Well, ya know what, He’s
pretty good.
What you should know about the leagues rising
stars
By Ben Makin
By Ben Makin
The league is on the rise. There are a bunch of
ratings, numbers, and facts supporting this statement, but to be honest, I
found most of them from Wikipedia. I’ll just refer to The Nielsen Ratings because
those are actually legit. To keep it simple, the ratings (aka people who
watched) for the NBA finals last year were up 9%. This marked the highest number of people who watched an NBA
finals since Mr. Michael Jordan was playing. While it wasn't quite as high as
it was back then, it is getting there.
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| Photo Cred www.nbablogstalk.blogspot.com |
I think there are a couple reasons why it’s
getting there. First, (the most common answer, and the eventual topic of this
article) there are some awesome young athletes that are extremely good at
basketball. Second, players are utilizing social media, regular media, and
obnoxious media to promote themselves more than ever. Every major player has a
Twitter, Facebook page, and a This is the NBA commercial that’s awkward enough to make you
laugh. Third, the hate LeBron stirred up during The Decision made national news
and got people who weren’t fans interested in this “traitor”. He created a hype
that got people wanting to be able to have an opinion on this subject. They
started watching games, got interested, and now there is a newer fan base that
got hooked on a shortened NBA season.
So now that the NBA is getting popular again,
here’s the top 5 players who’ll have the best shot at taking the reigns from
LeBron, Melo, Kobe, and Dwight. Hopefully they’re good enough to keep the
league going in the right direction.
Exclusions
1. James Harden- He’s really good, but his personality is one
that doesn't lend itself to the limelight. He’s an all-star this year, and only
going to get better. But to be a superstar, you need to be able to promote
yourself.
2. Jeremy Lin- Linsanity was an annoying 3 months. The kid has
an AWESOME backstory, he’s a good player, but there is no way he deserved that
big of a contract, an all-star bid, or elite status.
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| Photo Cred www.miserableretailslave.com |
3. Ricky Rubio- This kills me because Rubio is my favorite NBA
player. It is just hard to see him making a name for himself in Minnesota. They
don't have the market, and Kevin Love will always be bigger. Rubio and Love (best
case scenario, highly unlikely) could turn out to be the next Stockton-Malone,
which would obviously change Rubio’s status for the better. BUT for this to
happen, both need to stop getting hurt and Minny needs to add a couple pieces.
Doubtful, but hey “it could happen.”
4. Anthony Davis- I’m not big on the brow. He’s good, don't get me
wrong, but I don't see him being a “superstar”. College basketball is so
depleted that I think the media had to find a big star for one year—enter the
Brow. He was dynamic and tore up the college circuit, but I just don't see him
getting any better than a Serge I-block-a. Dynamic down low, can anchor a
defense, but will never hit a LeBron, DWade, Durant level.
Drum Roll Please….The Top 5 players with the
biggest star potential
5. Blake Griffin – He’s a freak and His athletic ability is unreal.
He has the quickness of a guard, and the strength of a big man. Actually, that
a lie- he has the strength of a large ELEPHANT. I watched the Clippers play OKC
the other night (without CP3) and He abused OKC down low. He literally did what
he wanted. Passed, rebounded, dunked, post moves, high post jumper, you name
it. The only reason he isn’t number 1 on this list is because he is practically
a superstar in his 2nd year (technically 3rd because of
his injury). He’s funny, has his look (cabbage patch kid), and is a freak
athlete: People love those things. Lead the way Blake.
4. Jrue Holliday- He’s really good, just doesn't have the media
hype right now. I could see him being a dominant point guard in the next couple
years, but I think he’ll play third fiddle to Lillard and Kyrie. He has the
ability to take the 76ers back to the playoffs if Bynum ever decides to stop
bowling. (Caleb will finally be happy I gave the sixers some credit). Side
note-- Jrue has a cool name that the media can do something with too. “Dropping
off presents like it's a HOLLIDAYYYYYY” (Lame I know). Given his numbers with
no other stars on the team, the 6ers are a piece or two away from making noise
in the weak east.
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| Photo Cred www.bigstory.ap.org |
3. Damien Lillard – The next Chris Paul? I think so. He can dime, he
can shoot, and he seems to be a good man to lead a team. Sure he has a great
starting 5 to play with (Batum, Matthews, Aldridge, and Hickson. That's a
lineup no GM would pass on.) But
he is doing big things. His stats haven’t dropped this first half of the season
(surprising because young point guards can start strong and fade i.e. Jeremy
Lin), and if he can continue bringing it every night, He’ll run away with the
ROY award. I’m worried about the amount of minutes he is enduring so early in
his career, but the Trail Blazers know what they’re doing. It’ll be great to
see him and Kyrie battle the next couple years.
2. Paul George- "I don't want to be cocky in anyway, but
I knew this is the level I could play at…" Paul George on his all-star selection. The man
has some swag. The art of the humble brag is something that doesn't go unnoticed, it's a confidence all the
great players have. In his second year in the league, he is carrying the load
for a pretty decent Pacers team who is currently 5th in the east. He
is leading his team in: Points, Rebounds, and Steals; and is second in assists.
Not only is he a fantasy stud (on my team thank you), he is good in the clutch,
wanting (and getting) the ball when his team needs buckets. His wingspan is
like an Eagle, and the dude plays like a kid who snorted some sugar packets,
real high energy. The coaches around the league can see he is going to be a good
player and voted him to the all-star reserves. I think we may have another Paul
Pierce type player if the Pacers manage him, and keep building around him.
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| Photo Cred www.cleveland.com |
1. Kyrie Irving- He’s sick. He dropped 40 the other night and
single handedly beat a Celtics team who needed a win. Mr. 4th
Quarter, as he has been affectionately called, is a stud in the last 12 minutes
of the game. I think he is the one of the most clutch players in the eastern
conference (Ray Allen, JR Smith, Melo). He goes into a 6th, 7th,
sometimes 8th gear when the game is on the line. What LeBron does in
the first three quarters of a game, Kyrie does in the last. The kid (he’s
younger than me!) can market himself really well too. He has his Uncle Drew
videos, which are hilarious and have almost 20 million views on YouTube. If he
keeps this up, I can see him becoming the leagues favorite player….until he
leaves Cleveland in 2015.
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