Stars in the Making

Praise due first and foremost to the Utah Jazz, continuing with such a great pace in the NBA, with only 1 loss up to now. I've been hearing Derron Williams name already mentioned amongst early MVP candidates..His game has stepped up nicely in just his second season and he is leading this team to be the team to beat in the West, but they almost seem like they can't be stopped. It's borderline amazing..

That said, there is a future star point guard being born under the leadership and mentoring of Jason Kidd. Drafted in the low pack of rookies this past draft class, Marcus Williams, is the next Nash/Kidd type point guard in our beloved league. He threads the needle and finds players better than even some vets in the league. Learning the necessary skills from UCONN and Jim Calhoun's system, this kid can ball. He has a high basketball IQ and is one of the sweetest passers you'll see on the court, next to Kidd and Nash (and Jason Williams in his early days). It surprised me greatly to see Marcus slip so far in this past draft. Mainly, because if I had to pick one player from the tremendously talented UCONN squad last year, it would have been him. He was the guy leading the team into battle and helping them win some seemingly-insurmountable NCAA tournament contests. Yet teams draft these days on potential and often based on seeing what helps teams to win a title (D-Wade types). Many said Marcus seemed out of shape and not ready for the NBA, and I also believe many teams wanted guys like Randy Foye and Brandon Roy who can play the 2-guard position. Still, Marcus landed in a great situation, where he can now hone his skills and learn even more from J-Kidd. Expect him to be the next hot point guard along with Chris Paul and Derron Williams. I see no reason that once Kidd retires, Marcus Williams can't lead the league in assists.

Meanwhile, I really feel like Dwight Howard is a mega-star who's flying underneath many people's radars. Yes the truest fans know his name and who he is, but the average sports fan might not. The "kid" came straight from High school and was drafted #1, two years ago by the Orlando Magic, right ahead of Emeka Okafor. At the time I felt the Magic made a big mistake, because Okafor was the smart player, out of college, from a title team. Either way, both the Magic and Bobcats lucked out. I had thoughts that Howard might become a fluke high schooler-to the NBA like so many do, but he has really emerged into a solid rebounder and low post threat. Putting up games with over 20 points and sometimes more than that in rebounds, is monstrous. He should make the All-Star East squad easily this year, and for years to come, and will also make Orlando a contender, much like Shaq did.