Most Exciting Players to Watch in 2010-11

Lots of buzz around the league after watching the Bulls and Clippers last night, with studs Derrick Rose and Blake Griffin squaring off in a must-see game.  Too bad it was a 10:30 game and only fans like me care enough on the East coast to stay up til 1 or 1:30 AM EST to watch it.  This was just a regular season game; I’ve watched countless Western Conference playoff games that ended at 2 AM EST and hardly had anyone to talk about them with.  I really think the NBA would be a whole lot more popular on this side of the country if the West coast games were on earlier.  Instead, we’re subjected to seeing a lot of so-so games during prime time.  Since there’s only 5 good teams in the East (Chicago, Miami, Boston, Orlando, Atlanta), there are not too may combinations of good games to watch.  And since those 5 teams don’t play every night, you get the occasional-but-not-infrequent Milwaukees, Washingtons, Charlottes and Clevelands playing each other, even on national TV sometimes.

All eyes are on these two guys when they take the court

I’m not saying those teams’ games are always boring (okay, maybe Cleveland games really are always boring these days), but we’re just missing out on so many intriguing matchups in the West.  Even the so-so teams in the West (Utah, Portland, Golden State, LA Clippers, Memphis, etc.) are so much more entertaining than the East’s perennial cellar dwellers.   Even in the playoffs the last few years, the 1^st round matchups in the East are hardly ever competitive.  Just look at how many All-star snubs there will be when the All-Star reserves are announced tonight on TNT; the deeper pool of talent (and thus a lot of the deserving players that will be left out) is in the West. 

Anyway, back to the Clippers-Bulls game:  Griffin and Rose had so many eye-popping plays between the two, the cameramen probably forgot there were other players on the court.  The two of them scored a combined 17 points in the game’s first six minutes.  These two guys make up a small group of certain players who make every game worth the price of admission.  In case you haven’t noticed, NBA advertising heavily relies on stars – especially high-flying superstars on good teams.  I decided to give a shot at ranking the most electrifying and must-see players in the league.

This is one of those rankings that are completely futile to come up with for four main reasons: 1) this topic  is so subjective, 2) it’s fairly limited to widely known NBA players that are actually helping their team win with their exciting play (I could probably pull up some names from the And-1 mixtape tour that would be contenders on this list), 3) fans of great players who wouldn’t make this list (prime example being Tim Duncan) are going to be offended even though there is a distinct difference between the "best" and “most exciting” players, and 4) this is a very fluid list that could change drastically as the season progresses.  With that said, I expect a whole lot of disagreements with who I have on here.

Just keep these points in mind:

-          I’m ranking these players based on their play THIS year thus far; there are many players who used to be a bit flashier and would easily have made the top 5 of this list some time ago, but their play has calmed down (for better or worse).  Examples of such active players that come to mind include (but not limited to) Kobe Bryant, Vince Carter, Jason Kidd, Shawn Marion, Tracy McGrady, Grant Hill, and Jason Williams.  That’s right, Jason Williams – that is, when he was in Sacramento.

-          This is strictly my opinion of who the most electrifying players are.  This is not meant to say I don’t respect players that didn’t make this list.  This is strictly “watchability,” not necessarily player effectiveness.

Let’s get on with it:

5.  Steve Nash

A perennial top-5 on this list, Nash is one of those guys that every player in the league would want on his team.  One of the most likeable guys on the planet, Nash has a great reputation for making other players better (and their wallets thicker).  A lot like Jason Kidd, Nash truly makes his team appealing to potential free agents.  Take a look at some of his current and former teammates whose careers he resurrected, or those who haven’t been the same without him the last few years:  Raja Bell, Boris Diaw, James Jones, Quentin Richardson, Tim Thomas, Channing Frye, and Leandro Barbosa.  A lot of folks (myself included) thought Amare wouldn’t be as good this season without him, but he is a rare exception.  Given that track record, there is no question Nash deserves his two MVP awards.

Nash's creativity makes him a must-watch in every game he plays

As far as watchability, he’s the real deal.  His ball handling, shooting, and court vision are all impeccable.  He’s one of those guys who has eyes on the back of his head.  He’s got every flashy move in the book – circus shots, fadeaways, crossovers, behind-the-back passes, spin moves, floaters.   You would find 10,000 Youtube clips of all of these moves in his repertoire.   Hell, he was in the highlights of a dunk contest even though he doesn’t dunk!  A talented soccer player as well, he has the ability to see plays before they happen; he’s the Luke Skywalker of the league.    You can’t leave the NBA’s Jedi master off this list.

4.  Dwight Howard

He may be the most taken-for-granted player in the NBA right now, even to people Orlando (where I live).  The league’s current “Iron Man” (he’s missed a TOTAL of 3 games in 6.5 seasons), he’s been a dominant force on the Magic.  Oft criticized for deficiencies in his offensive repertoire, Dwight has improved his low-post game considerably this season.  He started shooting 10-12 feet bank shots, which has opened things up for him.  Widely known as strictly a dunker and rebounder, he’s gotten pretty good at running hook shots and drop steps.  With improved footwork, he seems to have a lot more weapons than he did a year ago.  His problem, as he will tell you, is that he doesn’t fully utilize his repertoire during crucial moments.  His freethrow shooting ability, or lack thereof, doesn’t help his case either, as opponents foul him when he has the ball late in games.  This takes Dwight completely out of the offense during the last few minutes of any close game. 

Dwight is still learning how to fully utilize his unparalleled athleticism

Through the criticism, his popularity has been steady – not only because of his remarkable athletic ability, but also his friendly personality.  From what I’ve seen and heard, he seems to be an extremely approachable and sociable with everyone.  He always takes the time to reply to his fans’ tweets and Facebook messages.  Of course, being the most athletic big man in the history of the league helps his case, too.  He is often not mentioned in the same sentence as the Lebrons and Kobes of the NBA, but I think he should be.  He is by far the best center in the league, and the one guy who can absolutely torch Miami in this year’s playoffs (if they meet). 

On a side note, is it just me or should Magic fans be really worried about Dwight opting out and leaving the Magic when his contract is up in 2012?  He says he and Mickey Mouse will be together forever, but I wonder if he’ll start looking for greener pastures if the Magic don’t win a championship from now until then.  Lately, it seems as though he’s been getting frustrated with his team during their recent rough stretch.  As the anchor of the defense, he has been calling out his teammates more often for constantly letting perimeter players blow by them.  Otis Smith, the Magic’s GM, was able to ship out Vince Carter and Rashard Lewis – perhaps to appease Dwight.  But if those trades don’t pay off, how long is he going to put up with this?  It’s the elephant in the room that no one wants to mention, as far as Orlando is concerned.  The good thing is that he seems a lot more genuine about wanting to stay in Orlando than Shaq was while he was there.  And as I touched on before, he seems to be a very people-oriented and loyal person. 

3.  Derrick Rose

This year, D-Rose has clearly taken his game to new heights.  We knew he could dribble and drive, but now he can shoot threes and finish at a ridiculously high level.  He is THE quickest point guard in the NBA, and his improved game has fueled his MVP candidacy this year.  If the Bulls somehow get a better record than Miami this year, Rose is my season MVP pick. With Boozer and Noah in and out of the lineup, Rose has carried the load offensively.  Barkley thinks he is the best point guard in the NBA, and I don't think anybody can really argue that.  I wasn't all that impressed with Rose when he was on Team USA in the World Championships this past summer, which makes this run of his all the more impressive.

Rose is the most exciting - and perhaps best - point guard in the league

I can’t wait to see how D-Rose meshes with both Noah and Boozer when fully healthy.  The Bulls are the one wildcard I can see knocking out Boston this year.  Also, any show

2.  Blake Griffin

Do I even have to explain this?  The league leader in dunks, this guy has a complete stranglehold on every week’s highlights.  After the first two weeks of this season (his ROOKIE season, by the way), he ALREADY had his own top-10 plays countdown on NBA TV.  Seemingly every other game, one of his teammates – usually either Baron Davis or Eric Gordon – toss him alley-oops from 40+ feet away.  I’ve never seen that with such regularity before.  Check out these insane plays from Griffin vs. the Knicks.  That’s all from the same game!

Highlights aside, Blake has become such a dominant force on both ends of the floor.  If the Clippers continue to improve, they still may overcome their 1-13 start and threaten to make the playoffs.  That would be a great blessing for TV ratings, as people will still want to watch the Clippers get pwned by the Spurs or Lakers as long as Griffin is in it. 

Blake is above the rim more than anybody else in the league

After the Slam Dunk competition in a couple weeks, this highlight generating machine could very easily move to #1 on this list.  He may even In fact, the ONLY reason why he’s at #2 is because of the league’s highest rated duo..

1.  Dwyane Wade/LeBron James

90% of the world would probably shake their heads at this.  But whether you’re rooting for or against them, they’re definitely fun to watch – aren’t they?  Like it or not, these two paring up is clearly the storyline of the league this year.  And individually, they’re the two best players. 

We’ve seen D-Wade through his ups and downs.  But it seems like injury is the only thing that could stop him.  When healthy (or 85% healthy), Wade makes one electrifying play after another.   Most complaints about Wade are regarding the number of calls he’s able to get from the referees.  But he’s not the one calling them – he’s always the aggressor that’s forcing the officials to make those calls.  In the 2006 Finals, he absolutely devastated the Dallas Mavericks franchise, which is still mentally fragile from that experience (as well as their 2007 beat-down by the 8^th seeded Golden State Warriors).   Wade’s tactic of slowly lulling his opponents to sleep while he seemingly lazily dribbles up the court has worked countless times, as he’s able to turn on an instant-quickness switch and break his opponents’ ankles on a regular basis. 

What makes Wade particularly exciting to watch is his great sense of the game itself.  He truly knows the balance between getting his teammates involved and taking over a game.  Also, his ability to make clutch shots has been proven time and again.  Remember his steal and buzzer-beater vs. Chicago two years ago?  I think Kobe is the only other guy you can say could legitimately have done that.   This year, he’s turned in several 30+ point games and dominating performances against great teams.  He also knows when to take a back seat on offense, as well.  Against the Lakers on Christmas Day, he played conservatively on offense and had a poor shooting night.  But he focused most of his energy defending Kobe (in my opinion, he’s the best Kobe defender in the league – Shane Battier is a close 2^nd), helping put him in a relatively poor shooting night (6-16) as well. 

I called LeBron the most hated player in the NBA, but it’s still fun watching him (and in most people’s cases, rooting against him).  His game has calmed down since he first joined the league, but he still shows off his signature dunks – both on fast-breaks and half court situations.  He also has patented the run-from-behind block of opponents on fast-breaks.  Now that he’s not in Cleveland, he doesn’t have to run as many 1 on 5 plays anymore (though sometimes he insists on doing so, which blows my mind).  Like Wade, he has great court vision, and has become Miami’s point-forward who runs the offense. 

Get used to seeing these two at the favorable end of fast-break highlights for years to come

Together, Wade and Lebron in fast-break situations is becoming an unstoppable force.  There’s not much you can do when the two of them are charging at your defense full-speed.  Over the course of the season, they have figured out how to play with one another.  Early on in the season, it seemed they were alternating having good games.  Now?  They are both unstoppable.  The one way you can stop them?  When they shoot jumpers in the half court. 

You can argue that they may not be the best two players in the game, but you can’t tell me that these guys aren’t getting the most attention. 

Guys I kicked myself over leaving off this list:  

Kevin Durant, Rajon Rondo, Russell Westbrook, Jason Kidd, Josh Smith

As I warned, this is an extremely fluid and subjective list.  I’d be glad to see how other analysts would rank their top 5.  It’s not easy.  But there’s a reason why the five I have on this list raise ticket prices significantly, wherever they play.