For years now, NBA fans have become accustomed to the order of things amongst the NBA’s elite players. LeBron James has reigned for years since inheriting the mantle from Kobe Bryant in the late 2000’s. In recent times his contemporaries have been the likes of Kevin Durant, Chris Paul and Russell Westbrook. However there are new challengers rising across all positions in the league. The NBA is undertaking a changing of the guard.
In all fairness to the King—he is turning 31 next week—he can’t be expected to dominate the game into his mid 30’s no matter how good he is. This season though Steph Curry has emerged as a true contender for the best basketballer on the planet, although James and Durant certainly still present compelling cases as to why they are top of the tree. Even Kawhi Leonard has his supporters.
Curry is singlehandedly revolutionising the game of basketball as we speak, shooting the ball in a way we’ve never seen. The Warriors superstar is averaging 31.8ppg, 5.4rpg, 6.4apg and 2.1spg on shooting splits of 52 percent from the field, 45 percent from three and 90 percent from the line. He is a transcendent talent whose style will be imitated for years to come by kids coming through the ranks much like the generation of talent Michael Jordan inspired.
For years Chris Paul has been considered the “point god” of the league, but after the Warriors title run and Curry’s MVP campaign he has been officially dethroned. With Paul’s postseason struggles ongoing (never made it past the conference Semi Finals) combined with Curry’s otherworldly metrics (a PER of 32.9 and true shooting percentage of .689), the debate is over. Curry is the point guard standard now. Flanking the former Davidson star are the following rising talents:
- Eric Bledsoe – 22.0ppg, 4.2rpg, 6.5apg, 2.1spg
- Kyle Lowry – 20.9ppg, 5.0rpg, 6.0apg, 2.2spg
- Damian Lillard – 24.6ppg, 4.5rpg, 6.8apg
Let’s not forget about the likes of Westbrook, Rajon Rondo, Mike Conley and others. The point guard position has never been so loaded and it is truly a unique era. On the wings Jimmy Butler and Klay Thompson are presenting genuine cases over the last 12 months that James Harden is not the standalone elite shooting guard in the league. Bradley Beal and Brandon Knight are no slouches either.
LeBron and Durant are certainly still the best small forward’s in the game, but all of a sudden the position is truly loaded after a few lean years beyond the main two stars. If there was a Comeback Player of the Year award in the NBA, it’d be going to Paul George hands down. After a horrific broken leg, George has embraced the Pacers new smallball system, tallying 25.5ppg, 7.8rpg, 4.0apg and 1.6spg. Those are MVP calibre numbers (in a non Steph Curry season that is) if he can maintain them.
Meanwhile much like his team, Kawhi Leonard continues to fly under the radar. But with his incredible improvement, he won’t be going under the radar much longer. Leonard currently leads the league in three point percentage (47 percent), whilst averaging 21.1ppg, 7.4rpg, 2.7apg and 2.0spg. This is all whilst posting a PER of 27.4, which is fourth in the league behind Curry, Westbrook and Durant. He is now truly a superstar and the main man for the San Antonio Spurs.
At the start of the season it would have been somewhat of a debate but mostly consensus that Anthony Davis was the best power forward in basketball. But his struggles so far this season combined with his inability to make those around him better despite his fantastic numbers, he’s so far failed to match the heights he reached last season. So whose overtaken him? Draymond Green of course.
The Warriors x-factor has been incredible again this year, posting a statline no player ever has with 14.3ppg, 8.8rpg, 7.1apg, 1.4bpg and 1.3spg. Curry is getting all the attention, but Green’s ability in the pick and roll as a playmaker combined with his ability to defend all positions makes him truly unique. He is the kind of player all teams are hunting for now. Last season he was considered an elite role player, but this time round he has established himself not only as an all star, but a superstar of the entire league.
In the middle the center position is now dominated by DeMarcus Cousins and Andre Drummond, with Rudy Gobert an incredibly promising talent if he can establish something resembling an offensive game. It’s an exciting time in the NBA with every position possessing truly talented young players ready to be superstars.
Every progression is different and it is very difficult to pinpoint the actual moment the baton was passed, but there’s no doubting the league is witnessing a transition. New players are rising to the top to join the already established elite players. With records being broken more and more every game and the game constantly evolving, it’s an exciting time to be an NBA fan.
