NBA Power Rankings: Best Dunks on Every NBA Team Thus Far (With Video)

The best thing about basketball is the way one guy can turn a seemingly ordinary play into an incredible crowd pleaser.

All it takes is one drive to the basket and one thunderous slam for an NBA player to send the fans into a frenzy before seeing himself on SportsCenter the next day.

And we've been fortunate enough to witness a boatload of those unforgettable dunks this season.

Players jumping. Rims shaking. Crowds screaming.

That's what the NBA is all about.

Unfortunately—or maybe fortunately, depending on how you look at it—we're picking one monstrous dunk from each team and giving them a little love today.

Here they are: the top 30 dunks from the NBA season.

30. Dallas Mavericks: Tyson Chandler

Considering that much of the Mavericks roster was born around the same time as Betty White, this team isn't one that brings the house down with a ton of thunderous dunks.

So I looked for a while, and this is the best I could do.

This is just another example of Tyson Chandler doing what he does best: throwing down alley-oops. 

29. Sacramento Kings: DeMarcus Cousins

For the life of me, I can't understand how a team with some good young talent like the Kings can be that bad.

How bad? Well, they're 9-30 as I write this.

But in every situation, there is some good—you just gotta find it.

And what do ya know? I found it, and its name is DeMarcus Cousins. 

28. San Antonio Spurs: DeJuan Blair

Richard Jefferson is past his prime, Tim Duncan has always been too tall, Tony Parker has never been a phenomenal dunker and Manu Ginobili just hasn't had that signature dunk this season.

That leaves a spot open for one Spurs player...DeJuan Blair.

The Hornets home crowd doesn't really appreciate his impressive slam much, but they will appreciate anything basketball-related once they realize the team's going to be relocated.

27. New Jersey Nets: Kris Humphries

Here's the burning question of the day: Would you rather throw down a nasty dunk like the one above or go home to Kim Kardashian?

There is no need to decide for Kris Humphries.

That lucky man can do both. 

26. Milwaukee Bucks: Larry Sanders

How many times have we seen this formula?

Strip, steal, push the ball up court and finish with an alley-oop.

It's one of the more common plays in the NBA.

But it never gets old. 

25. Utah Jazz: Deron Williams

Back in my elementary school days, there was always that one kid in class who no one wanted to go near.

Maybe he smelled like old beets, was a problem child or just didn't have any friends.

Either way, he was avoided at all costs.

And so was Deron Williams.

24. Orlando Magic: Jason Richardson

Here's something you didn't expect to see: Dwight Howard without the best dunk for the Magic.

Yeah, he's thrown down some sick dunks, but nothing we haven't already seen from him.

So let's give some love to the new guy in Orlando, Jason Richardson.

He's still got it!

23. Los Angeles Lakers: Shannon Brown

I never thought we'd see the day when Kobe Bryant could get out-dunked by his own teammate.

Sure enough, though, the day of reckoning is upon is.

Shannon Brown can do some crazy things with the ball in his hands, and this dunk is crazier than Lindsay Lohan. 

22. Indiana Pacers: Darren Collison

Rumor has it that Philadelphia's Lou Williams likes getting a facial on game days.

Thanks to Darren Collison, I can now confirm that.

Damn, DC, we miss you back in New Orleans!

21. Cleveland Cavaliers: J.J. Hickson

It's been a season full of downs, downs and some more downs for the Cavaliers.

But of the handful of bright spots on the team, this dunk is one of them.

As you can see, J.J. Hickson can't fill LeBron James' shoes, but he can damn sure try.

20. Philadelphia 76ers: Andre Iguodala

Things could be worse for Andre Iguodala in Philadelphia—he could be Evan Turner.

But at least Iguodala's struggling 76ers team doesn't prevent him from delighting fans with highlight reel dunks like the one you're looking at.

I'm 90-percent certain that Iguodala could have just done a normal dunk or even a layup on the right side of the basket.

But then again, I'm glad he didn't. 

19. Miami Heat: LeBron James

When LeBron James played against the Knicks in Madison Square Garden for the first time as a member of the Heat last month, he was showered with boos throughout the game.

For some reason, he's a bad guy in New York now because he didn't sign with a team that hadn't been good for 10 years.

Anyway, even the disgruntled Knicks fans couldn't stop themselves from cheering when Dwyane Wade hit James with a perfect alley-oop in transition.

And you know what came next.

18. Houston Rockets: Jordan Hill

You ever seen something that's so freakin' filthy, you almost wanna throw up?

Well, that's sorta how I felt when I watched this dunk.

It was almost like I had just finished a week's worth of binge drinking, ate a Taco Bell grande meal, then tried to run a mile.

OK, this slam wasn't that good, but Jordan Hill definitely destroyed Samuel Dalembert.

17. Memphis Grizzlies: Rudy Gay

Some say that Rudy Gay isn't worth the pricey contract he signed with Memphis over the summer.

Allow me to politely disagree.

While he may never be a top-10 player in the NBA, he can pull off dunks that not many others can and provide some much needed excitement to Grizzlies fans.

Exhibit A: the two-handed reverse alley-oop dunk above. 

16. Washington Wizards: JaVale McGee

Javale McGee is on this list multiple times...for the wrong reason.

But not this time.

The Wizards get a fastbreak here and McGee makes the Lakers—and the rim at the Staples Center—pay big time.

It's not as creative as this one (at the :42 mark), but that's the beauty of dunking with no defenders, and in practice. 

15. Atlanta Hawks: Marvin Williams

Marvin Williams decided to take on Amar'e Stoudemire and Ronny Turiaf in a two-on-one handicap match.

And won.

Check out Williams officially own both guys in a split second. 

14. New Orleans Hornets: Trevor Ariza

I"m a Hornets fan, and I've been more disappointed with Trevor Ariza than this kid was when he got books for Christmas.

But I gotta give Ariza his props here.

He just explodes to the rim and throws down an insane dunk on Washington's JaVale McGee.

Now, if Ariza keeps that up, I can get on board with getting rid of Darren Collison so we could get him. 

13. Charlotte Bobcats: Dominic McGuire and Gerald Wallace

Whenever I'm at the gym throwing down some sick alley-oop dunks, I really hate when guys try to steal my lob pass and the glory/admiration that comes with the subsequent dunk.

Apparently Dominic McGuire and Gerald Wallace don't have the same problem.

They must live by The Situation's motto: Sharing is for caring. 

12. Phoenix Suns: Hakim Warrick

I'm not sure if Hakim Warrick has any kind of deep hatred for Yi Jianlian.

But it sure seems like it with the way he slammed that ball down with straight-up anger.

If you want a silver lining, though, at least Jianlian tried to play defense, no matter how feeble his attempt may have been.

His Wizards teammates may be smarter, however, for avoiding Warrick and the embarrassment that soon followed. 

11. Detroit Pistons: Will Bynum

Sick crossover? Check.

Sprint to the rim? Check

Nasty throwdown? Check.

This just in: Jerryd Bayless has yet to pick up his drawers.

10. Toronto Raptors: Amir Johnson

I remember the first time I had a hangover, and I couldn't help but feel like it just came absolutely from out of nowhere.

Amar'e Stoudemire knows that feeling.

Check it out as he goes up for a rebound against Toronto only to have a not-so-pleasant unexpected visit from Amir Johnson.

Damn. That was impressive.

9. Minnesota Timberwolves: Wesley Johnson

Usually, it's the rookie who's getting the rude welcome to the NBA. 

But this time around, it was the rookie dishing out the punishment.

Former Syracuse star Wesley Johnson uses the lane and his right hand as his personal tools of destruction.

8. Portland Trail Blazers: LaMarcus Aldridge

Sometimes all you need in life is a helping hand.

LaMarcus Aldridge got one from teammate Rudy Fernandez, who fed him with a beautiful alley-oop pass.

But unfortunately for Michael Beasley, um, he didn't. 

7. Golden State Warriors: Monta Ellis

Monta Ellis and Ronny Turiaf were once teammates with Golden State.

Notice that I said teammates, not friends.

Because a true friend wouldn't channel his inner Michael Jordan and embarrass you on national television.

Note to self: Never cross Monta Ellis.

6. Chicago Bulls: Derrick Rose

Let's take a look at the tale of the tape in this one:

Knicks forward Danilo Gallinari: 6'10", 225 pounds

Bulls point guard Derrick Rose: 6'3", 190 pounds 

If size really mattered, then Hasheem Thabeet would be in the NBA MVP conversation. 

5. Boston Celtics: Rajon Rondo

Remember when Chris Bosh was getting a ton of criticism for his play early in the season?

Yeah, this is why.

Rajon Rondo gets a gimme path to the basket, with Bosh as the only Heat player who has any chance of stopping him.

But Bosh just stood there like a deer stuck in headlights with his feet glued to the floor while Rondo threw down a monstrous dunk.

Can't say I blame Bosh, though. 

4. New York Knicks: Wilson Chandler

As soon as you saw that the Knicks were playing the Wizards at Madison Square Garden, you knew things weren't going to end well for Washington.

They've still yet to win on the road, but they do a solid job here of getting posterized by Wilson Chandler.

Maybe JaVale McGee should take notes so he can use this in the 2011 NBA Dunk Contest.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder: Russell Westbrook

Just count 'em. 

Houston has one, two, three, four players in the lane!

But Russell Westbrook apparently doesn't notice, and the Rockets apparently don't remember how to play defense.

My only question is whether or not the crowd was sleeping, because there was almost no reaction despite that fact that a point guard just embarrassed four bigger defenders.

2. Los Angeles Clippers: Blake Griffin

Picking just one of Blake Griffin's dunk is like trying to decide which woman is the hottest at a Playboy Mansion party—it just can't be done.

But I decided to go with this one rather than his Dwight Howard-esque "throw dunk."

Why? Because Griffin told me to, and I didn't want to piss him off. 

1. Denver Nuggets: J.R. Smith

Take your pick as to what's best about this dunk: The fact that it takes place with 0.6 seconds left in the quarter, the fact that Gary Neal's chest was hit by J.R. Smith's knee or the fact that Smith literally looked he was flying.

The dude must have drank a Red Bull—or seven—before the game.

I hear that stuff gives you wings.