When the 2017-18 NBA season tipped off on Oct. 17 with a game between the Cavaliers and Celtics, we knew that there would be a lot of great plays that would take place during the first month of the season. But what we didn’t know was that there would be this many of them. Even though most NBA teams are still trying to find their groove so that they can begin positioning themselves for the postseason, the first month of the season has been every bit as exciting as we all hoped it would be.
We expect that it will get even more exciting from here on out. With the Christmas Day games just on the horizon and a bunch of great matchups scheduled for the top of 2018, there are definitely going to be dozens and dozens of plays that we can add to this list in the weeks and months to come. But for now, let’s take a look back at all the NBA season has offered to us through the first month. Here are The 9 Best Plays of the 2017-18 NBA Season (So Far).
9. Fox for the Win
Player:De’Aaron Fox
Opponent: Philadelphia 76ers
Date: 11/9/2017
The 2017-18 NBA rookie class has been one of the best ones in years. The players in the class have shown that they’re ready to step up and contribute right away. Fox is a great example of this. While the Kings are still a couple years away from being playoff contenders, he knocked down a game-winner against the Sixers at the beginning of November and proved that he’s going to be a player to watch in the years to come.
8. Irving With the Handles
Player:Kyrie Irving
Opponent: Atlanta Hawks
Date: 11/6/2017
Is Irving the best ballhandler in the NBA today? It’s hard to argue against him after seeing what he did here against the Hawks. Even Irving’s former teammate LeBron James felt some type of way about Irving carving through Atlanta’s defense.
7. Lillard From Way Downtown
Player:Damian Lillard
Opponent: Los Angeles Lakers
Date: 11/2/2017
The only reason this clutch shot from Lillard didn’t land higher on the list is because we’ve already seen him do this before on a much bigger stage. But that didn’t make it any less exciting when he crushed the Lakers’ hopes by knocking down a deep three-pointer to beat them.
6. Davis With the Block and Save
Player:Anthony Davis
Opponent: Chicago Bulls
Date: 11/4/2017
You’ve seen AD block plenty of shots before. You even saw him add an impressive block on Lonzo Ball to his résumé earlier this season. But have you ever seen him block a shot, chase it out of bounds, and then throw it off the guy he blocked to give his team the ball? That’s exactly what he did here, and it was every bit as impressive as it sounds.
5. Embiid Does It All
Player:Joel Embiid
Opponent: Los Angeles Lakers
Date: 11/15/2017
We’re cheating a little bit here, because this isn’t technically one play. But we couldn’t leave this masterful performance from Embiid off the list. He recorded 46 points, 15 rebounds, 7 assists, and 7 blocks in a single game against the Lakers and carved up their defense in just about every way. If this guy can stay healthy for an entire season, watch out.
4. Gordon at the Buzzer
Player:Eric Gordon
Opponent: Philadelphia 76ers
Date: 10/25/2017
Embiid is going to have a lot of memorable plays on his highlight reel this season, but this is one he wishes he could leave off of it. He had a chance to block Gordon here and give the Sixers the win. But Gordon got off a shot at the buzzer and sank the Sixers when he made it.
3. LeBron and Giannis’ Block Party
Players:LeBron James and Giannis Antetokounmpo
Opponents: Bucks and Cavaliers
Dates: 10/20 and 11/7
Anything you can do, I can do better? That seems to be the way LeBron and the Greek Freak are handling this season. LeBron is still the best player in the Eastern Conference, but Giannis is hot on his heels and looking to surpass him. So after LeBron blocked him during a game back in October, Giannis returned the favor with a block of his own during their next game. This is a budding rivalry that will be fun to watch in the coming seasons, assuming LeBron doesn’t leave Cleveland.
2. Griffin for 3
Player:Blake Griffin
Opponent: Portland Trail Blazers
Date: 10/26/2017
It feels like all NBA big men (we’re looking at you, Dwight Howard!) brag about working on their three-point shots in the offseason these days. But it’s clear that Griffin actually did it. He hasn’t been known to knock down many threes throughout the course of his career, but he’s taking and making more of them this season. And he even hit one to shock the Blazers at the buzzer at the start of the season.
1. Wiggins With the Bank
Player:Andrew Wiggins
Opponent: Oklahoma City Thunder
Date: 10/22/2017
Wiggins probably didn’t call bank. But to paraphrase Paul Pierce, he did call game. After Carmelo Anthony hit a big shot of his own to give the Thunder the lead, Wiggins came right down the court and stole one for Minnesota. It’s going to be hard for anyone to top the dramatic ending to this game, but it’ll be fun watching them try.
