The Best Coast-to-Coast Players in the NBA

In basketball, there are few plays quite as exciting as a good coast-to-coast drive. And with the athleticism of the world's best players in the NBA, those drives can be all the more tantalizing.

A traditional coast-to-coast drive includes one player grabbing a defensive rebound and taking the ball from there all the way to his own bucket, passing it off to no one in between.

Those who do it best have to be solid rebounders, sound ball-handlers and strong finishers in the paint. For the purposes of this slideshow, we'll define the drive as one that includes all of the above, the key factor being finishing at the rim.

"Coast-to-coast" indicates baseline-to-baseline (give or take a few feet). So pulling up for a three in transition doesn't technically qualify. That eliminates the likes of Stephen Curry and Damian Lillard, who generate a ton of points in transition, but often do so from beyond the arc.

Those who are left are truly the league's most explosive, exciting coast-to-coast players, presented alphabetically by last name.

Giannis Antetokounmpo

Giannis Antetokounmpo's mastery of the coast-to-coast drive has been on brilliant display recently, thanks in large part to a change in Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd's rotation.

Following the demotion of Michael Carter-Williams to the bench on Feb. 9, the 6'11" Antetokounmpo became the team's point guard (or point forward, if you prefer). Since then, the Greek Freak is averaging 19.5 points, 9.5 rebounds and 7.1 assists.

And he's a one-man nightmare in transition.

Antetokounmpo is 10th (4.0) in the league in fast-break points per game. He's fourth (5.9) since the lineup change.

Bleacher Report's Grant Hughes wrote about Milwaukee's new coast-to-coast inducing strategy with its most intriguing young prospect:

"

Together, Kidd and Antetokounmpo have solved the riddle of a multi-skilled superhuman specimen previously deemed guardable because he couldn't shoot. Kidd putting the ball in Antetokounmpo's hands makes it impossible to ignore him, and Giannis' decision to just dunk everything he touches really hamstrings opponents who try to force him to shoot jumpers.

"

As Antetokounmpo grows more used to his new life as a point guard, plays like the one above should become even more common.

Kevin Durant

Much like Antetokounmpo, Kevin Durant's length and athleticism make him nearly impossible to stop, or even slow down, in transition.

He's seventh in fast-break points per game (4.5) and averages 1.27 points per possession in transition, which puts him in the 82nd percentile in the league.

As CBS Sports' Zach Harper put it, Durant is "...the most efficient transition player in the NBA for any player with at least 125 transition possessions..."

A big part of Durant's efficiency in transition stems from his willingness to pull up from deep, but a steady helping of drives to the rim still qualified him for this list.

James Harden

James Harden, the individual embodiment of Morey-Ball, is second in the NBA in total transition possessions. He's in transition for just over a fifth of his possessions. And in a fifth of those, Harden draws free throws.

It's not as exciting as some of the thunderous dunks from guys like Antetokounmpo or Durant, but Harden's ability to get to the line is critical to his scoring ability. And in transition, when defenders are scrambling to get into the correct defensive position, it's particularly difficult to avoid fouling him.

Of that ability to draw fouls, Deadspin's Albert Burneko wrote last season:

"

So let’s dispense altogether with the twin notions that drawing fouls is a cheap exploit and that James Harden is a mediocre player spamming his way to good stats. A mediocre player—even a mediocre NBA player—could not work his way to 10 free-throw attempts per 36 minutes simply via shamelessness and good acting... If angling for cheap free-throws is a distasteful practice, and being good at it is a disreputable skill, fine—but the practice and the skill are built on Harden’s actual game, which is abundant and splendid and frequently terrifying. It just doesn’t look abundant and splendid, at a casual glance. That’s part of what makes it terrifying.

"

Harden's coast-to-coast drives aren't as visually stimulating as those of other players, but he's still found a way to place himself among the league's best.

LeBron James

LeBron James almost instantly became the NBA's resident freight train in transition when he entered the league in 2003. Over a decade later, he's still among the very best.

In 2015-16, James is fourth in fast-break points per game (5.2), sixth in transition possessions (291) and in the 83rd percentile in points per transition possession.

James is so good in the open court that he had his own signature skill in NBA 2K14 called, "LeBron James Coast to Coast."

2K Sports described the skill as follows: "Takes the ball coast to coast and finishes through contact. Speed, Quickness, and Ball-Handling attributes are boosted four points and the shot penalty enforced for hitting a defender is decreased when taking the ball coast to coast on a fast break following a change of possession."

Kawhi Leonard

Because the San Antonio Spurs are one of the slower teams in the league, Kawhi Leonard doesn't get as many transition opportunities, but he's still one of the league's premier coast-to-coast weapons.

What sets him apart from others here is his ability to start possessions with both rebounds and steals. Leonard led the league in steals per game last season, and his 1.8 average this season ranks 12th.

And once he gets in transition, Leonard is among the league's most efficient. His 1.25 points per transition possession put him in the 81st percentile.

Kyle Lowry

Speaking of the ability to kick off a possession with something other than a rebound, Kyle Lowry leads the NBA in steals per game this season. And if that wasn't enough, he still starts plenty of breaks the old-fashioned way too, as he's fourth on the Toronto Raptors in rebounding.

Once he has the ball, it's clear why Lowry is often described as a bulldog. He attacks the paint with a relentless hunger that rarely goes unsatisfied.

Lowry is 12th in the league in fast-break points per game (3.8). He's ninth in possessions in transition (233) and his 1.21 points per possession there puts him in the 75th percentile.

John Wall

When John Wall hits his top gear, there are few, if any, NBA players who can keep up with him. Wall's speed is especially impressive when combined with his dribbling ability.

In an interview with Dan Patrick, Wall was asked, "Is there anybody faster than you in the NBA?"

Wall's response? A simple, "No."

And like Leonard and Lowry, Wall gets out in transition, where he can use that speed in multiple ways. He averages 4.8 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game, giving him plenty of opportunities to start his own breaks.

Naturally, that's led to his being third in total transition possessions with a whopping 5.6 per game. His five fast-break points per game rank sixth.

Russell Westbrook

Russell Westbrook is a coast-to-coast drive waiting to happen. And the ferocity of said drives is unparalleled. Finishes like the one above (where Westbrook appears to be exacting some kind of primeval revenge on the rim) seem to happen every other game.

Upon grabbing a rebound (Westbrook averages 7.5), he takes off down the floor like he was shot out of one of the guns from Oklahoma!, leaving defenders hopelessly flailing away in an attempt to slow him down.

Westbrook's first in both fast-break points per game (6.3) and transition possessions (392).

Statistics courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless otherwise noted.

Andy Bailey covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him @AndrewDBailey.