Big Dunks From Small Guards Highlight Dunks Of The Week
Oct 29, 2019, 1:08 PM | Updated: 1:30 pm
PORTLAND, OREGON - OCTOBER 23: Damian Lillard #0 of the Portland Trail Blazers dunks the ball alongside Jamal Murray #27 of the Denver Nuggets in the first quarter during their season opener at Moda Center on October 23, 2019 in Portland, Oregon. (Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
(Photo by Abbie Parr/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NBA season is just one week old, and already, we’ve been blessed with a myriad of highlight reel dunks.
This week features the high-flying antics of Derrick Jones who submits an early candidate for poster of the year, a spinning finish from Damian Lillard, and a season’s worth of highlights from Kings big-man Richaun Holmes.
Here’s a collection of the 10 best dunks from the opening week of the NBA season.
Derrick Jones on the Grizzlies
Derrick Jones might be the best dunker in the NBA.
He might have had the greatest dunk in NBA history last year, and already this season has a nominee for dunk of the year. It doesn’t matter if some consider this a layup or a throw in or whatever you want to call it.
If you don’t want to end up on a poster a la Jonas Valanciunas, stay out of the lane when Jones is driving.
HOW @TheRea1DJones, HOW?! 😮 pic.twitter.com/chBz6T0ERt
— Miami HEAT (@MiamiHEAT) October 24, 2019
Damian Lillard on the Nuggets
Damian Lillard has never been a secret in the state of Utah.
From his time at Weber State through his excellent career with the Portland Trailblazers, Lillar is must watch TV.
He’s more well known for his late game “Lillard Time” daggers than he is monster dunks, but as Jamal Murray learned, he’ll catch a body now and again.
is it possible to have the dunk of the year in the first game of the season pic.twitter.com/RmJdToCCYw
— Portland Trail Blazers (@trailblazers) October 24, 2019
Markelle Fultz on the Cavaliers
Markelle Fultz had one of the strangest beginnings to his career of any number one overall pick.
After an attempt to reconstruct his jump shot revealed nerve damage in his chest, Philadelphia traded Fultz to the Orlando Magic.
In a few brief glimpses in Orlando, he’s showed what made him such a highly sought after prospect coming out of Washington. Enjoy 94-feet of Fultz’s next-level athleticism.
CLEAR THE RUNWAY FOR @MARKELLEF 😤 pic.twitter.com/ee3dGYO6q9
— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) October 24, 2019
John Collins on the Pistons
Trae Young gets the majority of the attention coming out of Atlanta, and deservedly so, he’s a star in the making.
John Collins, his running mate in the Hawks front court is a rising star in his own right. Put back dunks are always special, doing it over Andre Drummond, the best rebounder in the NBA takes this throw-down to the next level.
That's how you do it, JC 😤 pic.twitter.com/nxGpNzurdA
— Atlanta Hawks (@ATLHawks) October 25, 2019
Donovan Mitchell on the Thunder
Donovan Mitchell might lead the league in out-of-nowhere explosions in traffic.
He’ll lull a defense to sleep with his pull-up jumper and acrobatic finishes, then when they least expect it, he’ll rise off two feet to finish on top of the rim.
Mike Muscala, this was a bad business decision.
🕷 🕷 🕷 SPIDA 🕷 🕷 🕷 pic.twitter.com/IrqME86ykV
— Utah Jazz (@utahjazz) October 24, 2019
Jerami Grant on the Suns
The Nuggets adding Jerami Grant was one of the more under-the-radar moves of the summer that might have a huge impact come playoff time.
Nikola Jokic is a brilliant offensive player, but lacks prototypical NBA athleticism. Grant makes up for that and more.
Jevon Carter, DON’T EVER JUMP!
Dunk of the Night: Oct 25th
▪️ Jerami Grant of the @nuggets pic.twitter.com/Jy0oK42Yec
— NBA Canada (@NBACanada) October 26, 2019
Marquese Chriss on the Thunder
Watching the Warriors get blown out in two games to open the season was a welcome relief to NBA fans who have suffered to the Warriors bulldozing of the league for the last half-decade.
Not much has gone right for Golden State in the new season, with the exception of this hammer from Marquese Chriss.
Watch the dunk, then look at the score in the game. It’ll double your enjoyment.
.@quese throws the hammer down 💪 pic.twitter.com/xvsNVLZl5X
— Golden State Warriors (@warriors) October 27, 2019
Richaun Holmes on the Nuggets
Richaun Holmes is the NBA solely because he’s a freakish leaper.
As a result, he should make weekly appearances on the top dunks list.
HOLMES SLAMS IT IN pic.twitter.com/PMLzYAgpg6
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 29, 2019
He did this to Rudy Gobert earlier in the week.
Holmes slams on Gobert 🤯🤯🤯 pic.twitter.com/Cbh9vsB3hl
— Kings on NBCS (@NBCSKings) October 27, 2019
…and then he did this.
Space Jam (2019)
⭐️ Starring @Rich_Holmes22 😤 pic.twitter.com/IW2HKsPn2H
— Sacramento Kings (@SacramentoKings) October 29, 2019
This is just a Richaun Holmes fan story now.
Brandon Ingram on the Warriors
Alongside the Warriors, the New Orleans Pelicans have been one of the most disappointing teams in the first week of the season.
The lone exception has been Brandon Ingram who is averaging 27 points, nine rebounds and five assists after coming back from a blood-clot issue last season.
The Pelicans got drubbed by the Warriors, but this should give fans a reason to watch New Orleans until Zion Williamson returns.
B.I. coming out strong in the second half with the absolute hammer 🔨 pic.twitter.com/4bmjgbbGT0
— New Orleans Pelicans (@PelicansNBA) October 29, 2019
Joel Embiid on the Hawks
Sure, it’s more fun watching small players jump 40-inches off the ground to dunk.
But Joel Embiid’s raw power on this dunk over John Collins is a throwback to the age of the big-men in the NBA.
SHEESH 😱@JoelEmbiid | #PhilaUnite pic.twitter.com/6clyZU8hzQ
— Philadelphia 76ers (@sixers) October 29, 2019
Embiid drew a technical foul for the shimmy at the end, but we’re happy for him to pay the fine for our enjoyment.
Check back weekly for the top dunks in the NBA.
