5 best 'microwave' players in today's NBA
December marks the annual return of a very special holiday. Yes, Dec. 6 is Microwave Oven Day.
The microwave, of course, holds a special place in basketball parlance. Vinnie "Microwave" Johnson helped popularize the phrase in the 1980s, as his scoring touch was said to heat up instantly, whether he was coming in cold off the bench or snapping a drought.
With that in mind, let's celebrate the occasion by honoring the five best "microwave" players in the Association today:
Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers
Lillard has been an assassin coming out of halftime, ranking fourth in the NBA with 8.1 points per third quarter. His 2017-18 campaign already boasts 10 double-digit third-quarter performances, including a 17-point effort at Madison Square Garden:
Not even halftime can cool down this Blazers star.
Lou Williams, Clippers
The 2014-15 Sixth Man of the Year, Williams would be an instant injection of offense to any team's bench if (when) the Clippers decide to trade his expiring contract.
Williams ranks 17th in the NBA in second-half scoring with 11.2 points per second half, connecting on 51.2 percent of his shots after the break. And with the Clippers ravaged by injuries, Williams has been afforded ample opportunities to get his shots up, resulting in two 30-plus-point nights and a 42-point massacre of the Lakers so far this season.
Kemba Walker, Hornets
With a 47-point deluge on his resume this season, the 6-foot-1 Walker is one of the most lethal pound-for-pound scorers in the league. The Hornets point guard already has four games in which he's made at least 60 percent of his field-goal attempts this year - and he took at least 25 shots in two of those contests.
"Cardiac Kemba" plays with the intensity of a bull shark; when he sniffs an opening to the hoop, it's like blood in the water. His use of crafty angles and turns keeps the defense unbalanced, while his 3-point shooting ability prevents opponents from packing the paint. One way or another, Walker is capable of scoring a ton of points in a very short amount of time.
Kyle Korver, Cavaliers
Korver has been a force in his supporting role in Year 15. Of the 17 players currently averaging more than two 3-pointers in the final frame, "Mr. Fourth" leads the pack with 50 percent shooting from deep, well ahead of next-best Russell Westbrook's fourth-quarter rate of 45.2 percent.
It's an impossible decision for defenses to make with the clock ticking down: focus all the attention on stopping LeBron James, or keep a defender pinned to Korver's hip 25 feet from the basket? Judging by the latter's pair of 19-point fourth quarters this season, there's no easy answer.
Donovan Mitchell, Jazz
Mitchell is the new kid on the block, but he's already cooking up defenses like a seasoned pro, and has cracked the top 20 in third-quarter scoring. His 41 points against the Pelicans last week topped ex-Jazz star Gordon Hayward's career high of 40, and Mitchell dropped another 31 on the Thunder on Tuesday night.
Once the rotation is stabilized by players returning to health, Mitchell's burden on offense may be scaled back on a game-by-game basis, but that will only serve to highlight future offensive explosions from the young scorer.