With the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge taking place tonight, I decided to evaluate five of the best players taking part in the new U.S. vs World format. The past two draft classes haven’t been as productive as in past years, but there is still plenty of potential to go around.
Victor Oladipo – U.S. — After drawing Dwyane Wade comparisons from his playing days as a Hoosier at Indiana University, Oladipo was selected second overall by the Orlando Magic in the 2013 NBA Draft. Early in his career, Oladipo has been given the opportunity to play a lot on a team without many other scoring options, which usually translates into quality statistics; he has averaged 16.6 points per game in 34.2 minutes thus far this season. Oladipo has shown flashes of elite athleticism (which will be on display at Saturday’s Dunk Contest) and has played in spurts of excellence at times. Moving forward, he will need to become a more reliable player and a better finisher at the rim on an every-possession basis in order to maximize his potential. Can Oladipo be an All-Star one day? Absolutely – he should flourish into one of the NBA’s best shooting guards.
Andrew Wiggins – The World — Canadian-born Andrew Wiggins was the first overall pick by the Cleveland Cavaliers in this past June’s draft, but was subject to much trade speculation as soon as LeBron James returned home to northeastern Ohio. The Cavaliers, in pursuit of a championship, ultimately dealt Wiggins to Minnesota in a package for forward Kevin Love. After the extraordinary hype that surrounded him in high school, many were disappointed in Wiggins’ performance at Kansas, which lowered his expectations coming into the NBA; however, right off the bat, Wiggins became the face of the franchise in the Twin Cities. Throughout the draft process, it is possible that he may have been undervalued, considering the tremendous individual success he has enjoyed this year with the Wolves. His jumpshot has been more consistent than many predicted, and his athleticism and defense have been as polished as advertised. With added physical strength and more experience as “the man,” Andrew Wiggins should develop into a star (maybe a superstar) to build around in Minnesota.
Giannis Antetokounmpo – The World — Known as “The Greek Freak,” Antetokounmpo quickly became a fan favorite in the NBA. As a raw talent from Greece, no one really knew what to expect from the fifteenth overall pick in 2013. He surprisingly started last season in Milwaukee, as opposed to in Greece; many, including myself, thought an 18 year old like himself needed at least a few more seasons in Europe before he’d be ready for the size, strength, and talent of professional ball in the United States. Well, we were clearly mistaken. The Greek Freak has grown about two inches since the day he first put on a Bucks cap, helping him develop into one of the league’s most unique talents. He has the height of a center, the ball-handling of a guard, the finishing ability of Lebron James (almost), and the experience of a fly. Not to mention, he’s a pretty darn good defender, too, with one steal and one block per game. Antetokounmpo’s elite length causes havoc for any player trying to drive by him or shoot over him. One flaw in his game is definitely shooting, but that should continue to improve over the years, as it has with many young players in the past. It’s tough to project exactly how good the Greek Freak will be, but he certainly has the physical tools to become a gifted player in the NBA.
Michael Carter-Williams – U.S. — Ever since getting drafted eleventh overall out of Syracuse in the 2013 NBA Draft, Carter-Williams has been the beneficiary of tanking in Philadelphia. The ball is constantly in his hands, leading to fantastic statistics early in his young career. This shouldn’t take away from his success, however, as his 2013-14 Rookie of the Year Award was well deserved. Two knocks on MCW’s game are his shooting and his turnover rate. In his first season and a half as an NBA point guard, Carter-Williams has shot 39.6% from the field and 26.1% from three, to go along with 3.8 turnovers per game. Regardless, he has emerged as one of the best rebounding guards in the NBA, enabling him to become a triple-double threat on any given night. Carter-Williams has shown that he can be a baller in the NBA, but will his style of play help a winning team? The answer to this will remain unknown unless he is either traded or the Sixers instantly become good. On an optimistic note, hopefully Carter-Williams and the other young stars in the City of Brotherly Love can turn this franchise around.
Mason Plumlee – U.S. — While Carmelo Anthony is the true ambassador of All-Star Weekend in NYC, Mason Plumlee deserves some love, too. After all, he is in more events than Melo, and he is on a better team. As a Nets fan, I love everything about Plumlee: his energy, his dunking ability, and his determination to win. On a team with no clear path for their future, Plumlee seems to act as a player to work with moving forwards in Brooklyn. There’s not a second on the floor when Plumlee isn’t hustling his rear end off, making plays on both ends of the court. Early into his rookie season, I compared the 6-11 Duke product to a poor-man’s Blake Griffin, which didn’t go over very well; I was told I was crazy. A year later and my comparison doesn’t look so far-fetched after all. No, he is not a future All-Star starter, nor will he be even close to as good as Blake Griffin. However, they both have elite athleticism and score a significant amount of points off of dunks. After Saturday, they both may be Slam Dunk champions, too, depending on what the other contestants bring to the table. Mason Plumlee has outperformed the minimal expectations that came along with being the 22nd overall pick in a draft, and he has even played like the Nets’ best player at times this season. He should be an entertaining player to watch for years to come.
Keep in mind, all five of these players are extremely young, ranging from 20 (Antetokounmpo) to 24 (Plumlee), so there is much room for improvement as they blossom into stars in the NBA. Tune in to TNT to watch the BBVA Rising Stars Challenge tonight at 9pm, and if you’re impressed with the dunks from Oladipo, Antetokounmpo, and Plumlee, watch the Sprite Slam Dunk Contest on Saturday Night. This should be an awesome weekend of events!
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