Thanksgiving is upon us. It's the time of year where people reflect on what they are most thankful for in their lives. The same goes for the players/teams in the NBA. Let's take a look at which three players we are most thankful for on this Thanksgiving.
Stephen Curry
Stephen Curry is captivating, to put it simply. The 26-year-old point guard can light it up on a daily basis from anywhere on the court, especially 3-point range. He is averaging 23.9 points and 7.7 assists per game, and is shooting 48.6% from the field (42.6% from 3) this season. Curry has grown even more this year, especially on the defensive end, as he is averaging a career-high 2.2 steals per game (previous career-high was 1.9 during rookie year).
He is also rebounding at a career-high rate of 5.5 boards per game. Curry is creating a big debate as to whether he or Chris Paul is the best point guard in the NBA, and the Davidson product is making a compelling case for MVP as we near the quarter mark in the season. The Warriors should continue to improve under Curry's leadership, and will contend for a title come playoff time. Curry will make it a fun show to watch until then.
Anthony Davis
The Unibrow is a freak athlete who is rapidly becoming one of the best players in the NBA. Yes you read that correctly. A 21-year-old is contending for the title of "Best in the NBA", and this is just his third season in the association. Davis is averaging 25.4 ppg, 11.2 rpg, 3.4 bpg and has a Player Efficiency Rating (PER) of 34.60, which if it somehow stands, would be the highest of all-time (Chamberlain had 31.82 in 1962-63 season).
The Kentucky product is a threat on both ends of the court, and his efficiency and shooting range will only improve as the season goes on. Plus, he's always good for a SportsCenter top 10 play almost every game he plays. Fans should get try and watch Davis as many times as they can over the course of the season. Case and point is the video below, where the 'Brow blocks a shot from two different players within three seconds of one another against Portland.
John Wall
The Washington Wizards' point guard has taken his game to another level this season, and is making the Wizards a title contender in the Eastern Conference. Wall is molding his all-around game into a level that will get him recognized on an All-NBA team, should he continue the strong play.
He is putting up a stat line of 19.5 points, 9.4 assists and 4.3 rebounds per game, as the Wizards are off to a 9-5 start through their first 14 games. Wall is also tallying 2.5 steals per game, and can take over the game almost at will. His shooting numbers are lower than they should be (43% FG, 29% 3-PT), but Wall has shown he is now an elite point guard, and makes the players around him better. Look for the 24-year-old to get an all-star nod and to receive some MVP votes later in the season.
*All stats are courtesy of either ESPN.com or Basketball Reference.
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