This year, the NBA has (finally) decided to highlight one of the actions that made it internationally famous: the dunk. With statistics that note style, height, hang time and a whole bunch of other “objective” data, we can now rank the best dunks night after night with the “Dunk Score”.
What is “Dunk Score”?
The “Dunk Score” takes into account more than 25 measurements, including the vertical rebound, the distance of the last press, the height reached by the ball, the speed of the ball and the proximity of the defender, to produce a numerical total which compiles all these data using a formula kept secret.
During each match, “augmented cameras” placed around the pitch produce landmarks on 29 different points of the ten players on the pitch, 60 times per second!
With this influx of data which makes it possible to locate the different parts of the players' bodies (shoulders, hands, feet, etc.), plus the constant location of the ball, we obtain a matrix which allows each action to be analyzed with a scalpel. Behind this, NBA statisticians have their mathematical model which takes into account different factors.
The jump: whether at the impulse, with the distance from the basket, or at its peak, with the maximum height reached by the player and the ball, the “Dunk Score” takes into account several data
Power: the more powerful, the better for Dunk Score! Basically, it's the speed of the ball when it crosses the circle and the player's arm speed when he triggers the fatal move.
The style: This is about rewarding originality and creativity, with “figures” such as the traditional alley-oops, 360° or windmills. There is more subjectivity there, even if the criteria are precise and repeated identically depending on the quality of the dunk
The defender: To make a poster, it takes two! This criterion takes into account the presence, or not, of a defender in the action. And how high the latter is to contest the dunk.
Highest dunker: Shaedon Sharpe
The leaping back of the Blazers is the undisputed champion of the category, he who holds the three best scores, with his famous alley-oop against the Jazz measured at 114.5 cm of relaxation, then another against the Lakers, at 110 .7 cm and finally, a third – a tap dunk – no less impressive at 102.9 cm against Minnesota.
Behind, we find marsupilamis already known on the circuit such as Jalen Green who appears twice in the Top 10 (102.1 cm and 98.6 cm), then Ja Morant (100.6 cm) and Zion Williamson, unfortunately too often on the flank (100.3 cm) but also Anthony Edwards, still too discreet in this register this season (98.3 cm).
Two youngsters also sneak into the ten biggest releases measured this season, with promising Spurs rookie Stephon Castle (100.8 cm) and Ziaire Williams of the Nets (99.3 cm).
The most powerful dunker: Obi Toppin
If Jalen Green beats him with four appearances in the Top 10, it is the Pacers strong winger – former dunk champion at All-Star Weekend 2022 – who still collects three of the best scores in the “category” power “. It must be said that with his “tomahawk” finish at high altitude in the alley-oop in Toronto, he pulled out all the stops, perfectly put into orbit by TJ McConnell!
Despite his featherweight, Jalen Green confirms that he is one of the most spectacular dunkers in the League with his ferocious attacks from the basket, more in velocity than in pure power. The other winners in the category, rather reserved for “bigs”, are Myles Turner, Victor Wembanyama and LeBron James.
The soaring dunker: Brandon Miller
We are interested here in “hang time”, the time suspended in the air, before bending the iron. And, in this little game, it is the Hornets winger, Brandon Miller who stands out, with two appearances in the Top 5!
To tell the truth, the dunks in this category are clearly not the most impressive, with alley-oop finishes that are not so sharp or clean, like those of Keldon Johnson (although ranked first) and therefore of Miller, also served in the alley. -oop (from afar by LaMelo Ball), who barely ends up putting the ball in the hoop.
We also want as proof this alley-oop of the Kiwi pivot of the Rockets, Steven Adams, really not known for his aerial prowess…
Most stylish dunker: Kai Jones
In this category, we have a most astonishing tripartite tie, due to the subjectivity inherent in this classification, between three players with very different styles. Indeed, Kai Jones, the returnee of the Clippers, John Collins, the serial dunker of the Jazz and the heavier Croatian pivot of the Clippers, Ivica Zubac, share a perfect score of 100 with finishes which, it must be admitted, are cleanest!
Besides Zubac, we also come across an unusual suspect in this group, the shooting pivot (but also dunker), Jay Huff. Even the “Finnisher”, Lauri Markkanen. On the other hand, we are less surprised to see two Juniors known for their athletic qualities: Derrick Jones Jr. (former winner of the Slam Dunk Contest in 2020) and Kelly Oubre Jr.
Farthest dunker: Cason Wallace
The takeoff runway is more or less long to get close to the stars and, this season, it is for the moment the Thunder's fullback, Cason Wallace, who took his call furthest from the circle, almost 3 meters away (292 cm)!
Behind, respectively an inch (2.5 cm) from each other, we find Cam Johnson (289.6 cm) of the Nets, the rookie of the Bulls Matas Buzelis (287 cm) and the neo MVP of the NBA Cup, Giannis Antetokounmpo (284.5 cm).
The five best dunks of the season (by Dunk Score)
5. Brandon Miller (108,9)
Well placed in many categories, including “hang time” and even style, Brandon Miller scored a big score against the Rockets at the end of October. Well served by LaMelo Ball in the meantime, the Hornets winger was able to spread his wings to place a nasty concrete block on the nose of Jabari Smith Jr, arriving a bit too late for the counter…
4. Keyonte George (109,2)
Very recent, this dunk from the back of the Jazz entered the Top 5 of the season thanks to its power/poster combo, Keyonte George being mounted on the imposing Jalen Duren. He could well smile about it in the process…
3. Jaylen Brown (109,6)
Having come up like a cuckoo since the last NBA Finals, and a summer when he would have liked to be part of the Parisian Olympic adventure, Jaylen Brown was able to express a little of his anger on this poster against Chicago. It was poor Jalen Smith who paid the price in this duel at very high altitude.
2. Jalen Green (111,3)
Among the most powerful dunkers and those who jump the highest, Jalen Green made the talk against the Pistons. On an interception by his teammate, Amen Thompson, the Rockets' fullback, hit the gas to punish Cade Cunningham with a resounding firecracker!
1. John Collins (113,4)
A fierce dunker since his arrival in the League from Atlanta, John Collins has lost none of his explosiveness after his transfer to Utah. In the two-man game with Patty Mills, he recovers the leather with one foot in the racket… and Coby White can only notice the damage, late and too small to contest it.
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