{"id":3202,"date":"2016-12-31T09:00:03","date_gmt":"2016-12-31T14:00:03","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lastwordonprobasketball.com\/?p=3202"},"modified":"2016-12-31T00:14:49","modified_gmt":"2016-12-31T05:14:49","slug":"captivating-nba-players-2016-part-5","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lastwordonsports.com\/basketball\/2016\/12\/31\/captivating-nba-players-2016-part-5\/","title":{"rendered":"Most Captivating NBA Players of 2016: Part 5"},"content":{"rendered":"

As the 2016 calendar year comes to an end, the LWOS MC50 series captures the 50 most captivating athletes from 2016 in each sport. For LWOPB, we take a look at the 50 NBA players who drew headlines this past year, whether it be for on court accomplishments, off-season drama, or happenings off the court.<\/em><\/p>\n

Here, we break down the fifth and final set of the most captivating NBA<\/strong> players of 2016. From all of us at LWOS<\/strong>, we wish you a happy New Year.<\/p>\n

Most Captivating NBA Players of 2016: Part 5<\/strong><\/h2>\n

Harrison Barnes<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

Harrison Barnes<\/strong>\u2019 2016 calendar year was fascinating and captivating for several reasons. He started off the year with a bang, averaging a career high 11.7 points while playing over 30 minutes per game in a starting role for the Golden State Warriors<\/strong>. This would seem quite average, but that Warriors team broke the NBA record for regular season wins, finishing 73-9. Because of that, Barnes\u2019 contributions to the team were pretty meaningful. His playoff performance, however, was atrocious. Barnes shot just 35.2 percent from the field and 31 percent from beyond the arc in the NBA Finals<\/strong>, failing to convert on countless open shots as LeBron James<\/a><\/strong> led the Cleveland Cavaliers<\/strong> to three straight wins (after trailing 3-1) and their first ever NBA championship.<\/p>\n

After the 2015-16 season ended, the Warriors signed Kevin Durant<\/a><\/strong>, effectively tossing Barnes aside. Reports even surfaced that Barnes\u2019 former teammates had been recruiting Durant mid-season<\/a>, meaning that they were already prepared to replace Barnes. But despite Barnes\u2019 poor Finals performance, Mark Cuban<\/strong>\u2019s Dallas Mavericks<\/strong> offered him a four-year, $95 million contract, which he signed as a restricted free agent. After Durant committed to the Warriors, Barnes was free to officially leave to Dallas.<\/p>\n

Barnes’ 2016-17 Season<\/strong><\/h4>\n

Though the Mavericks have struggled as a team thus far in the 2016-17 season, residing at the bottom of the Western Conference<\/strong> standings, Barnes has thrived. He\u2019s averaging 20.4 points and 5.5 rebounds per game going into 2017, both career highs. The scoring average is nearly double his previous single-season high, yet he\u2019s maintained his stellar mark of 46.6 percent from the field. Furthermore, Barnes has taken a ton of shots in isolation, to an incredible extent. Barnes has used a higher percentage of his possessions in isolation than any other player in the NBA<\/a> \u2013 more than stars such as James Harden<\/a><\/strong> and Carmelo Anthony<\/a><\/strong>. This development is especially fascinating when considering the fact that most of Barnes\u2019 shot attempts were catch-and-shoots or pull-up jumpers in Golden State. He has completely changed his game in Dallas, but it\u2019s worked well so far.<\/p>\n

Dwight Howard<\/a><\/strong><\/h3>\n

After having great success with the Orlando Magic<\/strong>, Dwight Howard<\/strong> has declined every year since he left. The three-time Defensive Player of the Year<\/strong> struggled in 2016. He ended the 2015-16 season on a sour note, feuding with James Harden in Houston<\/strong> before his eventual departure. In the playoffs, the Rockets<\/strong> quite literally looked like they didn\u2019t want to be there<\/a>, and the Warriors promptly knocked them out in the first round. After that, Howard opted out of the final year of his contract, becoming an unrestricted free agent. He signed a three-year, $70.5 million deal with his hometown team, the Atlanta Hawks<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Although Howard is a shell of his former self, he is still a valuable player. Beyond that, he\u2019s an incredible physical specimen, making him captivating to watch in any given game. Sure, he might have more bad games than one would want from a player making $23 million annually, but Howard is still fascinating to observe while he’s on the court. Oh, and he has amazing<\/em> shoulders<\/a>.<\/p>\n