real-time as Haynes try to avoid being kicked out of library by security.
One quick comment on suffering through a fallow year in Hockey. Last year watching the Sharks was hard. They had to tear it down to the studs to rebuild, but setting futility records and suffering through a league worst record was not great.
This year, they're still in the bottom-5, but seeing Macklin Celebrini prove his value as the #1 overall pick and a bunch of the other youngsters start to really mature (Eklund, Zetterburg) or get opportunity (Smith, Askaraov, Mukhamadullin).. the excitement is palpable in the stands. It might take another couple years for them to become a real playoff threat, but watching them compete and even surprise better teams is fun.
It does take vision and a plan.. I watched the Warriors struggle with this for years before landing on the recipe (and the franchise changing player in Curry) that set them on an upward trajectory. Losing is never fun, but the journey can be quite rewarding.
Sorry in advance for possible bias 🫣
🏀 Best dunk.
Jaylen Brown in game 1 of the finals early 2nd quarter. Part of a crazy onslaught the Celtics put on to start the game and set the tone for the rest of his finals performance. The angle he jumped at I was sure it was gonna be short.
🏀 Best playoff series
Nuggets-TWolves. One of 3 series that went 7 games but this one had the best story line and some crazy swings.
🏀 Best pass.
Been trying to find the play but I can’t remember who it was. This year there was a play where someone saved a ball from going out of bounds and they passed the ball behind their back up the court to a streaking teammate who dunked.
🏀 Best picture.
Tatum holding up his son with the confetti raining down.
🏀 Best trade.
Atlanta getting amazing value for Dejounte Murray. Personally I felt Trae should be the one to go but they got a great haul for
Dejounte. Picks AND Daniels who is looking very impressive.
🏀 Best halftime act.
Red Panda. Forever and always. No explanation needed.
🏀 Best buzzer-beater.
Payton Pritchard game 5 of the finals. The moment it was clear the Celtics would roll in that game and complete the quest for banner 18. A team so dominant they have their basketball version of Devin Hester.
🏀 Best Olympic moment (that involved NBA players).
This should come as no surprise but I would nominate Puerto Rico beating a Sabonis-lead Lithuania on home court to qualify for the Olympics for the first time in 20 years. Don’t know if I will ever experience an atmosphere like that at a basketball game again.
If I had to choose a moment from the Olympics itself it’s pretty obvious to go with Curry’s flurry of threes in the gold medal game. Bonus points for listening to it with French announcers “the devil named curry is killing us”.
For Best Pass, I'd like to nominate two as a combined choice. Within a week of each other, Brandin Podziemski (11/15) and Reed Sheppard (11/22) both made 'falling out of bounds, behind the back, 3/4 court for breakaway dunk" passes that were clear pass of the year candidates. They were both made by young players known for their 'savvy and court awareness' and.. two is better than one, is it not?
For Best Olympic Moment (involving NBA players)... can it be anything other than the Curry Flurry in the gold medal game that ended with the Golden Dagger? Epic finish to seal the Gold Medal for the US and put a nice bow on Curry's list of accomplishments.
For Best Game Highlights? Hangtime compilation? (new category).. I'd nominate Ja Morant's dual 360 layups that he completed in the same game against Brooklyn.
For Best Dunk.. obviously, there are a half dozen Ant dunks from last year that were pretty spectacular, and the Jalen Johnson dunk over Austin Reaves (a poor-man's imitation of Carter over Weiss) was pretty good. But (partly being the homer I am) I give the nod to the Trayce Jackson-Davis dunk on Wemby. He took Wemby straight on, got a half step and flushed it over his outstretched arm. It was memorable because it was the nearly last pick in the NBA draft, an undersized upper-classman, dunking on the 1st pick in the NBA draft, an outsized teenage phenom.
Remember! My categories are purely suggestions. Make up your own categories if you want.
Can always count on Yato for detailed and thorough replies!
Best trade proposal from Stein Line fans (🤪): Pelicans acquire Jimmy Butler for Brandon Ingram and end of bench players to make cap work.
Jimmy & Dejounte have conversation with Zion and lead furious comeback to make play in tournament
Best jersey: Raptors retro- black jersey with Dino on front
Best Trade: Dejounte Murray for Dyson Daniels, Larry Nance Jr., and two first-round picks
Dyson Daniels has been a godsend to the Atlanta Hawks defense helping elevate them from a bottom-rated defense in 2023 to a consistent league average in 2024. Individually, Daniels accomplishing a first-team all-defense nod would be a very plausible outcome for him this season. Nance Jr. is stuck in a crowded center room but is a very moveable asset from a trade perspective. He can give teams some 3-point juice at the 5 position and moves the basketball well. Two first-round picks are sweet. Oh, and Cody Zeller.
Best Trade: Maverick moves to get Gafford and PJ. Took them through playoffs and finals.
OKC signing Hartenstein may well be as good but we will just have to wait on that.
best Buzzer Beater. Kyree hook shot over Joker in Denver V Mavs. No reason its just obvious.