DAR Sports: A Recap Of The 2016-2017 NBA Regular Season
(Compiled By @TrueGodImmortal, @IUseCondoms, @Peagle05, and @TrueBlueLowry21)
The NBA regular season is over. Completely over. We are now in playoff mode. However, with the season being finished, there's always a chance to look back at the year that we just witnessed, the history, and what will be memorable from this year. From Durant on the Warriors, Russell Westbrook and James Harden making history, the Cavs and their successes and struggles to much more, this season was full of great moments, great players, and some really good games. Let's take a look back at this past regular season.
Best Games Of The Season
When we look back at the best games of the regular season, there's a lot of games to reference. We've seen some thrillers that went into OT, a few games that came down to the wire in the final seconds, some buzzer beaters, and some amazing games played by young teams who defeated teams that should have outmatched them, and just all around great games that saw some of the best in the game do battle on the biggest stage.
*Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards
(140-135, OT, 2/6/17)
-In what has to be the best game of the year, the Cavs and Wizards gave us what could be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals with a down to the wire game. LeBron was amazing as usual, finishing with 32 points and 17 assists, hitting the shot to tie the game when it looked like the Cavs might have been done to send it to OT. From there, Kyrie took over when LeBron fouled out, and the Cavs made a big statement in a game that put an end to the Wizards consecutive wins at home streak. Kevin Love finished with 39 points, whole Bradley Beal was on fire with 41 points. Overall, this was the most exciting regular season game to watch.
*New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
(142- 139, 4OT, 1/29/17)
-The hardest fought game of the year. A game that went to 4 OT periods and just wouldn't end. Shot after shot kept hitting at the right time to force the game to continue. It was a great game to witness, with Carmelo finishing with 45 points, Paul Millsap finishing with 37 points and 19 rebounds, and all the players exhausted from all the minutes logged (Millsap played 60 minutes.. that's insane). This is the craziest game of the season bar none.
*Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers
(135-130, 2OT, 4/2/17)
-For me, it was the same day as WrestleMania, but this game was even better. LeBron James put up a 40 point triple double with 41 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Paul George was pretty close to a triple double himself with 43 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. This was one of the craziest games for the Cavs this season, right up there with their Wizards game and their Hawks game, which I'll get to later in this section.
*Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors
(117-97, 11/4/16)
-Picked by Matt, this game is one that he felt biased to because of the Lakers being his team. There have been some low points for this franchise recently, but this game at the beginning of the season was something we all wanted to see. A young Laker team taking it to the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center and pretty much dominating from start to finish. This was one of the few times you've seen a team just manhandle the Warriors like this. It was a young Lakers team that showed that the future was indeed bright. The Warriors had the last laugh in the next few meetings, but this night was indeed a treat to watch early on.
*Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
(106-105, 4/9/17)
-Russell Westbrook is amazing. It's as simple as this, his work in this game remains the most entertaining and possibly his best game all season. The night he broke the triple double record with his 42nd triple double, he led his team back from a 14 point deficit in the 4th quarter to win the game on a 30 foot (or longer) three pointer as the game clock expired. It was one of his most amazing performances and probably his most heroic performance, as he finished with his third 50 point triple double, and gave his team the 100% confirmed 6th seed in the West, while knocking the Nuggets out of playoff contention all in the same game. Nothing short of amazing.
*Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors
(132-127 2OT, 12/1/16)
-The Warriors were still struggling a bit as the regular season was REALLY getting underway. They had gone on a long winning streak, found a rhythm, but hadn't been able to beat the other top teams in the NBA yet. This game saw the Rockets take control through most of it, before the Warriors charged a comeback and seemed to have taken the game in the first OT. However, after the first OT, the Warriors just seemed to run out of gas. Durant put up 39 points and 13 rebounds and Curry put up 28, while James Harden put up a triple double with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists. The top two offensive teams in the NBA put on a classic.
*Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls
(118-111, 1/2/17)
-This is one of my personal favorite games, much for the same reason that Matt chose the Lakers/Warriors game. This is the most masterful performance from Jimmy Butler this season, with 52 points and 12 rebounds, along with a 34 point performance from Kemba Walker. These two teams who were fighting for Eastern Conference playoff spots put it all out there, and without Dwyane Wade, the Bulls managed to get the job done.
*Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder
(130-114, 2/11/17)
-As one sided as this game might have seemed, there was no other game this year quite like it. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant had their intense rivalry that seemingly reach the highest height here in the KD return to OKC after leaving to join the Warriors. Russ would explode for a 47 point performance, but it wasn't enough to stop the trio of KD, Steph, and Klay, who finished with 34, 26, and 26 points, accounting for 86 of the 130 points the Warriors put up in this game. Watching KD and Russ have that exchange where Russ yells out "I'm coming" following a mini run by the Thunder was a highlight for the season in a major way. The Warriors dominated the Thunder in just about every matchup, but this one was the most special game of the season minus the Warriors/Cavs on Christmas.
*Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks
(126-125, OT, 4/9/17)
-One of the last great days in the NBA season, the same day that Russ pulled off his heroics, the Hawks surprised the Cavs by coming back from a 26 point deficit in the 4th quarter and forcing overtime. Say what you want about the refs, the Hawks ended up pulling out a big win in a game that saw LeBron play 47 minutes and put up a 32 point triple double, and Kyrie put up 45 points and 9 assists, but it just wasn't enough to pull out the victory for the Cavs. This game was exciting, but it was also the most baffling breakdown in the 4th quarter that I witnessed this season.
Favorite Moments Of The Season
For me, True, the best moments this season came from watching my favorite players do amazing feats. From watching Durant adjust to the Warriors lineup, to seeing Draymond put up a triple double without 10 points, to Jimmy Butler carrying the Bulls to big victory with clutch last minute shots, Steph Curry breaking the 3 point record and putting up 320 plus threes for the second straight season, LeBron showing he's still the best overall player at his 14th year in the league, Klay Thompson and Devin Booker respectively putting up 60 points and 70 points, and the era of the triple double being led by the man who now owns the record, Russell Westbrook and his amazing MVP feats. We saw the emergence of Dion Waiters, the rise of Isaiah Thomas to become a certified star, John Wall showcase why he's the most underrated PG in the game, Kawhi prove he's one of the best yet again, and James Harden lead the Rockets to prominence. All those moments were vital, but one of my favorite moments came at All Star Weekend, when KD threw a lob to Russ and they briefly exchanged a word and the bench reacted to it. All in all, this season was amazing to witness, and there are so many great moments to discuss. Let's see what the guys have to say about the best moments and their favorite moments of the season.
Peagle-
-Russell Westbrook breaking the triple double record
-Russ with the Shammgod move and pass to Adams
-Devin Booker's 70 point game
-Kawhi's block on James Harden and game winner, back to back
-James Harden coast to coast game winning layup against the Nuggets
-Klay Thompson putting up 60 points on the Pacers in 3 quarters
IUseCondoms-
-Russell Westbrook breaks triple double record
-Steph Curry breaks the 3pt record in a game with 13
-Klay Thompson puts up 60 points in 3 quarters
TrueBlueLowry21-
-My favorite moment of the year was the Russell Westbrook vs Kevin Durant trash talk. Let's be real here. We knew there was some friction between Russ and KD. We heard it in their comments, however it came to light during the February 11th OKC/Golden State game where Westbrook told KD "I'm Coming!", while Durant replied with "You're losing". It was as heated as it could be and the crowd in OKC ate it up. We don't see star players get ultra competitive like that during the regular season, but this one I was glad to see.
End Of The Season Awards
The final part of the season revolves around the final awards that officially signal the close of the season. The media voted on Friday, and we cast our personal votes now. I'll start with my choices and then pass it over to the guys for their selections. We'll be covering the MVP Award, Defensive Player Of The Year Award, Most Improved Player, 6th Man, Coach Of The Year, and if we can figure it out, Rookie Of The Year (too close to call for some of us). Let's get into that.
-The MVP: Russell Westbrook
-The Most Improved Player: Giannis A.
-The Coach Of The Year: Brad Stevens
-The Defensive Player Of the Year: Draymond Green
The 6th Man Of The Year: Eric Gordon/Andre Iguodala (can't decide between these two)
Peagle-
Russell Westbrook For MVP
Draymond Green For DPOY
Giannis For Most Improved Player
Eric Gordon For 6th Man of The Year
Brad Stevens For Coach Of the Year
IUseCondoms-
MVP- James Harden
ROTY- Joel Embiid
DPOY- Kawhi Leonard
MIP- Giannis
COTY- Mike D'Antoni
6th Man- Lou Williams
At the end of the day, the NBA regular season was the most exciting that it has ever been. Though some teams treat the regular season like it's insignificant, it's the precursor to the playoffs and helps to shape what the future could look like for every team. It's been a long stretch of months, but now that the regular season is over, I think we will look back at this and appreciate the greatness that occurred all throughout the year.
-DAR
The NBA regular season is over. Completely over. We are now in playoff mode. However, with the season being finished, there's always a chance to look back at the year that we just witnessed, the history, and what will be memorable from this year. From Durant on the Warriors, Russell Westbrook and James Harden making history, the Cavs and their successes and struggles to much more, this season was full of great moments, great players, and some really good games. Let's take a look back at this past regular season.
Best Games Of The Season
When we look back at the best games of the regular season, there's a lot of games to reference. We've seen some thrillers that went into OT, a few games that came down to the wire in the final seconds, some buzzer beaters, and some amazing games played by young teams who defeated teams that should have outmatched them, and just all around great games that saw some of the best in the game do battle on the biggest stage.
*Cleveland Cavaliers vs Washington Wizards
(140-135, OT, 2/6/17)
-In what has to be the best game of the year, the Cavs and Wizards gave us what could be a preview of the Eastern Conference Finals with a down to the wire game. LeBron was amazing as usual, finishing with 32 points and 17 assists, hitting the shot to tie the game when it looked like the Cavs might have been done to send it to OT. From there, Kyrie took over when LeBron fouled out, and the Cavs made a big statement in a game that put an end to the Wizards consecutive wins at home streak. Kevin Love finished with 39 points, whole Bradley Beal was on fire with 41 points. Overall, this was the most exciting regular season game to watch.
*New York Knicks vs Atlanta Hawks
(142- 139, 4OT, 1/29/17)
-The hardest fought game of the year. A game that went to 4 OT periods and just wouldn't end. Shot after shot kept hitting at the right time to force the game to continue. It was a great game to witness, with Carmelo finishing with 45 points, Paul Millsap finishing with 37 points and 19 rebounds, and all the players exhausted from all the minutes logged (Millsap played 60 minutes.. that's insane). This is the craziest game of the season bar none.
*Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers
(135-130, 2OT, 4/2/17)
-For me, it was the same day as WrestleMania, but this game was even better. LeBron James put up a 40 point triple double with 41 points, 16 rebounds, and 11 assists, while Paul George was pretty close to a triple double himself with 43 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists. This was one of the craziest games for the Cavs this season, right up there with their Wizards game and their Hawks game, which I'll get to later in this section.
*Los Angeles Lakers vs Golden State Warriors
(117-97, 11/4/16)
-Picked by Matt, this game is one that he felt biased to because of the Lakers being his team. There have been some low points for this franchise recently, but this game at the beginning of the season was something we all wanted to see. A young Laker team taking it to the Golden State Warriors at Staples Center and pretty much dominating from start to finish. This was one of the few times you've seen a team just manhandle the Warriors like this. It was a young Lakers team that showed that the future was indeed bright. The Warriors had the last laugh in the next few meetings, but this night was indeed a treat to watch early on.
*Denver Nuggets vs Oklahoma City Thunder
(106-105, 4/9/17)
-Russell Westbrook is amazing. It's as simple as this, his work in this game remains the most entertaining and possibly his best game all season. The night he broke the triple double record with his 42nd triple double, he led his team back from a 14 point deficit in the 4th quarter to win the game on a 30 foot (or longer) three pointer as the game clock expired. It was one of his most amazing performances and probably his most heroic performance, as he finished with his third 50 point triple double, and gave his team the 100% confirmed 6th seed in the West, while knocking the Nuggets out of playoff contention all in the same game. Nothing short of amazing.
*Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors
(132-127 2OT, 12/1/16)
-The Warriors were still struggling a bit as the regular season was REALLY getting underway. They had gone on a long winning streak, found a rhythm, but hadn't been able to beat the other top teams in the NBA yet. This game saw the Rockets take control through most of it, before the Warriors charged a comeback and seemed to have taken the game in the first OT. However, after the first OT, the Warriors just seemed to run out of gas. Durant put up 39 points and 13 rebounds and Curry put up 28, while James Harden put up a triple double with 29 points, 15 rebounds, and 13 assists. The top two offensive teams in the NBA put on a classic.
*Charlotte Hornets vs Chicago Bulls
(118-111, 1/2/17)
-This is one of my personal favorite games, much for the same reason that Matt chose the Lakers/Warriors game. This is the most masterful performance from Jimmy Butler this season, with 52 points and 12 rebounds, along with a 34 point performance from Kemba Walker. These two teams who were fighting for Eastern Conference playoff spots put it all out there, and without Dwyane Wade, the Bulls managed to get the job done.
*Golden State Warriors vs Oklahoma City Thunder
(130-114, 2/11/17)
-As one sided as this game might have seemed, there was no other game this year quite like it. Russell Westbrook and Kevin Durant had their intense rivalry that seemingly reach the highest height here in the KD return to OKC after leaving to join the Warriors. Russ would explode for a 47 point performance, but it wasn't enough to stop the trio of KD, Steph, and Klay, who finished with 34, 26, and 26 points, accounting for 86 of the 130 points the Warriors put up in this game. Watching KD and Russ have that exchange where Russ yells out "I'm coming" following a mini run by the Thunder was a highlight for the season in a major way. The Warriors dominated the Thunder in just about every matchup, but this one was the most special game of the season minus the Warriors/Cavs on Christmas.
*Cleveland Cavaliers vs Atlanta Hawks
(126-125, OT, 4/9/17)
-One of the last great days in the NBA season, the same day that Russ pulled off his heroics, the Hawks surprised the Cavs by coming back from a 26 point deficit in the 4th quarter and forcing overtime. Say what you want about the refs, the Hawks ended up pulling out a big win in a game that saw LeBron play 47 minutes and put up a 32 point triple double, and Kyrie put up 45 points and 9 assists, but it just wasn't enough to pull out the victory for the Cavs. This game was exciting, but it was also the most baffling breakdown in the 4th quarter that I witnessed this season.
Favorite Moments Of The Season
For me, True, the best moments this season came from watching my favorite players do amazing feats. From watching Durant adjust to the Warriors lineup, to seeing Draymond put up a triple double without 10 points, to Jimmy Butler carrying the Bulls to big victory with clutch last minute shots, Steph Curry breaking the 3 point record and putting up 320 plus threes for the second straight season, LeBron showing he's still the best overall player at his 14th year in the league, Klay Thompson and Devin Booker respectively putting up 60 points and 70 points, and the era of the triple double being led by the man who now owns the record, Russell Westbrook and his amazing MVP feats. We saw the emergence of Dion Waiters, the rise of Isaiah Thomas to become a certified star, John Wall showcase why he's the most underrated PG in the game, Kawhi prove he's one of the best yet again, and James Harden lead the Rockets to prominence. All those moments were vital, but one of my favorite moments came at All Star Weekend, when KD threw a lob to Russ and they briefly exchanged a word and the bench reacted to it. All in all, this season was amazing to witness, and there are so many great moments to discuss. Let's see what the guys have to say about the best moments and their favorite moments of the season.
Peagle-
-Russell Westbrook breaking the triple double record
-Russ with the Shammgod move and pass to Adams
-Devin Booker's 70 point game
-Kawhi's block on James Harden and game winner, back to back
-James Harden coast to coast game winning layup against the Nuggets
-Klay Thompson putting up 60 points on the Pacers in 3 quarters
IUseCondoms-
-Russell Westbrook breaks triple double record
-Steph Curry breaks the 3pt record in a game with 13
-Klay Thompson puts up 60 points in 3 quarters
TrueBlueLowry21-
-My favorite moment of the year was the Russell Westbrook vs Kevin Durant trash talk. Let's be real here. We knew there was some friction between Russ and KD. We heard it in their comments, however it came to light during the February 11th OKC/Golden State game where Westbrook told KD "I'm Coming!", while Durant replied with "You're losing". It was as heated as it could be and the crowd in OKC ate it up. We don't see star players get ultra competitive like that during the regular season, but this one I was glad to see.
End Of The Season Awards
The final part of the season revolves around the final awards that officially signal the close of the season. The media voted on Friday, and we cast our personal votes now. I'll start with my choices and then pass it over to the guys for their selections. We'll be covering the MVP Award, Defensive Player Of The Year Award, Most Improved Player, 6th Man, Coach Of The Year, and if we can figure it out, Rookie Of The Year (too close to call for some of us). Let's get into that.
-The MVP: Russell Westbrook
-The Most Improved Player: Giannis A.
-The Coach Of The Year: Brad Stevens
-The Defensive Player Of the Year: Draymond Green
The 6th Man Of The Year: Eric Gordon/Andre Iguodala (can't decide between these two)
Peagle-
Russell Westbrook For MVP
Draymond Green For DPOY
Giannis For Most Improved Player
Eric Gordon For 6th Man of The Year
Brad Stevens For Coach Of the Year
IUseCondoms-
MVP- James Harden
ROTY- Joel Embiid
DPOY- Kawhi Leonard
MIP- Giannis
COTY- Mike D'Antoni
6th Man- Lou Williams
At the end of the day, the NBA regular season was the most exciting that it has ever been. Though some teams treat the regular season like it's insignificant, it's the precursor to the playoffs and helps to shape what the future could look like for every team. It's been a long stretch of months, but now that the regular season is over, I think we will look back at this and appreciate the greatness that occurred all throughout the year.
-DAR
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