Eric Gordon
Rockets | Guard
Grade: A
Results: 25 in First Round, 20 in Second Round, 21 in Tiebreaker
Analysis
After drawing boos when he was introduced from the New Orleans crowd — which remembers his excitement to leave the Pelicans for the Houston Rockets in free agency last summer — Gordon turned them into cheers as the champion. Gordon’s 25-point first round was the best any player recorded all night, and though he missed several opportunities to close out Kyrie Irving in the Finals, Gordon clinched the shootoff early, winning 21-18 and getting an ovation from fans.
Kyrie Irving
Cavaliers | Guard
Grade: A-minus
Results: 20 in First Round, 20 in Second Round, 18 in Tiebreaker
Analysis
Irving nearly ran over the allotted 60 seconds on the clock but managed to get off the final moneyball just in time. Good thing — that pushed him to 20 points. Irving then repeated the performance in the finals, again scoring 20 points to set up a shootoff against Gordon. There, the 2013 winner made four of his five moneyballs but dropped to 18 points, which wasn’t enough to beat Gordon.
Kemba Walker
Hornets | Guard
Grade: B
Results: 19 in First Round, 17 in Second Round
Analysis
Walker missed all five of his attempts from the right wing in the opening round but rebounded to go 4-of-5 from the right corner — conveniently where he put his moneyball rack. After advancing, his score of 17 in the final didn’t make him much of a threat to Gordon and Irving.
Klay Thompson
Warriors | Guard
Grade: B-minus
Results: 18 in First Round
Analysis
The defending champion and odds-on favorite, Thompson was surprisingly eliminated in the opening round. Thompson went to the final rack — where he placed his moneyball rack — with a chance to advance but couldn’t make enough shots to retain the title.
Nick Young
Lakers | Guard
Grade: B-minus
Results: 18 in First Round
Analysis
After a slow start, scoring just four points through two racks, Young needed to make all five of his shots from the left corner to avoid elimination. He could only make four of them, ending his night.
Wesley Matthews
Mavericks | Guard
Grade: D-plus
Results: 11 in First Round
Analysis
The corners were surprisingly unkind to Matthews, who missed all 10 of his attempts from the first and last racks and finished with just 11 points.
C.J. McCollum
Trail Blazers | Guard
Grade: D
Results: 10 in First Round
Analysis
Matthews’ former Portland teammate had an even worse night, scoring just 10 points.
Kyle Lowry
Raptors | Guard
Grade: F
Results: 9 in First Round
Analysis
Airballing his first shot foretold a rough night for Lowry, who became the first competitor since 2011 to fail to reach double-figures in a round. Even with the benefit of a full rack of moneyballs, added to the competition in 2014, Lowry scored just nine points.
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