Ranking the Top 10 Plays from NBA's Opening Week

Basketball season is back in full swing, and it didn't take long for the fans to witness some jaw-dropping and awe-inspiring plays already. Here is a look at some of the top plays from around the league after just one week of action.

The ranking of this list is based on the degree of difficulty, the significance, the impact on the game and the flair of the respective plays.

And as with most, if not all rankings, the selection is subjective and open for debate and discussion, so if there are any plays worth mentioning or more deserving to be in the top 10, feel free to share them.

10. Brandon Jennings

Starting off the countdown is the Detroit Pistons' Brandon Jennings, who duped not one but two defenders with a fake pass while driving to the basket during a game against the Brooklyn Nets on Nov. 1.

Jennings first got past a guarding Deron Williams just by his speed near the top of the key, but as Kevin Garnett stepped up to help the defense around the elbow, Jennings held out his left hand with the ball to fake a pass to Josh Smith at the wing. The play resulted in Williams and Garnett both freezing at their respective spots while Jennings had a wide-open lane to the basket for an easy layup.

Style points go to Jennings for deceiving both a future Hall of Famer and a three-time All-Star with one play.

9. Anthony Davis

The New Orleans Pelicans' Anthony Davis is poised for a breakout season, and he started the 2014-15 campaign with a monster game against the Orlando Magic.

Davis fell just shy of a triple-double with 26 points, 17 rebounds and nine blocked shots during a contest that was filled by highlights from him. One of the plays that stood out came just before the first half ended.

As Tyreke Evans missed a running floater with the clock winding down, Davis rose up from underneath the rim to put back the missed shot with authority.

Davis showed off his leaping ability with the one-handed slam and at the same time gave the New Orleans fans something to be optimistic about for the current season.

8. Kenneth Faried

The Denver Nuggets were trailing big against the Oklahoma City Thunder, but Kenneth "The Manimal" Faried gave the Denver squad something to be psyched about with this play.

After gathering a defensive rebound, the Nuggets broke out in transition with Danilo Gallinari's pushing the ball down the court and putting the numbers in their favor.

A perfect lob from Gallinari found a charging and flying Faried, who threw down an emphatic one-handed alley-oop to momentarily silence the OKC crowd.

The beauty of the play, in my opinion, was in the height of the pass and the timing of the connection. It'd be hard to find another alley-oop from the opening week that can top this.

7. Russell Westbrook

A frequent visitor to plenty of highlight reels, Oklahoma City's Russell Westbrook comes in at No. 7 with this play against the Portland Trail Blazers on Oct. 29.

The Blazers had just scored on an easy dunk by Wesley Matthews with about two seconds left in the half, but Westbrook dashed down the court to catch a perfectly placed outlet pass, beating everyone for a breakaway dunk to close the half.

Westbrook's explosiveness is one of the best in the league, and he can either excite a home crowd or quiet an away crowd in mere seconds. Such was the case in this one as he made sure OKC was the team heading into the locker room with the momentum on its side.

Unfortunately, a broken hand will now force Westbrook to miss at least a month of action, leaving OKC in a bind without him and reigning MVP Kevin Durant for quite some time.

6. Kemba Walker

Bzzz. Bzzz. Kemba Walker brought some noise back to Buzz City with this clutch shot against the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday.

After a made free throw that put the away team up by three, Walker pushed the ball down the court and pulled up from about 25 feet out to knock down the game-tying three-pointer with 1.6 seconds left on the clock.

The game was pushed into overtime, but Walker had one more clutch shot left in him that night. You'll get to see it later on this list.

5. LeBron James

LeBron James didn't have quite the homecoming he wanted to in his first game back with the Cavaliers, but he started his second stint with the team with this impressive play.

After Kevin Love corralled a defensive rebound, James streaked down the court to catch Love's signature outlet pass.

The only Knick who got back on defense on that play was Carmelo Anthony, who had no choice but to foul James to prevent an easy basket.

However, even that was not able to stop James from getting to the hoop, as he was able to finish the play for the and-1 with Anthony draped all over him.

It was James' first official basket since returning to the Cavs, so get used to the muscle flexing, Cleveland fans.

4. Kobe Bryant

Kobe Bryant showed no signs of any leg problems here as he turned back the clock with this vintage reverse jam against the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday.

After a torn Achilles tendon and a fracture in his left lateral tibia, many doubted Bryant's ability to play at a high level again. However, Kobe showed those critics that he still has some bounce left in his legs as he took Matt Barnes to the basket for the dunk.

The reverse dunk is a signature move of Bryant's and one that basketball fans have seen plenty of times before. It was a good sign for both him and the Lakers that he is still capable of performing despite the injury and age.

If you think you are impressed by this, just wait a little longer. Kobe did something even more amazing the next night that you'll see on the list later.

3. Kemba Walker

As promised earlier, here is Kemba Walker again with the game-winner in that overtime game against the Bucks.

With the score knotted up at 106-106, Walker went to work against Brandon Knight. The Hornets tried to get Walker a mismatch on the floor. But the initial screen from Al Jefferson failed to generate one, so Walker managed to reset into an isolation situation against Knight near the wing.

Give Knight credit for the good defense, but Walker's offense was just simply better. After a series of crossovers, Walker pulled up for his signature step-back jumper and drained it to give the Hornets a two-point lead with 5.1 seconds left on the clock.

Walker, who was in the middle of a contract-extension negotiation with the Hornets at the time, proved his worth to the front office with his performance in that game and signed a four-year, $48 million deal the following day.

2. James Ennis

If you didn't know who James Ennis was, you will after watching this.

The Heat began their post-LeBron era against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday but Ennis made sure there will still be some things to cheer about this season in Miami.

After receiving a pass from Mario Chalmers on the breakaway, Ennis showed no regard for Rasual Butler, who attempted to take a charge on the inner circle and slammed down a vicious jam for the and-1.

Ennis, originally a second-round pick out of Long Beach State in the 2013 NBA draft, spent last season playing overseas before returning stateside to join the Miami Heat in the summer league.

He played well enough during the summer to secure a roster spot for the regular season, and it turned out to be a good decision by the Miami coaching staff as his dunk will now go down as one of the top plays of the season when it's all said and done.

1. Kobe Bryant

The Black Mamba takes the top spot here with this ridiculous play on Saturday against the Golden State Warriors.

With the shot clock winding down, Bryant started a drive from the right wing and managed to get past three Golden State defenders to convert an acrobatic layup plus the foul.

Bryant crossed over Shaun Livingston and dribbled past Leandro Barbosa before taking off and meeting a 6'11", 265-pound Festus Ezeli mid-air.

That was where Kobe's hang time and upper-body strength were put on full display, as he was able to absorb the contact and pull off an up-and-under move to get the ball in the hoop after a friendly roll around the rim.

It was by far the most difficult play any player has converted in the opening week, and for it to come from Bryant, who has suffered multiple leg injuries in recent years, it made the play that much more impressive and deserving of the No. 1 spot.