On a night we had an MVP duel between Nikola Jokic and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, and Kawhi Leonard hitting an insane game-winner, two poster dunks got more attention. Toumani Camara and Ja Morant delivered some insane highlights, but which poster was better?
Toumani Camara vs. Ja Morant: Who Got Better Poster?
If we look at the pure technicality, Ja Morant almost had a poster dunk. He didn’t deliver the final touch, unlike Toumani Camara’s poster, which went through the net. In a league where three-pointers are taking over, it is nice to have two amazing, almost dunks in a single night. Let’s look at each dunk and decide which one was a better execution.
Toumani Camara Poster vs. Pistons
Toumani Camara has been a bright spot for the Blazers this season. The second-year forward has vastly improved his game, and he looks like a promising piece for the future. He has upped his points per game, but also he is taking more threes and shooting them at a higher percentage. Every now and then, he delivers a great highlight like the dunk against the Pistons.
Toumani Camara’s poster dunk was against Isaiah Stewart, the best defensive player on the Pistons. Stewart is having an amazing defensive season. According to NBA stats, he is holding players to below 50% shooting when contesting their rim shots. That is something Victor Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert haven’t done this season.
It makes Camara’s dunk that much more impressive. Every time you get to dunk on a defensive-minded center is an accomplishment.
Ja Morant’s Almost Poster vs. Pelicans
It’s been a whirlwind season for Ja Morant. He has missed plenty of games due to injuries, and now he looks like he is finally back. At the beginning of the season, Ja said he didn’t want to dunk on people anymore. The eclectic point guard said that he often gets injured on such plays and values his health more than a poster dunk.
Yet every now and then, he tries a crazy dunk like the one against Trey Murphy III of the New Orleans Pelicans. Judging by difficulty, Ja’s dunk is definitely more impressive. Sadly, he didn’t make it. Listed at 6’2″, Ja is one of the shortest players in the league. And yet, he has some of the most impressive poster dunks.
Dunk of the Year?
We have had plenty of candidates for Dunk of the Year so far. Ja almost had one in January, but it didn’t count. It seems like the Grizzlies star point guard needs just a little more elevation to get the best dunk of the season.
Between Ja’s attempt on Murphy and the Camara’s finished poster on Stewart, we have to give the edge to the Blazers forward. In any case, fans can be happy that we still get highlights like these two. There has been plenty of talk about teams shooting more and more threes, but luckily, we still have players like these to deliver amazing highlights. Who knows? Maybe we will get Ja in the dunk contest next season.
The post Toumani Camara vs. Ja Morant: Who Got Better Poster? appeared first on Last Word On Basketball.