NBA highlight reel: A look back at last season's top 5 plays from Superstars

How many such moments will “The Brow” give us this season?The long summer has finally come to an end, the 2015-16 NBA regular season tips-off in a fortnight from today. The regular season is a long 82 game grind for the teams and a seven month basketball extravaganza for the fans. If we consider the post-season as well, then the NBA keeps basketball minds occupied for 9 of 12 months of a year.At the end of regular season, the NBA releases the top 10 plays, buzzer beaters, assists and so forth. Yet as a fan, some plays by a player or the team as a whole are etched in our memories forever. Sometimes it’s the degree of difficulty involved, sometimes it’s because the player is a crowd favorite or sometimes it’s the pressure of the moment.Following is a list of top 5 plays by league superstars from last season:

#5 James Harden puts Ricky Rubio on skates

Last season’s runner up in the MVP voting, James Harden is an MVP frontrunner this season as well.

At the end of the regular season, James Harden and Stephen Curry were really the only two legitimate candidates for the MVP hardware. While both had celebrated seasons to boast about, their paths to greatness were very different. Curry, the best player on the NBA's best team last season, averaged 32.7 minutes per game and sat out 17 fourth quarters as the Golden State Warriors had dominated the first three periods of the game. On the other hand Harden averaged 37 minutes of playing time and was busy in the fourth quarter clinching a few close games for the Houston Rockets.

When we talk handles in the NBA, everybody seems to have just two names on their lips - Curry and Kyrie Irving. Harden might not even be mentioned a close third yet his dribbling is a very crucial part of his offense. An underrated ball handler, Harden perfected his step back jumper this past season to a level where he had become unstoppable at times. The efficiency with which he would knock down his jumper had crossed such a level that he had a routine every time. He would use one of his hands as a pot and stir with his other hand, probably signaling how he just cooked the defender.

In the video below, Harden used some nifty dribbles to bring defender Ricky Rubio to the floor before knocking down the step back three at the end of the quarter.

#4 Chris Paul banks in series-clinching difficult clutch shot

It’s a make or break season for the Los Angeles Clippers.

For years at length, Chris Paul has been among the top 5 point guards in the league. Couple of seasons this decade you can even state that he was among the top 5 players in the league irrespective of position. Despite his superstar status and having an All-Star teammate in Blake Griffin, the Los Angeles Clippers have failed to make it to the Conference Finals in the four years Paul has spent in Los Angeles. They have exited the Playoffs thrice in the second round and the lone time against the Memphis Grizzlies in the first round.

This past season courtesy of few unjust NBA division rules, the Clippers had to face defending champs San Antonio Spurs in the first round of the Playoffs. As many expected, the series was pushed to the limit (Game 7) but not many expected the Clippers to come out on top, let alone on a difficult clutch shot by CP3 to seal the series. With Defensive Player of the Year Kawhi Leonard guarding Clippers sharpshooter J.J. Redick, the Spurs had their two next best defenders in Tim Duncan and Danny Green on Paul as he drove to the basket.

The degree of difficulty is one thing but Paul banked in the shot while exploding off of his left leg which was giving him hamstring issues all through the game. Watch the game winner over the Spurs in Game 7 here:

#3 Kyrie Irving finishes tough reverse layup in traffic

Irving is a 3 time All-Star, Rookie of the Year and an All-Star Game MVP at just 23 years old

The Cleveland Cavaliers fairytale run to the NBA Finals last season also happened to be first post-season appearance for young Superstar Kyrie Irving and considering he had LeBron James alongside him in uniform, Irving’s stats tell a good story. In 13 post-season games for the Cavs, he averaged 19.8 points, 3.6 rebounds and 3.8 assists on 43.8% shooting from the field and 45% from long range. No disrespect to what the Warriors achieved in the Finals, but the series could have gone another way had Irving been healthy.

Nonetheless, Irving is a score first point guard with dribbling skills that can be matched only by reigning league MVP Stephen Curry. Incredible layups, tough finishes at the rim, lights out shooting from behind the line is nothing new for the guard from Duke. He has had many jaw dropping reverse layups or finishes at the rim all through the regular season, so there had to be one in this list.

The video below displays Kyrie’s handles, balance, vision and touch all in one play. Over the course of the entire play, he has eluded three defenders. Just watch:

#2 Anthony Davis knocks down game winner over Kevin Durant

At present Anthony Davis’ skill set is remarkable and matched by nobody in the league.

Anthony Davis is a beast. Period.

The only reason he wasn’t legitimately contending for the MVP this past season was the lack of games played (due to injury) and the team’s win-loss record. If the MVP was named solely on the basis of regular season averages and Player Efficiency Rating (PER), Davis would have run away with it. There are no words to describe the skill set he possesses. If Kevin Durant’s shooting skills at 6 foot 9 inches are a marvel, just wait till Davis reaches his peak.

Aged 23 and still raw, Davis shoots a remarkable percentage from the charity stripe for a big man (81%). He is one of the best, if not the best at finishing at the rim and completing fast breaks. He shoots an efficient mid-range jumper and is currently working hard on shooting corner 3s.

There’s no stopping raving about Davis’ talent, skill set and potential. So let’s just get to it. At his height, to double pump and shoot a long three over two defenders including the long arm of Kevin Durant is impressive to say the least. This shot would later go on to help the Pelicans edge the Oklahoma City Thunder (won season series 3-1) for the eighth and final Playoff spot in the West.

#1 Stephen Curry shows off shooting stroke and handles against the Clippers

Stephen Curry and the Warriors would be determined to prove that their championship run was no fluke

From July of 2014 to June 2015 , Stephen Curry has had an amazing year to say the least. He first represented USA Basketball in the FIBA World Cup in Spain and returned with the gold medal. Then his team had an incredible 66 win season, not to mention his MVP performance. He defeated every other fellow member of the All-NBA First Team en route to winning the Warriors’ first championship in 40 years.

Personally, how the move in the video below wasn’t the top play of the regular season according to the league blows my mind. Nevertheless it shouldn’t stop us from watching the move again and again, trying to figure out how he did that in real time. Trying to describe this play in words would be an insult to the quality of ball handling and shooting involved.

So please just give the below video your complete attention. And of course enjoy.