Young Players Who Have the Most Potential

[rise]

Just wondering which young players you guys think have the most star/superstar potential.

My list (not in any real order):

Tyreke Evans: has superstar written all over him. I don't think he'll ever be D-Wade or Kobe, but I think we could see 25/7/5 from him in a couple seasons.

James Harden: if Westbrook becomes less of a ballhog, I think the Beardman will stand to gain the most. Also, starting him over Thabo would be a good idea.

Serge Ibaka: the Thunder have so much potential it's scary. In three or four years, they could potentially have four All-Stars in Durant, Westbrook, Ibaka, and Harden. To me, Ibaka is the most promising big in the league outside of Blake Griffin. I'll be amazed if the Thunder don't win a championship with this quartet at some point in a few years.

Lamarcus Aldridge: LMA is just 24 or 25, I think, and he reminds me quite a bit of Tim Duncan, with lower rebounding numbers. If he improves anymore (which he will), he'll be a perennial All-Star, averaging 25/10. I was shocked when he was snubbed from the 2011 ASG.

Stephen Curry: he's the next great shooter in the NBA. He'll be a perennial 50-40-90 guy like Steve Nash in a couple years. Curry and Ellis might already be the best backcourt tandem in the league. Unless one or both gets traded, Ellis and Curry could average 50ppg together before long.

Brook Lopez: I'm amazed he's only 23. Center that can score 20 a night are hard to come across these. If only Lopez was more like Dwight Howard instead of Andrea Bargnani, rebounding-wise. I see a few All-Star appearances in his future if he gets his rebounding up to about 8 or 9 and improves his defense.

Ty Lawson: I see him as a smaller, more athletic version of Stephen Curry. I hope Denver trades Andre Miller for a forward or center, so that Lawson can actually play 30-40 minutes a night and not have to split time with other good PGs. Have to give him props for playing so well despite splitting minutes with Chauncey Billups and Raymond Felton last season. An All-Star appearance is waiting for him within four years if he's given the PG position by himself.

Russell Westbrook: he's already an All-Star, but he can be so much more with the right adjustments. His decision-making isn't great because he hogs the ball too much, he chucks up too many bad shots despite not having a great shot to begin with, and his defense could possibly use some further improvement. If his playmaking ability doesn't improve, Westbrook can play the 2 very well, and James Harden could run the point. Either way, RW is destined for superstardom as early as next season in my opinion.

Derrick Rose: I am probably going to catch a lot of heat from this, but Rose is only marginally better than Westbrook right now. Slightly better scorer and shot-blocker and a better passer than RW, even though RW averaged more assists. Rose stole the ball approximately HALF as much as Westbrook, and if he works more on his defense, his long-range shooting, and his rebounding, he's the best guard in the NBA. However, I think he'll probably hold steady and continue to put up 25/7/5 on about 40-45% shooting for several years, while playing solid defense. He's got the potential to be the next D-Wade if the defense improves.

Eric Gordon: He could get to a similar place that Russell Westbrook is at now. He's a superior shooter, and that will only improve. He's a future All-Star, barring injury.

Kevin Love: He's a star, not a superstar, but he'll get treated like a superstar as long as he stays on a team as hopeless as Minnesota. Pair Love with a slightly above average center, and he'll put up nothing more than 18/12. Still, those are close to All-Star numbers. Improvements to his defense and overall athleticism can make him a perennial All-Star.

Blake Griffin: I think he's going to be the best offensive power forward of the 21st century so far. He's the only player in the league I can see putting up 30 points and 15 rebounds on a regular basis. He's already HOF material.

[benji]

Lamarcus Aldridge: LMA is just 24 or 25, I think, and he reminds me quite a bit of Tim Duncan, with lower rebounding numbers. If he improves anymore (which he will), he'll be a perennial All-Star, averaging 25/10. I was shocked when he was snubbed from the 2011 ASG.

He's 26 and he's never really improved so probably won't. He just got extra shots to take last year because some loser nobody's ever heard of got injured.

Kevin Love: He's a star, not a superstar, but he'll get treated like a superstar as long as he stays on a team as hopeless as Minnesota. Pair Love with a slightly above average center, and he'll put up nothing more than 18/12. Still, those are close to All-Star numbers. Improvements to his defense and overall athleticism can make him a perennial All-Star.

I love this, "nothing more!" Please do some research into how many players have averaged 18/12 per game in the 3-point era k thx.

Blake Griffin: I think he's going to be the best offensive power forward of the 21st century so far. He's the only player in the league I can see putting up 30 points and 15 rebounds on a regular basis. He's already HOF material.

Jesus christ, 30/15? Come on, son.

I'll help you out on this one, number of times in the modern era that a player averaged 29+ ppg and 14+ rpg during a season: Once, Moses Malone, 1981-82.

[Andrew]

I'd agree that Rose still has a decent amount of room for improvement in areas such as his jumpshot and decision making. The Bulls' Playoff run did expose the fact that while he has come a long way there's still room for growth as a player, no great shame given his age and how far he's come already. He seems to have the drive and willingness to keep working on these things, so fingers crossed.

Same goes for Westbrook. A lot of talent there, but he needs to play with more control and make better decisions. At times his play is reminiscent of others who have struggled to adapt to the point guard position being more an undersized shooting guard, but he seems to have a better attitude. Like Rose he's still young and on the way up, give it some time.

Blake Griffin is another one I'd agree with. He's got the tools and the raw talent to put up numbers already, it's the development as a franchise player that will come next. It doesn't look like the injury and surgery that made him miss his rookie season is going to be a cause for concern, he's got the opportunity to be a special player in the league.

Gordon and Curry are solid choices. Lopez has the tools but he needs to rebound a lot better. Ibaka and Harden, I'm not so sure. I think they can continue to get better and be great third and fourth options in Oklahoma City, but I don't know about being more than that. I'd agree with Lawson and Evans as well. Love I'd say is already semi-established, like Rose or Westbrook. Room for improvement but already in the discussion in terms of stardom.

[NovU]

Rose lacks interview skills the most. Perhaps he can improve on that next season.

Westbrook needs Rose's in-between games rather than just trying to attack-n-see.

Brook Lopez didn't improve and that's not a good sign. Sometimes Bargnani out powers him. That's not a good sign either.

Blake Griffin is definitely amazing. I think he needs to learn to pace the season and control mental lapse to a minimum. I am interested to see how he will evolve to become a superstar.

As for Tyreke, many consider him too young to be a leader and I thought that was apparent last season. He needs to be able to tell Demarcus to STFU and just play as a team. He regressed last season but was due to the injury. The kid has much room to improve like mid-range shooting and D.

Cruzerr: This guy's amazing but is being held back by 10 other guys on the field. He should find his Miami Heat and team up with other superstars. Perhaps we can see another The Decision on ESPN.

[Andrew]

Rose lacks interview skills the most. Perhaps he can improve on that next season.

Why should he? Some people have charisma, others don't. He doesn't have the outgoing personality of a Magic Johnson or a Charles Barkley, so there's no reason to force it. There's elements of his game that still need to be developed further, that's what he needs to work on.

[deihatein]

Roddy Beaubois - Has the potential to be the next franchise player in Dallas. I hope Cuban and Don Nelson hasn't given up on him

Tyreke Evans is turning to be one of my favorite players. He kinda reminds me of a young Lebron James for some reason

[rise]

Roddy Beaubois - Has the potential to be the next franchise player in Dallas. I hope Cuban and Don Nelson hasn't given up on him

Tyreke Evans is turning to be one of my favorite players. He kinda reminds me of a young Lebron James for some reason

I wish I could feel the same way about Roddy, but I think he's overhyped.

Does Tyreke remind you of Lebron because those two and Michael Jordan were the only three to average 20/5/5 as rookies? I can see where you are coming from, but I see more similarities to Wade than LeBron.

[shadowgrin]

Rose lacks interview skills the most. Perhaps he can improve on that next season.

Why should he? Some people have charisma, others don't. He doesn't have the outgoing personality of a Magic Johnson or a Charles Barkley, so there's no reason to force it. There's elements of his game that still need to be developed further, that's what he needs to work on.

Say what you want about his zombie personality, but he has good commercials. That is already enough for a lot of fans to notice him.

[Its_asdf]

I don't think Tyreke Evans will average 25. I think he'll hover around 18-20 game as long as Cousins is getting consistent touches down low (which he should be getting next year). He also seems like he was the benefactor of really good circumstances (no one really knowing how to play him, plenty of possessions, etc) during his rookie year.

Don't get me wrong I think he's going to be a great player, but I can already see that many Kings fans prefer the offense ran through Cousins than Evans.

[Andrew]

Say what you want about his zombie personality, but he has good commercials. That is already enough for a lot of fans to notice him.

I'd say he's a bit like Tim Duncan in that regard, he's got a sense of humour and whatnot but he's just not a Barkley/Shaq type. Like I said you can't force that, he just needs to focus on continuing to improve his game and the PR folks will take care of the rest.

[NovU]

What can I say, Drew. Most of us aren't a true fan of Rose/Bulls so it's easy to understand people demanding more characters from a superstar like him(for entertainment value). But I agree with you that it is unnecessary and could be a bad thing as his zombie personality is really likeable for many. Yeah, I just made a joke out of his personality mostly because I think his game is pretty much awesome enough and can't really fault him an area he really really needs to improve unlike others here.

[The X]

After playing 2K11 & seeing his trade value & potential, I don't think you can go past Daniel Orton

[Andrew]

What can I say, Drew. Most of us aren't a true fan of Rose/Bulls so it's easy to understand people demanding more characters from a superstar like him(for entertainment value). But I agree with you that it is unnecessary and could be a bad thing as his zombie personality is really likeable for many. Yeah, I just made a joke out of his personality mostly because I think his game is pretty much awesome enough and can't really fault him an area he really really needs to improve unlike others here.

Hey, no argument here that he's far from being charismatic. He's pretty good right now and I'm obviously a fan, but I still think his game can (and ultimately will) go further.

[Kenny]

I think John Wall has a lot of potential. There's a lot of pressure on him, pretty much being the franchise guy since day one, but with the right team around him I think he could possibly put up 20-10 in a season (16 and 8 is a pretty decent rookie year stat). His shooting needs to improve though.

[NovU]

Hey, no argument here that he's far from being charismatic. He's pretty good right now and I'm obviously a fan, but I still think his game can (and ultimately will) go further.

I am not even a fan but I find his robotic demeanor definitely likeable, sorta contrast to Lebron's or Dwight's.

I also think his game will go further. It's just that his game is pretty much a complete package at the moment that I can't really pin point major flaws in his game. He will probably work on jumpers and to reduce turnovers, and that's all I can think of at the moment. Let me ask Bulls fans though. In which aspect/area of his game do you guys think will(or need to) vastly improve or be added?

[Kenny]

^ that's what I've always found likeable about Tim Duncan, his "boring" demeanor is interesting to me and makes him more relateable.

[Murat]

I have 6 players to say that have most potential.

1. Blake Griffin: Explosive show-time power forward. He is a combination of Amar'e Stoudemire and Larry Nance.
2. Derrick Rose: Great passer, scorer. Strengthed dribbler, a real MVP.
3. Russell Westbrook: Explosive show-time point guard, can do everything you want but not a Derrick Rose. He is caught by the shadow of Durantula.
4. Stephen Curry: Like his dad, Steph is a great shooter, but I see 30x more than his dad, Dell.
5. LaMarcus Aldridge: A guy that we'll see in All-Star weekends soon, but not now.
6. Greg Oden: I know that it's surprising, but if he wouldn't got injuries, Greg would be a super-star. Even he has some potential too.

[Lamrock]

Maybe one or two players from the OP will actually make a significant improvement.

Tyreke doesn't have superstar written all over him. He won RotY because he certainly does has some talent and plays for Excremento but I see his ceiling as poor man's (prime) Brandon Roy, with more longevity most likely (though he has had injury issues!)

James Harden could probably lead a lottery team in scoring, but he'll be best suited doing exactly what he does now, but with more subtle improvements, defensively and completing his game.

Serge Ibaka could go either way. If he stays healthy and keeps improving, he could be an excellent player in this league. His style of play will probably mean the likes of Rudy Gay will take his all-star replacement spot.

LaMarcus Aldridge did improve this last season. He took more shots yes, but after a rough start to the season, Aldridge was the best power forward in the league for the second half. His efficiency went up with his production, and he's also proven himself defensively. But with all that, no, Aldridge doesn't really have potential left. His ceiling is the second half of last season.

Stephen Curry - we'll see.

Brooke Shields of big men aside, Brook Lopez is like Chris Kaman is Chris Kaman didn't suck. Or rebound. Lopez is coming off a bit of a down year, and while his drop in rebounding could be attributed to Kris Humphries's emergence, the reason he fell to #10 was his ceiling, which he seems to have hit. He can improve other elements of his game, but his all-star potential is hoping Horford, Bogut and Noah have bad years.

Ty Lawson's going places.

I think Russell Westbrook's going to end up as good as Rose, worse on offense, but better on D. Though he was controversial in the playoffs, Westbrook had a great, at times incredible year. As he matures as a player, I could see him being a top 10 player for a few years.

Barring injuries, Derrick Rose is going to have a season where he actually does deserve the MVP someday.

Eric Gordon is nothing like Russell Westbrook. He's always been a solid scoring 2 guard, but he hasn't really improved much. This last "emergent" season, he simply took a lot more shots. Maybe he'll get up to 25 PPG some day as the Clippers celebrate a 35-47 season.

Kevin Love is at his peak: an all star, the best rebounder in the league and an excellent offensive player. Physically, he doesn't have much room to improve, but it will be interesting to see if he ever starts playing defense.

Blake Griffin shouldn't have been an all-star or dunk champion this year, but that aside, the Clippers have a marketable all-star caliber player on their hands. People seem to forget that he lost his entire first season due to injury and don't know that his numbers steadily went down towards the end of his rookie season. Griffin seems to be the heir apparent to Amar'e Stoudemire, but while his rebounding numbers are better, his offensive game is not close to STAT's level. He has potential, but he's not without red flags and 30/15 is absurd.

I reckon John Wall won't suck so bad once he's not a rookie and starts to get some calls. His athleticism and prestige should get him to the free throw line and the all-star team. Danilo Gallinari is an intriguing prospect. DeMarcus Cousins had a turrible rookie season, but he has shown flashes and I see him being the center version of Zach Randolph. Jrue Holiday, Epic Vale and Greg Monroe are prospects I wouldn't mind having.

[Andrew]

I also think his game will go further. It's just that his game is pretty much a complete package at the moment that I can't really pin point major flaws in his game. He will probably work on jumpers and to reduce turnovers, and that's all I can think of at the moment. Let me ask Bulls fans though. In which aspect/area of his game do you guys think will(or need to) vastly improve or be added?

Mostly his jumpshot and decision making. Neither is terrible at the moment but his jumpshot could be more reliable and there were times he tried to do a little too much in the Playoffs last season. It would help if some of the other Bulls were a little more consistent offensively, that was lacking in the Playoffs which forced him to shoulder more of the load than he should have had to carry. He could stand to be better defensively too, though I don't think he'll ever be one of the best defenders in the league.

Barring injuries, Derrick Rose is going to have a season where he actually does deserve the MVP someday.

He already has. Whether another player was more deserving or should've won the award is certainly open to debate, but it's not as though he didn't have a legitimate claim last season.

[rise]

I also think his game will go further. It's just that his game is pretty much a complete package at the moment that I can't really pin point major flaws in his game. He will probably work on jumpers and to reduce turnovers, and that's all I can think of at the moment. Let me ask Bulls fans though. In which aspect/area of his game do you guys think will(or need to) vastly improve or be added?

Mostly his jumpshot and decision making. Neither is terrible at the moment but his jumpshot could be more reliable and there were times he tried to do a little too much in the Playoffs last season. It would help if some of the other Bulls were a little more consistent offensively, that was lacking in the Playoffs which forced him to shoulder more of the load than he should have had to carry. He could stand to be better defensively too, though I don't think he'll ever be one of the best defenders in the league.

Barring injuries, Derrick Rose is going to have a season where he actually does deserve the MVP someday.

He already has. Whether another player was more deserving or should've won the award is certainly open to debate, but it's not as though he didn't have a legitimate claim last season.

He had a good claim, but he was about the fourth or fifth most valuable player, behind Dwight, LeBron, and Dirk for sure. Rose's D needs some improvement, along with his jump shot. I think eventually he will be the true MVP or runner-up at some point in the near future.

LaMarcus Aldridge did improve this last season. He took more shots yes, but after a rough start to the season, Aldridge was the best power forward in the league for the second half. His efficiency went up with his production, and he's also proven himself defensively. But with all that, no, Aldridge doesn't really have potential left. His ceiling is the second half of last season.

I think his rebounding can still improve. He's only 25 or 26, so there's still time. He's only entering his prime.

Serge Ibaka could go either way. If he stays healthy and keeps improving, he could be an excellent player in this league. His style of play will probably mean the likes of Rudy Gay will take his all-star replacement spot.

I think at some point, his scoring and rebounding stats are going to jump significantly. He's still fairly raw, he's got so much more in him than just a knack of shot blocking.

I think Russell Westbrook's going to end up as good as Rose, worse on offense, but better on D. Though he was controversial in the playoffs, Westbrook had a great, at times incredible year. As he matures as a player, I could see him being a top 10 player for a few years.

Westbrook's offense is nearly equal to Rose's. Just two points less, on slightly less efficient scoring. Westbrook averaged more assists than Rose too, but that is attributed mainly to Durant.

Eric Gordon is nothing like Russell Westbrook. He's always been a solid scoring 2 guard, but he hasn't really improved much. This last "emergent" season, he simply took a lot more shots. Maybe he'll get up to 25 PPG some day as the Clippers celebrate a 35-47 season.

Gordon's shooting and scoring numbers are nearly identical to Westbrook, only Gordon has a better 3P%. Both Westbrook and Gordon score 20+ ppg as SECOND OPTIONS. When Griffin bolts LAC to avoid the Clipper curse, Gordon could be a 27-28 ppg scorer on a crappy Clippers team.

Kevin Love is at his peak: an all star, the best rebounder in the league and an excellent offensive player. Physically, he doesn't have much room to improve, but it will be interesting to see if he ever starts playing defense.

Do you legitimately think Love is the best rebounder in the league? Dwight Howard would be averaging 25/18 if he played in Minnesota.

Blake Griffin shouldn't have been an all-star or dunk champion this year, but that aside, the Clippers have a marketable all-star caliber player on their hands. People seem to forget that he lost his entire first season due to injury and don't know that his numbers steadily went down towards the end of his rookie season. Griffin seems to be the heir apparent to Amar'e Stoudemire, but while his rebounding numbers are better, his offensive game is not close to STAT's level. He has potential, but he's not without red flags and 30/15 is absurd.

You're joking right? If you don't think 22/12 are All-Star numbers, then there are only about ten All-Stars in the league, in your opinion. I know his D needs improvement and that Amar'e's offense is better, but you have to remember that Blake is a rookie and that he is 22 and has several years to improve further.

I reckon John Wall won't suck so bad once he's not a rookie and starts to get some calls. His athleticism and prestige should get him to the free throw line and the all-star team. Danilo Gallinari is an intriguing prospect. DeMarcus Cousins had a turrible rookie season, but he has shown flashes and I see him being the center version of Zach Randolph. Jrue Holiday, Epic Vale and Greg Monroe are prospects I wouldn't mind having.

I agree that Wall will eventually be an All-Star, but I think that's a couple seasons away. Gallo will be a solid starter for a long time, and may be a one or two time All-Star, but I don't expect him to turn into Dirk Nowitzki. I see him more of a Bargs. Both really are swingmen in much taller than average frames. I forgot Cousins, but I totally agree. Holiday and Monroe will be very good, but not All-Stars. Javale is overrated because of his athleticism, but I think he's going to be a solid starter, just not an All-Star.

Also Paul George has a really promising future.

[Andrew]

He had a good claim, but he was about the fourth or fifth most valuable player, behind Dwight, LeBron, and Dirk for sure. Rose's D needs some improvement, along with his jump shot. I think eventually he will be the true MVP or runner-up at some point in the near future.

I wouldn't say he was behind them "for sure", he had as valid a claim as the rest of them. I'd actually put LeBron last on that list, considering Wade was just as big a factor in the Heat's regular season success. This "true MVP" stuff is way overblown anyway, a suggestion that could be made of several MVPs through the years. Rose's season placed him on a short list of worthy candidates, he got the nod this time around.

[Its_asdf]

I don't know about you guys, but Serge Ibaka to me just seems like a glorified role player. A great player to have on your team and a must have complementary piece for a championship run for sure, but I don't really see him with all-star potential. I believe he's more of a byproduct of having players around him that allow him to look as good as he has been these past few seasons.

[Lamrock]

Andrew, Oh, I didn't mean that as an attack on Rose persay. I reckon D-Rose will have a season that truly is deserving of the MVP award and probably not win it that year. The award usually is given to the right player in the wrong season anyway (see Kobe winning it in 2008 of all years), but I think the days of him being the best player in the league are still ahead of him.

z02, Why would LaMarcus Aldridge suddenly improve in rebounding after five seasons? If Camby is dealt, he may average a double double, but he hasn't improved on the boards at all. He averaged more boards per 36 in his rookie season than he did last year.

Doubt Ibaka ever gets more shots on the Thunder, but I wouldn't put higher rebounding and efficiency numbers past him.

I'm obviously not the biggest advocate of Rose in the world, but he did score at a higher volume with better efficiency (though how Westbrook did not win Most Improved Player is absolutely beyond me) and performed better in the postseason. Russ also benefits from a higher pace and having Kevin Durant + good role players to pass to. First half of the season I would have said Westbrook over Rose, but he cooled off considerably.

Eric Gordon tied Griffin in shot attempts and PPG this season. Not to mention he averaged like 17 PPG before Blake showed up. If the Clippers somehow got crappier, Gordon could average 27-28 PPG, but what I don't think you understand is that being a more prolific scorer doesn't necessarily make you a better one.

Check out Kevin Love's rebounding rates.

You're infatuated with the raw stats, but there's gotta be some red flags about a PF almost entirely reliant on athleticism who's already missed half of his career with a broken kneecap. Blake had an excellent rookie season, but it's pretty hard to make a case for him making it over Aldridge, Chandler or Zach Randolph given the Clippers' record and his only claim being 22-12 on adequate efficiency and with no noticeable impact as far as actually winning is concerned. You could say "oh, injuries", but those benefited the Clippers as DeAndre Jordan is better than Chris Kaman (mind blown yet?)

Danilo Gallinari is already a lot better than Bargnani is, was or will ever be. Epic Vale and Greg Monroe were the only good players on their shitty teams last year, and they just happen to play the most prized position. I could see them getting into the ASG deservedly but under the radar as the second center. I do agree on Paul George.

[rise]

Danilo Gallinari is already a lot better than Bargnani is, was or will ever be. Epic Vale and Greg Monroe were the only good players on their shitty teams last year, and they just happen to play the most prized position. I could see them getting into the ASG deservedly but under the radar as the second center. I do agree on Paul George.

Do you really think Javale McGee was better than John Wall last season? Nick Young? Even Andray Blatche? Same with Monroe over Stuckey and Tayshaun Prince? McGee and Monroe are overrated because they play the 5. Their numbers are boosted because they play on the Wizards and the Pistons, two of the worst teams in the league. Like I said before, they have solid potential to be very good centers, but never All-Stars.

About Bargnani, he is a very good scorer, but he's playing two positions out of position. I hope the drafting of Valanciunas lets the Raptors give Bargs the right role as a 4 or 3. Also, his weaknesses on the boards and on defense are amplified, because most finesse small forwards can't contain the Tyson Chandlers and Joakim Noahs of the NBA, even if they are seven feet tall. He would be much better suited playing the three, like Gallo. He'd still be scoring at a similar rate. If Gallo was suddenly called upon to play start at the 5, he wouldn't do as well as Bargs has. If Bargs suddenly had Gallo's role in Denver, he'd play very well in my opinion.

[Lamrock]

Javale McGee was absolutely their best player last year. He was the only player to bring positive contributions to the team, providing the team's only defensive presence (and I mean only). Wall was pretty ineffective, shooting very poorly, lot's of TO's, missed 13 games to injury, etc. Nick Young is a backup-caliber SG that just takes a lot of shots - a.k.a. a star in your book. Blatche was a disaster all year.

Bargs doesn't defend or rebound and isn't efficient offensively. He's played out of position but playing the 3 is not an option due to his complete and utter lack of ability to guard 3's. Gallo was forced to play a lot of 4 in New York and he did just fine.