NBA: Which Players Make Up the Next Generation Of Stars?

Kyrie Irving of the Cleveland Cavaliers is one of the next generation of NBA stars. (Photo by slimm978/Flickr.com)

The NBA is full of stars, a loosely defined termed. To slim it down, there the stars like LeBron James, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Carmelo Anthony who make up the upper class of players. There are obviously more. 

Next up are quality players who aren’t good enough to be considered stars. 

Then, there is the next generation of stars. These are the guys that could one day replace the already bonafide stars, but need a few more years of development to reach that stature (some more than others, of course).

Let’s take a look at some of the candidates:

Guidelines: All players must be under the age of 22

John Wall’s return to the Washington Wizards has been significant. Photo Credit: Keith Allison, Flickr.com

The Obvious:

Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers

Irving has already established himself as a legitimate superstar in the NBA. Really, winning is the only caveat holding him back from being mentioned in the same sentence as, say, Chris Paul.

Irving is averaging 23 points and 5.7 assists in 34.9 minutes per game. He recently returned after missing three weeks with a left shoulder sprain, and unfortunately, injuries have been a common theme for the 21-year-old.

Still, he’s undoubtedly part of the next breed of stars. And as the Cavaliers other youngsters develop, Irving will only get better. It’s a win-win.

John Wall, Washington Wizards

The Wizards might be down, but Wall’s impact is worthy of some serious attention.

With Wall on the court, the Wizards have an offensive rating of 102.7 versus a 94.5 without him on the court, and they averaged nearly 10 more points with him on the court.

It’s quite clear that the Wizards feed off his presence. Stats aren’t needed to make that connection. They play at a quicker pace and really, they’re a much better team that’s worth more than a passing whim. Their record since Wall returned on Jan. 11 (23-19), also speaks to that point.

So, provided that Wall stays healthy, 2013-14 could be Washington’s year to sneak into the postseason with their point guard being the centerpiece.

Jrue Holiday, Philadelphia 76ers

Holiday is wrapping up a career year that has seen him rise from a raw point guard to a much, much better point guard. He’s averaging career-highs in points (17.1), assists (8.5) and minutes (38.4).

Holiday will need to repeat that production next year to confirm his case as a start, as one good year isn’t quite enough to be deemed elite. But among the 22-year-olds, he is in the first tier.

The Second Tier

Damian Lillard is the front-runner for the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. Photo Credit: Chrishmt0424 (Flickr.com)

Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers

Lillard should win the Rookie of the Year Award. It’s just a matter of playing the waiting game before it’s official. Still, one award doesn’t define what the future has in store for the Weber State product.

Lillard is averaging 19 points and 6.5 assists in 38.5 minutes per game this year. His numbers are really good. His poise is well beyond his age (22 years old). More importantly, he understands his lofty role: The Blazers need him in order to win. Not only does his usage percentage of 24.2 confirm that, but even the simple eye test can confirm that Lillard makes the Blazers go or holds them back.

Thanks to a dreadful remaining schedule Portland won’t make the playoffs. But with a good offseason, 2013-14 could see them back in the playoff mix again. Plus, with Lillard learning on the go, he will only improve with experience.

It might be too early to make bold predictions for Lillard’s career. After all, he’s played just 76 NBA games. But without going on too far of a limb, Lillard will be one of the league’s best point guards soon enough. As for awards and accolades, well, he will probably have some of that stuff, too.

Anthony Davis will fall short to Damian Lillard in the Rookie of the Year race, but his future is bright. Photo Credit: Mark Allison, Flickr.com

Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets

It’s easy to list another top Rookie of the Year candidate as a future star. It’s just too hard to leave a guy like Davis off this list.

For the year, Davis is averaging 13.2 points and 8.1 rebounds in just 28.6 minutes. The thing is, 29 minutes isn’t a ton for someone like Davis, who is considered to be an eventual superstar. Perhaps he still isn’t ready for such a heavy load, which isn’t out of the question. Though one can only wonder what his stats would look like if he consistently played 35-plus minutes per night.

With rookies, improvement is watched with a sharp eye, and Davis has passed this test. The highly-touted No. 1 pick out of Kentucky has generally improved over the past couple months. He went from averaging roughly 11 points per game in January and February to averaging more than 16 points per game and nearly 10 rebounds in March. During that span, the Hornets have improved as well, and thus, their future is looking bright with Davis holding down the front court.

Paul George’s 2012-13 campaign hasn’t been ignored. Photo Credit: IsoSports, Flickr.com

Paul George, Indiana Pacers

What’s the first thing that you notice when comparing Paul George to the others on this list? It’s fairly obvious: He’s on a winning team. A team that, by the current outlook of their roster, has a bright future, specifically with George.

George has taken the step from role player to budding start this season. Danny Granger’s injury is certainly conducive to George’s emergence, but it was only a matter of time before Granger took the backseat.

George is averaging career-highs in points (17.9), rebounds (7.7), assists (4.1) and minutes (37.6). A number-less explanation: He does a bit of everything. No, not quite LeBron James, but surely a more modified version.

From here, George can really only go up. It would behoove of him to add a consistent 3-point jumper into his arsenal. He’s shooting just a shade over 37 percent from downtown this year, but a consistent 3-point stroke would open up more seams for penetrations. With his quickness, more seams would obviously be extremely beneficial.

Defensively, I don’t know if he can go much higher. He’s third in the NBA in defensive rating, first in defensive win shares and fifth in steals per game. It’s hard to see him improving on those numbers.

At only 22 years old, Paul George is certainly an intriguing player.