Tag: Michael Jordan

Luka Doncic joins James Harden, Russell Westbrook in historic streak

Luka Doncic, James Harden and Russell Westbrook are three of the most skilled playmakers in the NBA.

This current era of NBA basketball has produced players who have pushed the boundaries of what it means to be a playmaker.

Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic is one of the most talented players in the league, and as a second-year player he has quickly elevated himself into the league’s upper echelon. On Sunday he joined the company of Houston Rockets guards James Harden and Russell Westbrook in a historic streak.

Doncic scored 41 points and tallied 10 assists in the Mavericks’ 137-123 win over Houston. Per ESPN’s Tim MacMahon, Doncic joined Westbrook and Harden as the third active player to post four consecutive games of at least 30 points and 10 assists.

Since the 1983-84 season, Michael Jordan is the only other player to accomplish the feat.

As two of the best guards in the league, Harden and Westbrook are skilled at penetrating the lane and finding teammates. On top of that, both players always seem to find ways to score. Doncic has been compared to Harden in part because he uses a stepback jumper similar to Harden’s signature move.

Each of the three players are ranked in the top 15 of the league for assists per game, with Doncic being the highest at No. 2. Harden ranks seventh, and Westbrook ranks 15th.

The league’s leading scorer, Harden has put together two games this season where he’s had at least 30 points and 10 assists. Westbrook hasn’t posted any games with those numbers.

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The oldest players to receive MVP votes in NBA history

All ages at the end of the regular season.

All ages at the end of the regular season.

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The longest double-digit scoring streaks in NBA history

Numbers as of November 16, 2019.

Numbers as of November 16, 2019.

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Warriors on pace for worst drop in winning percentage in NBA history

After their first twelve games of the 2019-20 season, the once-mighty Golden State Warriors currently have the worst record in the league.

After their first 12 games of the 2019-20 season, the once-mighty Golden State Warriors currently have the worst record in the league.

Their roster has been absolutely decimated, mostly due to injuries to their two franchise cornerstones Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson. But their wild offseason also included the departures of two former NBA Finals MVP in both Kevin Durant and Andre Iguodala. Golden State hardly resembles the team that won the Western Conference five years in a row.

While the offense has struggled without these players, it has been especially bad on the other end of the court. Their defensive rating (117.2) ranks as the worst in the league. Overall, their winning percentage (.167) is a far cry from their mark in 2018-19 (.695).

According to our research, that would be the largest year-over-year negative difference in NBA history. This pace would be worse than the Cleveland Cavaliers after they first lost LeBron James in 2010-11 and the Chicago Bulls after Michael Jordan retired for the second time.

The good news is their eerie similarities thus far to the San Antonio Spurs in 1996-97. Much like the Warriors who added an All-Star (D’Angelo Russell) in the offseason and have started 2-10, the Spurs signed a former All-Star in Dominique Wilkins before the season began and started 2-13. San Antonio received just six games from David Robinson due to an injury while Golden State lost Curry after only four appearances.

The Spurs finished the season 20-62 and ended up with a lottery pick that was used to draft Tim Duncan. Once he returned from injury and played alongside Duncan, they went on to win two titles together following their rough speed bump in 1997. If Golden State gets a high lottery pick to add alongside Curry and Thompson, perhaps a similar fate is coming to the Bay Area.

For context: This is not the first time that the Warriors have experienced an incredibly poor change in their year-over-year performance. They made the NBA Finals in 1964 behind 36.9 points per game from Wilt Chamberlain, who was traded the following season. Later the year, the team then finished with the worst record in the league.

HoopsHype’s Alberto de Roa contributed research to this report

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Steph Curry seems to have added Michael Jordan to his list of haters

M.J. may have made an enemy.

Michael Jordan hoped that Stephen Curry wouldn’t take offense when M.J. said the Golden State Warriors guard wasn’t a Hall of Famer yet. But, of course, that was never going to happen. Curry insinuated that Jordan was one of the haters during a recent interview with SoleCollector.com.

During the video segment, SoleCollector.com’s Matthew Welty asked if Curry had ever autographed his shoes and sent them to the haters.

“Not yet, I might have to set up a little service,” Curry told Welty. “I might have to send them to M.J.”

Curry laughed it off, but perhaps there’s some gravity to his statement. And it was surely a reference to Jordan’s recent comments. Here’s a look at the moment.

There is no doubt Curry will someday be a Hall of Famer. He knows it. I know it. Everyone — except apparently M.J. — knows it.

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