At last, the final chapter of +Slap Dog Hoops' five part series on the +NBA's most noteworthy performers of the 2013 season has finally reached its climax and it suitably ends with the most important and stressful position in basketball--that of the point guard spot. The points guard is the beginning and the end of a team while on the basketball as he is charge with executing his coach's game plan while at the same time he has to protect the basketball on offense while ensuring that his teammates stay focused and on point. Over the last ten years, the point guard position went from a skill that was mastered by a select few to exploding to a point where there are now a plethora of talented facilitators. The game has even evolved to a point where one can say that the NBA has become a "point guard's league" as all the focus, attention, power and pressure have been concentrated and placed on their diminutive shoulders. So lets take a look at the men who make the magic happen and be ready for a surprise because the ones who are at the top 10 will not be the players whom you may suspect.
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At 40 years old and after playing a whopping 19 years, Jason Kidd has cemented his legacy as one of the greatest point guards to have ever played the game of basketball. In his lustrous career, he had been selected 10 times to the NBA All Star team, named five times to the All NBA team, nine on the NBA All Defensive Team, led the league in assists per games five times, and finished his career as the second all time career leader in assists. Out of all his accomplishments, achievements and accolades, his greatest of all was taking the New Jersey Nets, a team that had qualified to the playoffs since 1994, to not only its first, but second straight NBA Finals appearances and kept the Nets in playoff contention for six years. Despite losing much of his trademark speed, quickness, and abilities over the years, he still proved to be wily and cunning player still able to rattle his opponents on the defensive end while still coming through in the clutch when needed. Although his last few years in the league were less than remarkable, no one can argue that Kidd not only revolutionized the point guard spot, but the game of basketball as well.
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It is a sad case where someone who played just 14 minutes per game in the regular season would get more respect than those who start, but in the case of Jimmer Fredette, it is more than deserving. Despite being on a team that was by far the most selfish, laziest and by far one of the biggest embarrassments in pro sports, Freddette came out every game playing with heart and showed a semblance of professionalism and class that none of his teammates possessed. He was actually the sole bright spot on a team filled with self serving, immature spoiled brat players that there ever were in the NBA. Although his playing time was limited to put it lightly, he made every minutes counted as he averaged nearly over seven points per game and he boasted per 40 minutes averages of 20.6 points and 3.7 assists per game. Hopefully, the new coach of the Kings will recognize this and give Freddette the minutes and credit that he deserves.
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It is hard to figure out whether we should feel pity or shame for Darren Collison because despite performing solidly at the point, he always finds himself getting the shaft throughout his young career. First he was tabbed as the point guard of the future by the +Indiana Pacers and performed rather well, if not unspectacular, but then was usurped by his backup and simply discarded at the end of the 2012 season. He then found a new home starting for the Dallas Mavericks and performed acceptable enough until he was usurped once again in the starting lineup--this time by a 38 year old man--thus ruining his stock on the free agent market. After severely devaluing him, Dallas then discarded him one again as the let him go in free agency and was then picked up by the Clippers for far under his market value. With all bad that has happened to him despite playing at a rather high level, one has to wonder whether Collison is a victim of bad luck of the universe and the powers that be just simply have it out for him.
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Goran Dragic looked to return to the team he started his NBA career like his predecessor, former Suns fan favorite and future hall of famer Steve Nash, as he looked to build upon his success with the Houston Rockets last season. Unfortunately, that failed to happen as Dragic simply could not to live up to the bar that had been set so unfairly high for him in the first place as he struggled to run the Phoenix offense as well as his former mentor did. What was once a t efficient, free flowing team that was completely in sync on the offensive became a complete mess as the Suns looked bewildered, and completely out of sorts. The ball movement that had once been a trademark of the Phoenix Suns had all but disappeared as the offense became stagnant with many Suns players forcing up bad shots and complaining about not getting enough touches at the same time. All of this shattered what was supposed to be a glorious homecoming for a young and up and coming point guard in the NBA ended up a complete disaster with him holding all the pieces and shouldering much of the blame as well.
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Thus far Ricky Rubio has been cruelly teasing Wolves fans and the basketball viewing public with his flashy passing, his keen defensive prowess and his fine tuned offensive instincts only to just pulling away leaving everyone unsatisfied and unfulfilled. It is starting to get quite tiresome because after being led on for so long, people will start getting tired of this flirtatious games and start looking somewhere else or to someone to gratify themselves. That mush be the sentiment of the Timberwolves coaching staff and executive who have put so much stock in this European basketball prodigy, but fate just continues to give both him, his teammates and those who believe in him the shaft. One can only hope and pray that Lady Luck would shine her grace upon this team and its fan base, both of which have suffered far too long. Wolves fans need someone to believe in and something to look forward and as long as Rubio continues to pull out prematurely without completely without fully satisfying his teammates and fans, then it will be another cold winter come November.
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It is really to determine whether Eric Bledsoe is truly as talented as he seems or whether or not he has what it takes to take it to the next level because there is simply not enough information to go on. Sure he shown great explosiveness to the basket and acrobatic feats the likes of which cannot be easily discounted, but so far all he has shown that he is capable of providing quick burst of energy and has yet to show that he is capable of sustaining it on a consistent basis. Sure the 8.5 points and 3.5 assists in just over 20 minutes per game would make even the most cynical Clipper fan salivate on the potential that this young man has, but at the same time, he does have the luxury of playing behind on of the greatest point guards in a generation in Chris Paul. He does not have the pressure to make sure that everyone is where they belong on the court while at the same time protect the ball and execute a play within 24 second. All he has done is come off the bench, give Paul a short breather, make a few quick plays, then sit back down while Paul finishes the job and until Bledsoe can show that he can be counted on for more than just a little less than half a game, then the jury will unfortunately have to stay in deliberation until that time comes.
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After 14 years playing in the league and at 37 years old, Andre Miller has still performed at the same high level throughout his career and continues to play just as good if not better than players 10 to 15 years his junior. Miller played all 82 regular season games, starting 11 of them, and posted a rather respectable 9.6 points, 2.9 rebounds, 5.9 assists, and 1.9 steals per game coming off the bench. Even at his advanced age and with the amount of mileage put upon his body, many can still argue that Miller would still be good starting point guard for any NBA team; however, he still remains a blessing for starter TY Lawson to have such a talented option as a backup. With three seasons left on his deal, Miller could possibly play well into his forties by the time it expires and if he continues to play at the same level, he will certainly be considered as one of the NBA's hidden treasures. It is highly doubtful that he will ever get Hall of Fame recognition as he never really stood out among the rest over the course of his career, but hopefully by his longevity will be given some recognition as he approaches the end of his career.
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Dallas Mavericks
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It seemed pretty sad and pathetic to see a 38 year old man bumming around in the D-League after having spent 10 years in the NBA and had earned up to 50$ million in that time. One has to wonder whether this man lost all that money and became a tragic story of athletes that have gone broke shortly after leaving their respective sport. Nonetheless, Mike James still managed to get another chance at the pros when the Dallas Mavericks picked him up from the minors and he showed that there were still a little something left in his tank. James played 45 games from the Mavericks averaging six points and three assists while shooting .384 from the three point line in under 20 minutes per game. What was even more impressive is that later in the season James took over the starting point guard spot from Darren Collison, a player 12 years younger, making Mike James one of the biggest feel good comeback stories in the NBA.
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Last season he electrified the world when he came out of nowhere and took over a struggling and injury plagued New York Knicks team becoming one of the most talked about athletes in sports. Unfortunately, after setting the bad so high, Jeremy Lin found it difficult to capture the same magic on his new team, the Houston Rockets as he seemed to play more tentatively and not with the same fire that endeared him to fans worldwide. Some may consider the criticism unfair as statistically, Lin performed rather decently for a starting point guard averaging 13.4 points, 3 rebounds, 6.1 assists, and 1.6 steals per game for the season; however, considering the fact that he had signed a three year contract that would pay an estimates 15$ million in it last year, one can understand the disappointment Rockets fans felt in watching Lin play in his inaugural season in Houston. He did not make matters any better when he was a complete show in the playoffs missing two of the six games due to injury and offered little if anything when he did play. Such a poor start does not give Houston fans much confidence and unless he bounces back in a major way, Lin will shift from being "the man who saved the NBA," to "Public Enemy number one."
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After four season of miring in mediocrity, Both the Milwaukee Bucks and Brandon Jennings both decided to part ways with one another as the team sent the oft criticized point guard to the +Detroit Pistons via sign and trade deal. In his four year tenure as the Bucks' Jennings did not leave much of a lasting impression or memorable legacy in Milwaukee, but one that was filled false promises, broken hoped and shattered dreams. In his rookie season, Jennings had an eleven game stretch where he looked like an All Star and potentially one of the best to ever play the game, but the rest of his career fell flat as he never was able to recapture that magic he once had. In his last season in Milwaukee, Jennings led a less than averaging Milwaukee team with minimum talent to the playoffs despite winning just 38 games and were quickly ousted in the first round by the Miami Heat. It is the hope that with better quality player, Jennings will finally live up to the potential and expectation that people had when he initially took the league by storm.
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Denver Nuggets
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Last season was a coming out party of Ty Lawson as he exploded on to the season posting career highs in team points, rebounds and assists per game looking to take his place as one of the elite young point guards in the game. Unfortunately, coming into this season, he performed much of the same with not much difference to his numbers from the previous season other than some slight dips in his rebounding and his field goal percentage as well a tiny incremental increases in his scoring and assists per game. Nonetheless, he did lead the Nuggets to a franchise record 57 regular season wins earned the team the third seed in the Western Conference Playoffs and home court advantage in the first round. Sadly none of those things mattered as both Lawson and the Nuggets were embarrassingly eliminated by the underdog +Golden State Warriors forcing the Nuggets to watch the rest of the playoffs at home. Despite his team's post season collapse, Lawson did put forth a heroic effort as he bumped up all his numbers to 21.3 points, 8.0 assists, 3.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals in the six games he played; too bad it was not enough, however.
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It was all champagne wishes and caviar dreams in the City of Angels when the Lakers announced the signing of All Star and future Hall of Fame inductee Steve Nash as he was deemed to be one pieces that will return the stories franchise to championship glory once again. Unfortunately for Nash, the Lakers and their fans, the season came off to a very poor start and Nash, who had an ironclad reputation for being one of the iron men of the league, would succumb to injury as he would missed 32 games in the regular season. Both him and the Lakers would spend the entire season scratching and clawing to get to the playoffs where they were then immediately humiliated getting swept in the first round by the eventual Western Conference Champion +San Antonio Spurs. Despite missing games to injuries and the Lakers'overall poor performance, Nash did performed well enough averaging 12.7 points, 6.7 assists and 2.8 rebounds per games while shooting nearly .500 from the field with .438 of them coming from beyond the arc. Sadly, however, it looks as if Nash, instead of hitching himself on a first class ticket to championship glory, has found himself yet again on another sinking ship where he will most likely finish his storied career without one championship ring.
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Despite leading the league in assists per game once again, it was a rather harsh season for Rajon Rondo as he was forced to watch the team that he won an championship with crumble all around him after he was lost for the season playing just 38 games. What was even worse was the way people came down on him because of the Celtics' troubles even though most of it has to do not so much with him, but with the deterioration and decline of his long time teammates +Kevin Garnett and +Paul Pierce. Now he will be returning to a team that is heading in one direction--straight down--while being expected by fans and world to be the primary player for this ramshackle team which is a role that he is not fit to handle. Despite his keen court sense and his ability to get his teammates involved, Rondo cannot be considered as a focal pointy players because of his inability to score and hit big shots when needed. He is certainly capable of finding the person to hit the clutch shot and pass it to him, but other than that, he is nothing more than a role player who is capable of making his superstar teammates look good and nothing more.
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To say that Deron's tenure as a former New Jersey now Brooklyn Nets has been disappointing would be a massive understatement because so far it has been short of disastrous. Since being traded from the +Utah Jazz, his shooting percentages and assist per game averages have dropped sharply from averaging double digit dime figures as the point man in Utah to barely averaging eight per game now. What's even worse was that he led a deeply talented and massively expensive Brooklyn Net team to a rather underwhelming 49 win season along with being ousted in the first round of the playoffs by an undermanned and far inferior opponent in the +Chicago Bulls. Many would like to consider the Nets inaugural season in Brooklyn a success, but they simply cannot in good conscience because so much more had been expected from that team than that rather pitiful finish. Neither Williams or the Nets should be satisfied which such an inexcusably poor finish considering the size, talent, skills and firepower they possessed.
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Here is another story of a player who did not get much exposure as he was not only on a small market team, but a rather bad one at that; however, Ramon Sessions was on of the key players in the 2013 that helped the Bobcats triple their win total from the previous season. Sessions came off the bench to average 14.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.8 assists in a little as 27.1 minutes per game. Unfortunately, his shooting touch was less than accurate as he shot just .408 from the field, but that can be blamed on the limited offensive option that the Bobcats possessed which led him to take numerous bad shots. He certainly provided not only an excellent backup for leading scorer +Kemba Walker, but also a partner in the back court whenever the team play with small lineups on the court. Next season, although he may not have as prominent role in the offense due to the new off season additions, Sessions will be part of a far stronger roster that will surprise many a spectator upon opening tip off. And having been signed at a rather affordable price of 5$ miller per year, Session proved to be one of the few truly savvy pickups that owner +Michael Jordan has made in his tenure as Bobcats owner, and that is saying a lot considering the questionable moves he has made.
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In most instances Jarrett Jack would have been a good, if not unspectacular, starting point man on any NBA team; however, this past season, he proved to one of the most devastating back up point men in the league. Coming off the bench, jack averages 12.7 points, 5.6 assists, and 3.1 rebounds per game in just under 30 minutes of playing time while shooting a rather impressive .404 from beyond the arc. What made him so dangerous was the fact that not only he could allow Stephen Curry a few minutes of respite, but he could also be installed on the court along with Curry if ever coach Mark Jackson wanted to play with a smaller lineup. Jack had the innate ability to either facilitate the offense in order to let Curry do what he does best--namely score the ball--or play off the ball hitting the open shot. Jack was certainly an instrumental piece in the Warriors miraculous regular season and subsequent playoff run and he will certainly be a player to watch in his new team, the +Cleveland Cavaliers
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Los Angeles Clippers
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This is putting it bluntly, but Chris Paul has been the franchise's savior for the past two seasons and he Clippers would be nothing if it were not for this man. He has single handily turned a team that has been regarded as a laughing stock in professional sports into one of the NBA's most reputable teams. This season he has outdone himself as he has led his team to its first division title in franchise history along with home court advantage in the first round in the playoffs. Too bad his ambitions were put in check by an upstart Memphis Grizzlies team, but that unfortunate loss should be considered as a speed bump in the road to a bright future. As long as the Clips have Paul, the sky is the limit; however, if they do not manage to sign him long term, all their successes will be a distant memory.
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Despite being one of the best perimeter defenders in the NBA, Mike Conley gets little or no attention by the sports media; however, if it was not for him Memphis would not have won that franchise best 56 games and reached to its first Western Conference Final. In the playoffs, Conley certainly stepped his game up a notch boosting his scoring and assists from 14.6 points and 6.1 assists per game in the regular season to 17.0 and 7.1 in the 15 post season games. He was certainly instrumental in the Grizzlies grinding the Clippers out to take the first round and simply shutting down the west's best Oklahoma City Thunder in the second. During the regular season, he also showed that he can be quite the scoring threat as well as he averaged 17.3 points per game in the last two months of the season thus hinting that there is more to come from this young point guard and at just 25 years old, he has not yet even scraped his full potential as a player.
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Many may find it shocking to see Tony Parker ranked so low as he did lead his team to its first NBA Finals in six years; however this is a countdown of the most noteworthy performers and in the case of Tony Parker, this is pretty much common place. Since his second year ion the league, Parker has averaged 16 to 22 points and five to eight assists per game while bringing the Spurs to the playoffs every season including five NBA Finals appearances. Although they must appreciate him even more after bring their home team to the Finals after such a long hiatus, Even Spurs fans have taken Parker's stellar play for granted and that's one of the key drawbacks of being an elite player in the NBA. Once a player in any sport becomes an established star, not everyone celebrates his or her accomplishments as they would an up and coming player who has a breakout season for example. Thus Tony Parker finds himself in the unenviable position of being too good for his own good as he has already accomplished so much to a point where his accomplishment on the court are not so much appreciated, but expecvted.
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While in Toronto, he was under-appreciated and often criticized for his shortcomings instead of being appreciated on what he was actually giving on the court; however that all changed once he arrived in Detroit mid season. On a team that was in desperate need of a point guard, Jose Calderon immediately filled that need upon arriving as he gave the team, its fans and the city Detroit what they had yearned for so long. He was a player who actually looked to pass the ball and get his teammates involved and certainly proved, at least for a short time, that he can be considered an elite point man in the NBA. Along with leading the team in assists, Jose also proved to be quite an offensive spark, if need be as he shot close to .500 from the field along with leading the league in three point field goal percentage. With such an impressive performance, Joe Dumars might have to consider resigning the Spanish play maker as he will become an unrestricted free agent in July.
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Consider Nate Robinson as one of the feel good comeback stories of the NBA. He went from being labelled as a knucklehead and a lost cause to re-emerging to becoming one of the bright spots on this struggling Chicago Bulls team. Although Robinson's arrival to the Windy City was welcomed with plenty of raised eyebrows and a heavy helping of skepticism, he still managed to turn it all around providing much needed leadership for a Chicago team in desperate need of it. His brightest moment by far was in the playoff where he led the Bulls to a surprising first round upset over the Brooklyn Nets in this year's playoffs making him the Windy city's favorite son for now. With his contract expiring at season's end, look for many team to take a look at the quick and athletic 5'9" dynamo as he will certainly be a player to watch out for in the free agent market.
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Charlotte Bobcats
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On a team that was simply terrible in every aspect this season, Kemba Walker was the sole bright spot on a team that had virtually nothing really to look forward to as the season wore on. In only his second season and at the tender age of just 23 years old, Kemba not only provided scoring, exceptional facilitation of his teammates, and solid care of the basketball on the offensive end; he also provided great poise and leadership on a team in desperate need of it. His energy was especially evident on the defensive end where he not only led his team, but also finished the season fifth in the league in steals per game. Although it will be quite a while until the Bobcats return to any sort of respectability, if the team's front office continue to find players that can complement Kemba's fiery passion for the game and competitiveness, this future will be certainly be brighter with every season that passes. And if Walker continues such fabulous play and effort as he has shown, eventually he will get the recognition and notoriety that he deserves.
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He missed the first 33 games of the regular season, but upon returning, John Wall showed Wizards fans and the NBA why he was selected first overall in the 2010 NBA Draft. Before he returned to the lineup, the Wizards had just won five games for the entire; however, once he got back up and running the team's fortunes immediately improved. With John Wall leading the charge, the Wizards finished January winning six of their last eleven games then continued playing strong into February going 8-5 for that month as well. The Wizards went from starting with the worst record in regular season to finishing third place--albeit a DISTANT third place--in their division behind the Miami Heat and the Atlanta Hawks. If he were to have started the season at the opening tip off, Washington could have probably been been in playoff contention; however, that is all speculation at best.
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Despite his team not qualifying for the playoffs, Jrue Holiday posted a magnificent season despite being on a team that had little if anything to offer. Holiday virtually carried the Sixers in almost every games leading his team in both points and assists per. His 8.0 average of assists per game can be seen as even more remarkable given the fact that he virtually had no one really to pass it to as can be seen by the team poor scoring and even poorer ability to make a basket. Regardless, if it were not for Holiday, the 76ers would not have even come close to finish the regular season with a disappointing yet at the same time respectable 34-48 falling three games shy of the last playoff spot in the East. If the Sixers manage to get some high quality talent behind him, then they certainly have a chance come next season to return to the playoff thanks to Holiday's leadership.
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It is unbelievable how fortunate the Cleveland Cavaliers have been over the last couple of years. Last year, after suffering one of the worst betrayals in sports history, Cleveland managed to acquire the number one overall pick in the 2011 NBA Draft who turned out to be Kyrie Irving. After having a splendid start of his career earning Rookie of the Year honors, Irving has continued where he left off leading his team on both ends of the floor and has giving the city of Cleveland reason to be optimistic. At 20 years old and just in his second season, Irving has already his first All Star selection and has cemented himself as one of the top young players in the league. He has certainly helped Cavs fans forget that awful day three years ago when they had their hearts collectively ripped out when another player the team picked first overall jumped ship without any warning.
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Jeff Teague was certainly another player who had undergone a major transformation from being a solid young role player to becoming a potential all star candidate in the future. He had been posting solid, if not unspectacular numbers for the first half of the season, then suddenly came alive posting All Star worthy number as the season progressed. His best performance came in February where he averaged career highs in points (18.3), assists (9.3) and steals (2.3) per game certainly placing him among one of the top young point men in the league. With the departure of Joe Johnson, Jeff Teague has certainly become one of the key players in a Hawks teams heading into transition to possibly rebuilding. Hopefully, there will be more to come, from this up and coming young player as his teammates and fans will be expecting a lot from him thanks to his improvements.
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In what can be considered as a rather flat and disappointing and flat season, Greivis Vasquez was the sole bright spot on a team that failed miserably to reignite interest despite winning the number one overall pick in the NBA draft. Vasquez was often over shadowed by his higher profile teammates, but his contributions dwarfed all of them. He finished the regular season third in the league in assists per game behind such notable players as the Clippers' Chris Paul who was at second place and the the Celtics' Rajon Rondo who reigned supreme in that category. And despite the team's poor showing, Vasquez kept the ball on his team's side off the court most of the time thanks to his three to one assists to turnover ratio which was ninth in the league behind such notables as San Antonio's Tony Parker (7th), New York's Jason Kidd (3rd) and LA's Chris Paul (1st). Add that along with his capabilities he also stands taller than most point guards at 6'6", Greivis Vasquez is a hidden gem and a coach's dream come true and if he were on any other team, he would have been given All Star recognition.
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This past season Russell Westbrook has undergone one of the most amazing transformations going from a turnover prone, ball hogging gunner into the true point guard that many had hoped that he would be. Instead of simply barreling through the lane with every offensive possession, Westbrook chose to slow down his game in order to get his teammates involved and it has been a blessing for all concerned. He still managed to get off his usual plethora of shot attempts, but they remain in the flow of the offense and have not been forced as he has been known for doing. His impact was certainly felt when he was forced to sit out the rest of the playoffs due to injury. If he were to have been healthy, perhaps the Thunder would not have fallen 4-1 in the second round and be still playing in the post season.
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Golden State Warriors
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After three years of flirting and teasing basketball fans with his potential, Stephen Curry has finally taken his place among the top elite players of the league after leading the Warriors top one of its best seasons in franchise history. Curry was simply phenomenal as he posted a career best 22.9 points per game while simply torching the net from outside as he connected a mind boggling .453 from three point rage. He not only showed himself to be a potent scorer, but also a keen facilitator of the basketball as he dished out seven assists per game and was an exceptionally strong force on the defensive end as he averaged 1.6 steals per game as well. Curry took his game to a new level when he led his warriors in that shocking first round upset of the Denver Nuggets as he simply lit his opponent on fire scoring 24.3 points, dishing a career high 8.1 assists and 4.3 rebounds, while shooting unconsciously from beyond the arc at .442. Now with the new season fast approaching, Bay Area basketball fans will look to Curry once again to bring back the same magic he brought last season as the warrior look to build upon that magical season.
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Talk about coming out of nowhere--here is this guy who did not come from a major college basketball program yet still managed to carry his team close to the post season while earning Rookie of the Year. Damian Lillard can be certainly be seen as the primary reason why the Blazers did not completely crash and burn despite allowing their opponents to score 101 points and shoot close to .480 from the field against them. He also gave a Blazers fans a glimmer of hope for the future as most expected this season as the start of a long and hard march to respectability. Now instead of a team spending years in turmoil floundering at the bottom, this Portland Trailblazer looks quite respectable to say the least--enough to remain in contention for a playoff spot for quite some time. In his first year in the league, Damian Lillard not only became the face, heart and soul of the Blazers, but also became a beacon of hope for Blazer fans who were expecting the worst.
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