The NBA is full of great, super great super stars: Curry, Durant, Thompson, Green, Westbrook, George, Carmelo, Hardin, Paul, etc, etc, some of the names above and the etcs will be retiring soon, and some, like Curry and Thompson will be around longer. But, I've been thinking, who are the sure fire super stars of the recent three drafts, the ones guaranteed to take over the line light? Antetekomp, of course, but he was 2014. So was Joel Embid, if he can stay uninjured for a full season. (Think Bill Walton and his one and a half years of greatness.) Andrew Wiggins (Is he great, or does he lack fire?)
Anyway,
I went back three drafts and came to the conclusion that there are lots of GOOD future players, but few bone-fide stars. Here's how I break it down by draft year. Please feel free to weight in with your picks'
2015 GREATS: Towns and Porzingas. GOOD BUT NOT GREAT: Larry Nance, Jr. Josh Richardson, Justin Winslow.
2016 GREATS: Brandon Ingram, Jaylen Brown, Ben Simmons with a can he ever shoot caveat. GOOD BUT NOT GREAT: Jamal Murry, Domatas Sabonis, Malcolm Brogdon.
2017 GREATS: Jason Tatum, Lauri Markkanen, Kyle Kuzma, Jastin Jackson (?). GOOD BUT NOT GREAT: Jordan Bell, Dillon Brooks, Frank Ntiklima, Dennis Smith Jr.. Lonzo Ball. Dennis Smith Jr may turn into a great? Lonzo Ball could also turn into a great if he ever learns how to shoot; otherwise, he'll be a Ricky Rubio type for his career. I love Ricky, but he shoots bricks.
Good in the NBA is NOT a put-down by any stretch of the imagination. Even riding the bench in the NBA is an accomplishment. But STARS must shine consistently and overtime.
Onto other subjects:
Is the Ball Daddy nuts or what? Can he pull off a prep league of high school players? Isn't the NBA D League sort of the same idea? Will people pay good money to watch a bunch of 18 year olds with "potential" to be pros? There sure haven't been enough one and dones over the years to fill the rosters of ten wannabe teams. And what about those poor "wannabe" kids who make up the rosters of this league of his, and don't make it to the NB A? Has he considered that they were probably good enough coming out of high school to attract college interest and receive scholarships and perhaps (say it isn't so) earn a degree. Those kids, those poor kids will be SOL. Daddy Ball, you sure don't see the big picture, do you?
I woke up this morning to frost outside and thought of ice skating. Very soon, the Winter Olympics.
On Cedar Lake, 1957 by Ruth F. Brin
Before our skates had touched the pond that day
We knelt to see, embedded in the ice,
A fish long dead, his frozen eye turned up;
And further on through surface clear and green
A sluggish waving weed in silent water.
But who could care for all that moved below?
Our skates are sharp, the air is bright,
The lake is wide; we swoop, we glide,
Like gulls. We fly, we fly.
