Mitchell, Doncic, Embiid…a wealth of talent, a flood of points
Like Cleveland Cavaliers star Donovan Mitchell’s 71 points against Chicago on Monday, high-profile individual performances are on the rise in the NBA right now, a phenomenon largely due to an unprecedented abundance of talent in the world’s top league.
It’s a historic evening for Mitchell, who made his mark in his move to the Cavs for his first season in Ohio, where only LeBron James and, to a lesser extent, Kyrie Irving have untouchable status. won the champion title in 2016.
His new franchise record total sees the former Utah quarterback join five other players with 71 or more points in a game: Wilt Chamberlain (100), Kobe Bryant (81), David Thompson (73), Elgin Baylor and David Robinson (71 ).
That matching sixth-best mark in history (Chamberlain also managed matches with 72 and 78 points) is the pinnacle of current practice, but nothing says he’s unbeatable, both of those types of fights are legion right now.
Last week, Luka Doncic (Dallas) finished with an exceptional triple-double with 21 rebounds and 10 assists, giving the Knicks 60 points. Like the American (22-of-34 shots), the Slovenian prodigy (21-of-31) has shown great skill with at least 50 points in his third game of the season. Before them, Joel Embiid (Philadelphia) scored 59 points against Utah, and also showed mastery (19/28)…
“Physical technique”
Almost halfway through the season, there have already been 14 games in which he has scored 50 or more points, the latest of which was Giannis Antetokounmpo’s 55 on Tuesday night in Milwaukee’s win over Washington, the two-time MVP (2019, 2020). his personal record.
According to BeIn Sports consultant, ex-player and coach Jacques Monklar, this scoring orgy “would be too simplistic to explain away by the chronic lack of defense between rival teams”.
“Even if they are very conciliatory at times, we have seen worse in the past. Certainly, the 1980s are symbolized by the toughness of Homeric battles, but there was also such a difference between the teams that some did not defend at all. It was like that in the 1990s, even in the 2000s,” he recalls.
Therefore, priority should be given to other factors, starting from the physical parameters.
“We are in a season where veterans and experienced players are in great shape. Their cardio level is impressive in today’s basketball, where there is a lot of competition and travel, “says Jacques Monklar.
“Then they have the ability to take their technique to a physical level. That’s what Kevin Durant, Donovan Mitchell and Luka Doncic can do night in and night out. “You can talk about the defense … but the quality of the baskets they hit shows that the practice remains both difficult and dangerous, which cannot be underestimated.”
Ability to repeat actions
“Today, the quality of a star is judged by its ability to replicate them, not its inability to do so,” he says.
However, there are more than ever in the NBA who could fall into this category, following unrepentant scorers, Kevin Durant (Brooklyn), Stephen Curry (Golden State), Damian Lillard (Portland), Joel Embiid, Anthony Davis, LeBron James ( Lakers), Jayson Tatum (Boston) and others Devin Booker (Phoenix)…
Ja Morant (Memphis), Anthony Edwards (Minnesota), Jordan Clarkson (Utah), Trae Young (Atlanta) or even Klay Thompson (Golden State) could “plant” 50 or 60. Monks.
In the NBA, where many teams play at a very high tempo, there are many players who know how to take advantage of any offense in force. This translates into increased possessions and shooting opportunities.
“The intensity they show on the field is impressive. But the quality of work, training, workforce management also encourage these individual performances,” says Jacques Monclar.
“The NBA also feels that players have more and more talent, so it requires stricter enforcement of rules such as walking or carrying the ball. Because without it, at the speed they are going, with the power that belongs to them, there is no chance for defense,” he concludes.
