Christmas Day basketball seems to get a little more out of the biggest stars in the game. NBA. Here’s a look at 5 players who could (more) be written into the high-profile December 25 story.
Giannis Antetokounmpo
After some growing pains at the start of the season, the restructured Bucks are coming together quickly. Giannis leads and benefits from that effort. After an already impressive November, the Greek phenom has dramatically increased his free throw attempts (10.2/14.0) and assists (5.1/6.9) in December. As a result, Milwaukee has returned to the top of the Eastern Conference standings. The 2021 NBA champions sit just a half-game behind first-place Boston, and Antetokounmpo is the freight train force behind the Bucks’ surge.
Stephen Curry
If Curry seems to find coal on Christmas, perhaps it’s a sacrifice he paid for gold in June. It wasn’t until his ninth Christmas game that Curry posted 20 points on December 25 (a 33-point performance against Phoenix in 2021). Even that was due to poor aim, and his previous appearances were less than stellar. Wardell is two years old. He will try to make it happen in the Mile High City, where the reigning NBA champions, the Nuggets, have proven to be nearly invincible. Curry and the Warriors came close on Nov. 8, losing by just three. They need to change that ending to continue making up lost ground in the West, where Golden State is in 11th place and out of the Play-In Tournament.
Luka Doncic
Christmas and Luka Magic are on their way to becoming synonymous. Last year’s Christmas matchup with LeBron James was a full Santa bag for basketball fans. Doncic scored 32 points, nine rebounds and nine assists in the victory over the Lakers. Doncic has done more of the same this season, but an injury to Kyrie Irving has sapped the momentum of Dallas’ strong start to the season. Luka has taken on more of the burden to try to compensate; His attempts and his raw numbers increased noticeably in December.
LeBron James
The King of Christmas? LeBron is a tradition in himself, a fact that has seen him surpass Kobe Bryant and Oscar Robertson as the all-time leading scorer in history since December 25 (460 points). The last time James wasn’t part of the vacation: 2006. LeBron isn’t slowing down as he’s just a week shy of his 39th birthday. His overall shooting is his best since 2017-18. His 3-point shooting efficiency this season is second only to his 2012-13 career with Miami. His steals per game? Most since 2014-15.
Nikola Jokic
Jokic’s greatness cannot be adequately captured. The undisputed star of the reigning NBA champions has led his team through early injuries and acclimating to a remade bench rotation. Even those obstacles haven’t stopped Denver from having a solid top-three record in the West.
That’s a great sign for the Nuggets and a testament to how Jokic elevates everyone around him. Jokic also has an individual advantage. Partly out of necessity, his shot attempts (19.0/gm) are a career high for him. That he’s willing to make that leap, even at the expense of his normally off-the-charts efficiency, is another star-studded step in a career full of them. Add to that the fact that Jokic’s turnovers have plummeted, and it’s easy to see why he and Denver are the bar every player and team is trying to clear.
2023-12-23 21:28:35
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