The word “star” is such a vague term in basketball language. Everyone has their own definition. Many people don’t consider a player to be a star until their first All-Star selection, which is unfair. Guys like Stephen Curry, Monta Ellis and Josh Smith have been stars on their respective teams without yet being selected to an All-Star Game. In my opinion, being a star player is about popularity. To gain that popularity you obviously have to play well, but there needs to be a bit of luck involved as well. Opportunity is half the battle for most guys.
The NBA Draft is more important for the players than it is for the teams. Sure, teams feel the pressure to select the right guy as opposed to selecting a bust, but at the end of the day, the future of that team doesn’t always depend on that one selection. The draft is a low-risk, high-reward situation for many NBA teams. It’s just another chance for them to improve. They get the same chance year after year.
For the players, their futures depend on being selected into the right situation. Sometimes, they don’t matchup with the needs of the team and end up shuffling from city to city in their first few seasons. Just ask Thomas Robinson.
When picking which players from this year’s draft will end up as future “stars,” it’s important to factor in the situation everyone is going into. Now that the chips have fallen into place, it’s a bit easier to distinguish the players that have a chance at becoming stars from the players that have the deck stacked against them. Here are the five players from this year’s draft that have the best chance at NBA stardom.
*** *** ***
5. TIM HARDAWAY JR.
Hardaway Jr. has fallen into the perfect situation. With the return of J.R. Smith looking unlikely in New York, Hardaway Jr. has the perfect opportunity to come in and fill the void. The Knicks needed a young, exciting talent and that’s exactly what he brings to the table. Offensively, he has the complete package. He’s a balanced scorer and a strong player. At 6-6, he has the perfect stature of an NBA two-guard, and despite what many analysts will say, nearly as much potential as any other prospect in the draft because of his all-around game.
What gives Hardaway Jr. more star potential than Oladipo, Bennett or Muhammad is the situation he’s going into. In New York City, Knick fans fall in love with just about any player that gives a solid contribution. Hardaway Jr.’s popularity will be through the roof if he comes in and plays well. Also, the Knicks are already a contender with a superstar player in place. Hardaway Jr. doesn’t have to face the pressure of carrying the load like some of the other prospects and the fact that the Knicks will be a contending team will give Hardaway Jr. more time in the spotlight. He’ll be on national television more often than just about any other prospect and if he comes in and contributes right away, he’ll surprise a lot of people.
Some say you can’t be a star as a role player, but I believe that’s untrue. NBA stardom isn’t about being the best player on your team. In my opinion, it’s about popularity. With his new situation, Tim Hardaway Jr. has a chance to be one of the most popular rookies in the league next season. From there, who knows what he can accomplish?
4. TREY BURKE
Had Trey Burke not been traded to Utah, I wouldn’t have included him on this list. The Timberwolves have a bad reputation when it comes to indecisiveness between point guards. Now that they finally found their point guard of the future in Ricky Rubio, Burke would’ve been limited as a rookie and could’ve even spent a portion of his first season in the D-League. However, in Salt Lake City it’s a completely different situation.
Burke is going to fill the shoes left by Deron Williams. Since D-Will’s departure, the Jazz hasn’t had anything close to a franchise point guard. Burke fills that void for them. For the past few years, the Jazz focused on building their frontcourt with guys like Al Jefferson, Paul Millsap, Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter. What they needed coming into this year’s draft was to improve the backcourt. With Trey Burke, they couldn’t have addressed that need any better. Burke has a chance to be the face of that franchise now and if he stays on track, it won’t be long before he’s in the conversation with guys like John Wall and Ty Lawson.
Keep reading to check out the three potential stars in this draft…
3. OTTO PORTER JR.
If you’ve ever been to a Georgetown game in the Verizon Center, you know how much of a fan favorite Otto Porter Jr. was in his Hoya days. Now that he has the opportunity to stay in D.C. and continue playing in front of the home crowd, he’s going to be even more of a fan favorite.
Coming into the draft, the Wizards were desperate for a small forward with a future. Otto Porter Jr. was a no-brainer. Between Trevor Ariza, Martell Webster and Chris Singleton, the small forward position seemed like a dead end for the Wizards. Porter Jr. is the future for them at that spot. With the backcourt already in place for the next five years between Wall and Beal, the Wizards needed to match that young talent with another bigger wingman. Porter Jr. needed to be drafted to a team that would allow him to grow at his own pace. He’s been criticized for not being aggressive enough in the past, so it’s an ideal situation for him in Washington. Wall and Beal are carrying the scoring load. Porter Jr. is going to be an immediate local favorite, and will see enough minutes to put together a solid rookie campaign.
2. C.J. McCOLLUM
C.J. McCollum is a pure scorer. He can shoot the ball from any spot on the floor. At Lehigh, he was the focal point of the offense. He was all over every opposing team’s scouting report and they still couldn’t stop him. So much about McCollum is reminiscent of Stephen Curry. He’s obviously not the three-point shooter that Curry is, but his knowledge of how to get himself open looks is what draws the Curry comparisons. McCollum is great at running off screens and has a textbook form squaring up to the basket. More importantly, his ability to create his own shot off the dribble is second to none in this year’s draft.
With Damian Lillard as the point guard of the future, C.J. McCollum should get used to playing the off guard. At 6-3, he’s not the height of your typical shooting guard, however his scoring ability will allow him to see time at the position. Guys like Lou Williams and Monta Ellis prove that you don’t have to be 6-5 to be an effective two-guard. With Lillard at the one and McCollum at the two, the Blazers could have an elite backcourt comprised of two mid-major stars. Lillard already is one. If McCollum can follow in his footsteps, it won’t be long before he’s an NBA star as well.
1. BEN McLEMORE
With Tyreke Evans likely leaving, McLemore might become the new face of the Kings. Sacramento had multiple attempts at drafting their franchise player for the past few years, but always seemed to come up short. Evans was too much of a tweener, and DeMarcus Cousins has his maturity issues. However, McLemore is going to be the perfect face for the Kings in the near future. By falling all the way to No. 7, the Kings struck gold. He’s widely regarded as the best overall talent in the draft and that’s exactly what the Kings needed.
With Evans most likely gone, McLemore has the perfect opportunity to reach his potential, something he struggled with in college. Individually, he has the most All-Star potential of any player in the draft; the fact that he was drafted into a great situation will work to his benefit. If he was selected by Cleveland or Washington, it would’ve been a much more difficult journey to NBA stardom for McLemore.
Which player from this draft is most likely to be a star in five years?
Follow Jaimie on Twitter at @_JaimieTyler_.
Follow Dime on Twitter at @DimeMag.
Become a fan of Dime Magazine on Facebook HERE.
