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10 signature NBA moves to watch for this season
No one is better at getting to the foul line than Houston Rockets guard James Harden. Scott Halleran/Getty Images

10 signature NBA moves to watch for this season

Sweet Chin Music. The Rock Bottom. The Stone Cold Stunner.

While NBA players don’t have awesome names for their signature moves like their WWE counterparts, the artistry of those moves is still just as spectacular and, at times, just as breathtaking. Instead of flying off a top rope, they soar above rims, make seemingly impossible shots and leave defenders scratching their heads.

Although NBA fans will not be able to see Kobe Bryant’s fadeaway, Tim Duncan’s bank shot or Kevin Garnett’s famous scowl, they will still be treated to many other players and the moves that have become part of their identities.

Here are some of the signature moves NBA players will deploy this year.

Dirk Nowitzki: One-legged fadeaway

 

There may not be a shot more unblockable since Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s sky hook than Dirk Nowitzki’s one-legged fadeaway. Much like that cupcake on the table when you were two years old, this shot from the longtime Dallas Maverick big man is always out of reach.

Sure, his long arms make it impossible to contest the shot, but it is the space he creates with his shoulders and impeccable footwork at seven-feet that really make this one of the most unstoppable shots in basketball.

Rajon Rondo: Behind-the-back fake

 

Say what you will about his jump shot, but Rajon Rondo has always been a wizard with the ball, even leading the league in assists last season. And no move in his arsenal has befuddled opponents more than his behind-the-back ball fake.

The funny thing is he rarely throws the behind-the-back pass in general, so he’s not exactly setting up defenders to bite. However, his arms are so long he actually exposes the ball on the other side of his body, freezing opponents enough for him to get an opening for a layup.

He will ply his trade with the Chicago Bulls this year.

LeBron James: Chase-down block

 

Two words: Game 7.

Giannis Antetokounmpo: Euro step

 

After becoming an iconic move for guards like Manu Ginobili, James Harden and Dwyane Wade, the Euro step appeared to be an exclusive maneuver for smaller players to create space.

Not anymore.

Giannis Antetokounmpo, an actual European, took his six-foot-11 frame and used it to create one of the most evasive moves in the NBA. While guards are able to use their quickness to work the Euro step, the Milwaukee Buck uses his length to sell the first step and change direction dramatically with the second.

Expect to him make defenders look silly this year after being named the primary ball handler by head coach Jason Kidd.

James Harden: Drawing fouls

   

Let’s preface this by saying that James Harden is a great basketball player who can score with the best of them in the NBA. With that out of the way, we can now be honest: The dude flops a lot.

Yes, a lot of players have made it their trademark to manufacture calls, but Harden has it down to a science. He either keeps the ball extra high or extra low, swinging methodically until he feels contact. After a flailing motion, the referee has no choice but to call the foul.

Watching Harden play, it looks like he is more concerned with getting the foul rather then getting a clean look at a shot. But after averaging 10 foul shots and 27 points per game since 2013, it is hard to argue with the results.

Jamal Crawford: Crossover

 

Appropriately nicknamed J-Crossover, Jamal Crawford has had defenders wobbling like a wacky waving inflatable tube man his entire career. He doesn’t have elite top speed, but his quickness and change of pace have opponents grabbing at air.

Even at the age of 36, Crawford is shaking and baking defenders with lightning-quick dribbles, leaving a trail of bodies in his wake. The Los Angeles Clippers are going to need every bit of that talent if they hope to get out of a tough Western Conference.

Stephen Curry: DEEEEEEEEP three

 

There is range, and then there is Steph Curry range.

The talented Golden State Warrior guard has literal in-the-gym range, showing no fear launching the ball well beyond the 23.75 feet limit of the NBA three-point line. Defenses have no choice but to respect Curry’s sniper-like range. As a result, it opens up his dribble-drive game and spreads the opposition even further trying to cover him, opening up his teammates.

While a lot of players want to believe they can shoot it from anywhere, Curry has actually proved it.

DeAndre Jordan: Pick and roll

 

Technically this is a two-man operation with Chris Paul, but that doesn’t discount the damage that DeAndre Jordan can do when he rumbles to the cup.

While he won’t turn defenders around like Hakeem Olajuwon or bully people around like DeMarcus Cousins, Jordan will stone people on screens and get to the basket quicker than most centers. And once he’s there, he will usually throw down a highlight dunk that will leave the crowd in awe.

He can’t score many ways, but Jordan has led the league in field goal percentage the last four seasons on the strength of that pick and roll game. That’s nothing to sneeze at.

Carmelo Anthony: Spin move

 

In terms of pure scoring, Carmelo Anthony is near the top of the list. He has a true jumper and has surprising quickness at six-foot-eight, 240-pounds to get to the basket.

But where he has made most of his bones is in the mid-post, where he can face up and surgically dissect the defense. His scalpel: the spin move.

The New York Knicks forward isn’t the leanest guy in the NBA, but his ability to explode out of movements even with his wider frame clears so much space for him to get to the tin. Earl Monroe would be proud.

LeBron James: Tomahawk dunk

 

Yes, James has made this list twice, but he is just that darn good.

There may be no greater athlete to play the game of basketball than the kid from Akron, Ohio. Even at the age of 31, the Cleveland Cavaliers forward is still elevating and smashing down dunks with the greatest of ease. No dunk is featured more often than his signature tomahawk dunk.

Often taking off from the dotted line and beyond, James explodes off he floor, cups the ball with his outstretched arm and flushes the ball while looking down at the rim. NBA fans should cherish the LeBron James era of basketball. We might not see a better athlete ever again.

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