NBA: Get basics right: Lopez

NBA: Get basics right: Lopez

Where have all the basketball prodigies gone?

It is a legitimate conundrum that plagues the National Basketball Association (NBA) as it searches for the next superstar.

In recent times, several highly-touted prospects have failed to sparkle under the unforgiving spotlight of the world's premier basketball league.

In fact, of the top 10 picks from the last four NBA drafts, just four - guards Kyrie Irving and James Harden and forwards Paul George and Blake Griffin - have gone on to make All-Star appearances.

Fans are yearning for a rookie class comparable to that of 2003's, which unearthed premier talents like LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh.

But, according to Brooklyn Nets centre Brook Lopez, an up-and-coming NBA star himself, the relatively lean crop of young talents is not a cause for worry, as franchise players such as Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant and James are a "rarity".

"That's kind of the way the league goes - there's not gonna be a bona-fide superstar being unearthed every year," said the 25-year-old, who was in Singapore over the weekend for the NBA 3X fan festival.

"What we have now is many great teams with good parts who work well together."

Incessant debate has been waged over just how long youngsters should spend in school honing their basketball skills, before stepping up to the pros.

Since 2006, players who enter the draft must be aged 19 and above and be at least one year removed from high school.

Multiple NBA champions Bryant and James were the two biggest names to skip college for the NBA's bright lights when they were 18.

However, for every success story, there are plenty more high-school talents who struggled to cope with the physical and mental exertions that the NBA exacts, and fell by the wayside.

A most extreme example was Leon Smith, a high-school talent drafted by San Antonio Spurs in 1999, who played only one NBA game and suffered numerous psychological problems, including an attempted suicide.

Lopez, who spent two years at Stanford University before being drafted by the Nets as the 10th overall pick in 2008, wants to see more players do their time at the collegiate level. That period, the California native noted, taught him how to deal with rivals on the court and the pressure of the media off it.

He said: "Some guys are so used to being the stars at school but in the NBA, they're just another player. They're not sure how to react because nothing in life has prepared them for the day they're no longer special."

Getting the basics right would be his good advice for 18-year-old forward Andrew Wiggins, widely regarded as the most exciting prospect to emerge in years.

The Canadian recently enrolled at Kansas University, but there are fears he will swiftly follow in the footsteps of Irving, who left Duke University for the NBA after just one year.

Lopez averaged a respectable 13 points and eight rebounds as a rookie, and has since flourished as one of the rare all-around talents in the centre position.

"There's talk that centres are a dying breed but I'm out to prove it wrong," said the 2.13m-tall player, who made his All-Star debut last season.

"I like being a traditional centre and living in the post. It's all about doing whatever it takes to help your team win - that's what makes you a superstar."

nsanjay@sph.com.sg


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