Forwards of the Future

The NBA is constantly evolving. It has gone from a game dominated by white males, to a growing international phenomenon. As athletes evolve, so does the game. People claim the stars of the past were tougher, but there is no question that the players now are bigger, stronger, faster and overall, more athletic. Players with unbelievable god given ability come in large numbers, but with that, the fundamentals of the game are changing. If you don’t believe me, name six pure shooting guards that deserve an All-Star vote. No, I don’t mean combo guards that can play the point guard and shooting guard positions and no I don’t mean small forwards that play shooting guard because their team doesn’t have a better choice at shooting guard. I’m talking about players that were born to play shooting guard and can shoot well enough to be effective at the position. In case you are still thinking I’ll give you two names to start…Kobe Bryant and Ray Allen.

While you are thinking, I’ll continue with what I was saying. The game is not played the way it once was and with that, the rules have changed slightly. It is now easier for players to get to the lane because officials are asked to call the game closer. Hand checking and a lot of physical play has been removed from the game. (Don’t get me wrong, the game is still physical, you just have to wait until the playoffs to see the real NBA) No wonder guards can’t shoot like they used to. Why practice that when you can use your athleticism and take advantage of the rules to penetrate the paint.

There has been a shift in what positions are most important to a team’s success. It used to be a team needed a good center, someone that owned the paint. Once you had your center you could build around them, probably needing a star shooting guard or point guard next. Boy oh boy times have changed. The center position now is almost a myth. If you thought thinking of good pure shooting guards was hard, you will truly struggle to name good pure centers. (No, Tim Duncan doesn’t count, he’s a power forward and so is Pau Gasol.) Now the game is being taking over by point guards and athletic, versatile forwards. Everyone is looking for the next dominant point guard. Name six point guards that deserve an All-Star vote. You could probably come up with 8 to 10. That’s a third of the league.

While I love watching the new stars of today, I always wonder how the game has changed so drastically. For that reason, I find it very refreshing when certain teams or players remind me of how the game used to be played. An example of this would be the Boston Celtics. They are a well balanced unit that focuses on defense and plays with passion. Not to mention they have attitude. This is the same team that was so serious about not allowing baskets that after the whistle was blown on a play and an opposing player would take a practice shot, one of the Celtics (often Kevin Garnett) would jump up and swat the ball away before it reached the rim. They are intimidating and play with an “F U” mentality. I’m not a Celtics fan but have no choice but to appreciate the type of basketball they play.

There are also two young players I love to watch. It is not just because of their stats or highlights but more so because of the way they play the game. Those two players are Blake Griffin and Kevin Love. Both players play on traditionally non-contending teams but if you haven’t gotten a chance to see them play, you should invest in the NBA League Pass next year.

Griffin is plain and simple phenomenal. There really isn’t much not to like about him. Standing at 6’10 and weighing a solid 250 lbs, Griffin is built to dominate the paint area. His game is far from perfect but the passion he plays with makes up for all his weaknesses. I heard on ESPN this week that several players in the NBA are not fond of Griffin because he plays hard 100% of the time. Understandably, we all know players in the NBA take plays off and in the regular season some players even take games off, so to play against a guy that is giving it his all on every single play could get a little annoying. But that is no reason not to like him! How can you be a professional athlete and be angry at an opposing player for giving it his or her all for a whole game. (Eh um Lamar Odom)

Outside of his relentless play, Griffin is a human highlight reel. As soon as he put on an NBA jersey, he instantly became one of the most explosive players in the league. If someone put together the top-10 dunks from this season thus far, he would probably hold four of those spots. With that being said, he is the heavy favorite to win the 2011 Slam Dunk Contest. He is a no nonsense kind of guy. Even as a rookie, he is a true professional and is showing he is a far better leader than any of us expected him to be. He plays for a historically bad franchise in the Los Angeles Clippers, with a terrible owner in Donald Sterling. Since 1984, the Clippers have had three winning seasons. Trust me, I doubled checked those numbers. With that being said, his 22 points, 12 rebounds (ranked 4th in the league), 3 assists, shooting 52% from the field per game has really lifted a young Clippers team. I’m a fan of Griffin because of his work ethic and the intensity he plays with. He doesn’t talk as much trash as say a Kevin Garnett but when watching him play, it is clear he has an “F U” mentality. For whatever reason, we feel the need to compare sports athletes to players from the past. Griffin has received comparisons from Shawn Kemp to Charles Barkley. For me, it is too early to compare him to anyone. He has only played half a season in his rookie career. The athleticism, dunks and rebounding will always be there but with his work ethic, who knows what type of game he will have. I’ve already seen more moves in the paint from Griffin in 40 games than I’ve seen from Dwight Howard in six and half seasons. His game has definitely developed since we last saw him in college. He is constantly fouled and has taken well over 300 free throws already. He is currently ranked 7th in the league in free throws attempted and if you’re wondering, yes he gets to the line more than Kobe Bryant and Carmelo Anthony. He is second in the league in double doubles with 33 in just 40 games. That is off the charts for a rookie. If he continues to work on his free throw shooting (currently shooting 60%) he will only score more points and become more of a problem for opposing defenders. Griffin will easily run away with the Rookie of the Year Award and is the first step to changing the culture of Clippers basketball. As he and his teammates grow and develop together, they will win more games and fans will eventually come to see the whole team and not just Blake Griffin. I don’t want to jinx it but Griffin could be what it takes to remove the Clippers from under the Lakers shadow one day. (One day when Kobe Bryant is long gone)

The other young star I love to watch is Minnesota Timberwolves own, Kevin Love. Love is a hard hat and lunch pail kind of player. Nothing flashy about his game, he just out works his opponents. He has an old school type of game. Love stands at 6’10 260 lbs. Unlike Blake Griffin, Love does not possess phenomenal athleticism. He is talented in other ways. He has an exceptional knack for rebounding. He understands the lost art of body positioning and boxing out. He knows he isn’t going to out jump everyone, so he uses his 260 pound frame to his advantage. Love’s career has taken off and it only took him three years. Love has seen his points, rebounds, field percentage, free throw percentage and minutes take a major leap from last year. He has improved his rebounding total by four per game (15 per game), his free throw percent by six percent (87%), three point percentage by 13% (.444%) and points by seven per game (21 per game). He leads the league in rebounding, double doubles, consecutive double doubles and will most likely win the most improved award. Offensively he has no major weakness. He can play in the low post but prefers to play in the high post and elbow line extended area. He now confidently shoots from three point range, making him very dangerous for opposing big men attempting to guard him. Where his game lacks is on defense, similar to Blake Griffin. He rarely blocks shots (0.3 per game) and although he is a very crafty player, he does not get many steals (0.6 per game). My biggest knock on Love is his ability to help his team. There is no doubt about it, Kevin Love will be a star in the NBA and should be an All-Star this year but his team continues to struggle even as he excels. They are currently 10-33 and just 2-21 on the road.

Both the Clippers and the Timberwolves have young teams. It is arguable that the Clippers have a more talented roster, and if that is true, it isn’t by much. Love and Griffin impact the game in similar ways, in terms of statistics but Griffin’s play translates to more wins for his team. You can’t go wrong with either player and both may redefine the power forward position in their own way.

Whether it is Love’s superb fundamentals, versatility and feel for the game or Griffin’s explosiveness, work ethic and “F U” mentality, both players excel in today’s game but have a little old school to them.

Did you finish your list of six shooting guards yet?