The NBA’s Top 10 Dunks Of The Week

LeBron James gives us not one, not two, not three, but four spectacular dunks over the past week, leading the charge in an excellent week for poster slams, putbacks and improbable alley-oops.

Joining LeBron includes such usual suspects as Chicago’s Taj Gibson, as well as the Clippers’ Blake Griffin. However, the magnitude of their dunks may end up falling well short of passing up any of the dunks of LeBron.

We take a look in the top ten dunks of the week.

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10. Michael Carter-Williams dunks over Giannis Antetokounmpo
Starting off the top ten with some rookie on rookie crime, Philadelphia’s Michael Carter-Williams dribbles 50 feet with Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo attached to his hip, but makes a burst to the rim that frees him up to dunk over the 6-9 rookie from Greece.

The Sixers need to keep tabs on Carter-Williams. If he continues to play as well as he has this year, Philadelphia won’t be in contention for any of the top picks next year. In fact, there’s a chance they may still win the division. As insane as that sounds, the Sixers are a few consecutive wins away from leading the Atlantic, where they trail first place by only four games.

9. Blake Griffin reaches back for the putback vs. Denver
Blake Griffin has played with Matt Barnes long enough to know that he better get in position for a rebound.

Barnes, who’s shooting 27 percent from three this year, launched up a prayer that bounced off the rim in Griffin’s direction, leading to the former Slam Dunk champion cocking back and ramming it through, all while Denver’s J.J. Hickson helplessly watches from behind.

8. Taj Gibson slams in the putback over Brooklyn
It just wouldn’t be a top ten dunks of the week list without at least one appearance from Chicago’s Taj Gibson.

This time around, Gibson is unleashing his fury over the disinterested Brooklyn Nets as he perfectly times a monster putback over Mirza Teletovic off of Jimmy Butler‘s wayward layup attempt.

7. Blake Griffin dunks all over Ricky Rubio
Ricky Rubio must have been feeling a tad too ambitious when he jumped with Blake Griffin on a fast break that was going to end in a dunk, no matter what Rubio attempted.

If you’ve ever imagined Rubio playing defense on Griffin on a fast break, it went exactly as you thought with Ricky being nothing more than another member of Blake’s highlight reel.

6. Reggie Jackson puts Amar’e Stoudemire on his poster
Dunking over Amar’e Stoudemire just doesn’t have the same value to it as it did pre-New York days. Nevertheless, the 6-3 Reggie Jackson, who is combining with Russell Westbrook to form arguably the most athletic point guard tandem in NBA history, still impressed as he went baseline and rose up with enough time to get the dunk in before Amar’e could get into position.

5. Paul George slams in the reverse dunk in transition
It feels as if we’re watching Paul George shine on a fast break every time these lists are compiled. Give credit to George, though, he’s keeping us interested.

In his team’s blowout victory over Houston, George received another opportunity to draw a reaction from the crowd, and threw down just your typical double-pump reverse.

4. LeBron James dunks on Ben McLemore
LeBron James was on a mission this week. For some reason, it crossed LeBron’s mind that he had to have at least one Dunk of the Year candidate in every game he played in from now on.

Starting off against Sacramento, LeBron amazed viewers with his towering posterization of the Kings’ Ben McLemore, a 6-5 rookie guard who has obviously never watched James before. I say this because any other defender in their right mind would have stepped out of the way.

3. LeBron James dunks on Paul Millsap
Paul Millsap does not get the benefit of the doubt when it comes to trying to take a charge from LeBron. McLemore at least has the excuses of being a rookie and trying to make the right play. Millsap, on the other hand, is a veteran that should very well know that stepping in front of a speeding LeBron James is the last thing you should do.

It’s interesting how the two poster dunks came so close together. LeBron hasn’t had many impressive poster dunks over defenders over the past year, yet he breaks through with two within a week of each other.

2. LeBron James throws in the ferocious alley-oop vs. the Lakers
Just when we thought it couldn’t get better, LeBron astounds the NBA fanbase once again, this time with a one-handed, cock-back slam off a Dwyane Wade alley-oop during the early portion of their win against the Los Angeles Lakers. It seems as if Wade purposely throws the pass behind James to showcase to the audience what his teammate is capable of doing.

So, this was his obligated highlight of the game, right? Maybe any other day, but, hey, it was Christmas…

1. LeBron James throws in the off-glass alley-oop vs. the Lakers
As if he didn’t top himself a few nights prior when it came to his poster dunks, LeBron tops his cock-back alley-oop in the same game with one of the best off-glass alley-oops that has ever been executed.

Unlike either of the previous off-glass alley-oops the two have completed, this one came with actual defenders attempting to stop the play, rather than them trailing behind.

The idea itself to go off-glass on a fast break with defenders is incredible enough, but the way LeBron is able to jump off the wrong foot, catch the pass with his off-hand (if you wish to consider that he actually has an inferior hand), and then finish with his eyes closed makes this an easy candidate for dunk of the year.

BONUS: LeBron wasn’t even done. He did this a few nights later…

What do you think?

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