With the NBA Season opening in a few weeks, fans anticipate how the All-Stars will be performing this season and who to watch out for. But some stars will most likely see their luster dim this year. It's not because they are bad, but either due to circumstance, injury or age, all players, even great ones, have to falloff.
DeMarcus Cousins will be coming back from an Achilles injury this season. And we all know players have never come back the same again from the injury. Notable stars like Chauncey Billups and Kobe Bryant were not as athletic and as explosive as they were before the injury, much more to someone who plays big. With the Golden State Warriors still a strong team even without him, his minutes will definitely be limited once he joins the team so he can be healthy for the playoffs where the team expects his valuable contribution.
Many are excited to see him claim his spot as the splash cousin though, which probably will be the improvement in his game to insert his dominance while staying away too much contact to protect his heel.
4. Vince Carter
With his signing with the Atlanta Hawks, Vince Carter will be the oldest active player in the NBA this season. And while he showed last year with the Kings that he still can play, definitely less will be expected by the Hawks this year. With one of the youngest rosters in the league right now sans Canter, the Hawks will expect nothing but Carter's veteran presence and maybe his clutch shooting when they need it. This team, with most of it's players a decade younger that him, will be under his mentorship having a chance to make the playoffs in the weak Eastern Conference.
After signing with the Sacramento Kings last year, Zach randolph proved he still can bang inside against any team's frontcourt. He still averaged 14.5 points and 6.7 rebounds while shooting his regular percentages in the field. But with the addition of Marvin Bagley III from the draft, Randolph will evenly see less minutes in Dave Joerger's rotation which also includes Willie Cauley-Stein, Kosta Koufos and the newly acquired Nemanja Bjelica.
Zach will still see respectable minutes especially when they need his veteran presence and his offense inside the paint.
2. Pau Gasol
Pau Gasol is turning 39 next year and has already showed signs of slowing down since last year. With the departure of Tim Duncan, many expected that he would somehow replace Tim's void in the system. Although he has produced respectable numbers in scoring and rebounding, his pace running up and down the court is slow for the fast-paced game in the NBA today.
And with the addition of Jakob Poeltl from the Kawhi Leonard trade, who has great potential in Gregg Popovich's system, together with Dave Bertans improvement last season, Gasol's minutes will surely decline this season.
1.Dirk Nowitzki
Dirk Nowitzki's signing is seen by many as more of a mentorship role than a playing contract. With the acquisition of European star Luka Doncic who is looked at by many as the next Dirk, Nowitzki's presence is the transition for the Dallas Mavericks team.
The German's outside presence from time-to-time would help open up the defense for DeAndre Jordan to dominate inside and to open the lanes for JJ Barea and Dennis Smith Jr to attack the basket. His usual production of 14-15 points and two to three pointers per game will be missed but he surely will be ready in the clutch if ever the Mavs would need him on the court.
Riddled by age and past injuries, these five all-stars will surely have their contributions to their respective teams, maybe not with the on-court statistics but with the dynamics of the team moving forward. Don't count them out yet though, they may still have something left in their tanks.
Follow Us
Subscribe