Malachi Flynn Had One Of The Most Random 50 Point Outbursts In NBA History (Bonus: Top 5 Random 50 Burgers Ever)
Stephen Gosling. Getty Images.The following players have not scored at least 50 points in the 2023-24 NBA season:
Nikola Jokic, Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Damian Lillard, Jayson Tatum, SGA, Anthony Edwards, Trae Young, Kawhi Leonard, Jaylen Brown, Zion, Paul George, Donovan Mitchell, the list goes on and on with some of the best players and best scorers in the entire league.
You know who you aren't going to see on that list? Malachi Flynn.
If before the season started someone were to ask you to predict which players in the NBA this year would drop 50, how many players are listed before Flynn? All of them? To put into perspective just how rare this was last night, we've basically never seen it before
He's also only the 3rd player ever to drop 50 off the bench (Nick Anderson and Jamal Crawford), so it's fair to say this was as random of a 50 burger as you'll ever see.
While this most likely speaks more to what April basketball looks like in the NBA, it is still impressive that Flynn got his 50 while only taking 9 3PA and making only 5 3PM. A 50 spot on mostly 2pt FGA and FTs is pretty shocking in 2024, and the fact that it still came in a loss pretty much sums up the 13-63 Pistons. It sort of reminds me of when Saddiq Bey dropped 51 in mid March for the 2021-22 Pistons who finished 23-59, the only real difference being he made 10 3PM in that game and won.
With how random this performance was, it got me thinking of what are some of the most random 50 point outings we've ever seen in the league? It feels easier than ever for guys to get to 50 when you combine the advancement and skill and the defensive rule changes, but it's not like this is only a new era thing. After thinking about it, these are probably where I would net out
1. Malachi Flynn
Just read everything above.
2. Terrance Ross' 51 points in 2014
3. Tony Delk's 53 points in 2001
Tony Delk's 53 point explosion will always have a special place in my heart. This performance took place on 1/2/2001, and for a guy who never scored more than 27 points at any other point in his career, I'd say that was pretty random. So why does this performance matter to me? Because anyone who knows anything knows that his singular 53 point performance is ultimately what drove this decision
Nathaniel S. Butler. Getty Images.Remember trading Joe Johnson? What a disaster that ended up being, and you'll never be able to convince me that Delk's 53 didn't play a role in that when it happened in 2002. You'll never believe this, but Delk did not live up to that performance during his brief Celtics tenure (89 games) before he was traded to the Mavs after the 2002-03 season. I will go to my grave believing that had Delk not had that one game, there is no Joe Johnson trade. I know that's probably not completely true, but in my heart it is.
4. Corey Brewer's 51 in 2014
This isn't to say Corey Brewer wasn't awesome, the guy had a great college career and was a quality wing at the NBA level. He also never scored more than 29 in an NBA game outside of that 51 point outburst (819 career games).
The randomness comes from the fact that Brewer was mostly a defensive/transition offense-type player. He wasn't even a 3&D type guy (28% career from deep), and he only was taking around 10 FGA a night in his prime. At the end of the day, he was a high end role player, and those guys don't exactly explode for 50s.
5. Willie Burton's 53 points in 1994
I am going to bet 99.9% of people reading this blog had never heard the name Willie Burton before. That's all that needs to be said.
So congrats to Malachi Flynn on his historic night. He may never do something like this again in his life and may ultimately just fizzle out as an NBA player, but he'll always have that random night he went out and dropped 50 in a "real" NBA game.