Welcome back to NBA Star Power Index: A weekly gauge of the players getting the most buzz around the league. Inclusion on this list isn't necessarily a good thing -- it simply means you're capturing the NBA world's attention. This is also not a ranking. The players listed here are in no particular order. This column will run every week throughout the regular season.
LeBron missed a game-tying 3-pointer by about half the length of his big toe in the Lakers' 108-106 loss to the Timberwolves on Saturday. The shot was called a two-pointer for his toe being on the line, which was upheld after replay, and subsequently corroborated by the league's last-two minute report.
Zoomed in, slowed down look at the replay of LeBron's go-ahead shot that was ruled a two instead of a three pic.twitter.com/ZlyEydSgjk
— AlexHoops (@AlexHoops_) December 31, 2023
"It's obviously a 3," James told reporters after the game. "My foot is behind the line. You can see the space between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. You can clearly see a white, the wood on the floor is the space in between the front of my foot and the 3-point line. Stevie Wonder could see that, champ."
I agreed with LeBron the first 10 times I watched the replay. But the more I watch it, the more I think the officials got it right. From the L2M report:
"James' (LAL) successful shot attempt was initially ruled a two-point shot by on-court referees," the report reads. "Upon review by the NBA Replay Center Official, there was not clear and conclusive visual evidence that the on-court ruling was incorrect, and therefore no basis to overturn that ruling. When James raises his heels to jump for his shot, the replay shows his right foot rolling forward so that the toe of his shoe contacts the three-point line. For a player's shot to be scored a three-point field goal, the player may not touch the three-point line until after his shot is released."
Morant, who started out 4-0 in his returning from a 25-game suspension before suffering a couple losses to the Clippers and Kings, got the Grizzlies back on the winning track with 26 points and 10 assists against the Spurs on Tuesday.
The highlight that made the social media rounds was Morant (sort of) dunking on Victor Wembanyama.
JA MORANT PUT WEMBY ON A POSTER 🤯
— Grizz Lead (@Grizz_Lead) January 3, 2024
pic.twitter.com/aCTvnyws5L
I say Morant "sort of" dunked on Wemby because Wemby didn't even really have time to get off the ground for a contest. Once Morant stuck his foot in the ground like a running back who sees a cutback lane, it was over for Wemby. That crossover is so fast and forceful. My goodness. A closer angle:
“Hello Wemby, let me introduce you to Mr. Morant.” pic.twitter.com/vuGvjTPP7Q
— Ballislife.com (@Ballislife) January 3, 2024
In his first game since Dec. 22, Embiid hung 31 points, 15 rebounds and 10 assists on the Bulls on Tuesday -- marking his 15th straight game with at least 30 points and 10 rebounds. Embiid is averaging six assists per game this year, by far a career high.
As I wrote in my latest MVP rankings:
Don't totally mistake that [assist uptick] for a significant leap in playmaking. It's mostly the tempo of Nick Nurse's system that is using him as a two-man hub with a barrage of dribble hand-offs. Still, Embiid flips screens and finds cutters, whatever the energy of the action dictates. He's unstoppable when he faces up.
So far this season, Embiid has registered 14 games with at least 30 points, 10 rebounds and five assists, more than Giannis Antetokoumnpo (12), Nikola Jokic (12) and Luka Doncic (10) despite his playing significantly fewer total minutes than those guys so far.
His six 40-point games are tied with Doncic for tops in the league.
Over the last two weeks, SGA has led the Thunder to two victories over the Nuggets, both on the road. In the first, he hit the game-winner. In the second, he went for 40 (he's done that five times this season).
Throw in a win over the Timberwolves, and a win over the Celtics on Tuesday in which SGA put up 36 points (he has 23 games this season with at least 30 points, tied with Luka Doncic for the most in the league), and that's four victories against the defending champs and each conference's top seed over the past two Star Indexes.
For my money, SGA should be trailing only Joel Embiid in the MVP race:
SGA is on track to become just the third player in NBA history to average at least 31 points, six assists, five rebounds and two steals, joining Michael Jordan and James Harden. Factoring in usage rate, no starting point guard turns the ball over less than SGA. He is a rock.
Haliburton is just a ridiculously great offensive player. This past week he became the third player in history (joining John Stockton and Magic Johnson) to post consecutive games with at least 20 points and 20 assists.
- @Chicago: 21 points, 20 assists
- vs. New York: 22 points, 23 assists
The 23 assists is a career high and ties the Pacers franchise record. He has recorded double-digit assists in all but four games this season.
HISTORIC NIGHT FOR TYRESE HALIBURTON 😱
— NBA (@NBA) December 31, 2023
📊 22 PTS, 23 AST (career-high)
👀 Most 20 AST games in Pacers history
3⃣ Third player ever with back-to-back 20-PT, 20-AST games, joining John Stockton and Magic Johnson pic.twitter.com/GxnbZdBKGx
"I didn't know 23 was the franchise record otherwise I would've hunted to get 24," Haliburton said. "Assists don't happen without guys making shots. ... Guys have to make shots for me to get assists and we're doing that at a high clip right now."
Westbrook passed Patrick Ewing for 25th on the NBA's all-time scoring list on Monday with this tight spin and finish.
For all the flak this guy has taken (and I've been at the front of the line on many occasions), we're now talking about one of just three players in NBA history to rank in the top 25 in career scoring and top 10 in career assists.
Yes, there's some stat-compiling baked into those numbers, both for style of play and longevity, but Russ deserves major props, not just for his Hall of Fame career to this point, but for the way he has settled into his reserve role and been a major impact player for the Clippers.
Anunoby was (finally) traded on Saturday. He's a Knick now. He was terrific in his New York debut with 17 points (three 3s), six rebounds (three offensive) and a pair of steals in a quality win over Minnesota. He was a plus-19 in 35 minutes; he would've neared the 40-minute mark had he not fouled out with four and a half minutes to play.
Never change, Thibs.
Anunoby did a little bit of everything: He hit corner 3s, which New York loves to create with Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle. He defended the hell out of Anthony Edwards and interrupted multiple plays as an off-ball helper. He made some textbook cuts, both from the dunker's spot and from the weak-side wing, for buckets.
good debut for OG Anunoby pic.twitter.com/RSLdMRusOm
— Teg🚨 (@IQfor3) January 1, 2024
Check out my Trade Grades for both New York and Toronto.
