2 NBA Stars Flying High

In addition to Portland's Trailblazer, Brandon Roy, there appears to be two other rising stars in the NBA this season. Both men are aerial assassin/high-flyer types who have the ability to score in bunches and win games. They are Atlanta's Josh Smith and Memphis' Rudy Gay.

Gay already hit a game-winner this season to help defeat the San Antonio Spurs. The play was amongst the top NBA plays of 2007. Rudy had the Spur's Tim Duncan in his mug, yet rained a three pointer to seal the deal. Grizzlies win and Rudy's a hero. He's also been amongst top 10 plays all season for his impressive throwdowns. Many questioned his abilities when he first entered the league, as he came from a University of Connecticut team that didn't meet expectations. However, Gay is proving he's well worth the money as he keeps improving. The Grizzlies will begin to succeed, in time.

Josh Smith hit the NBA straight out of high school. He's the typical sink or swim player. Either he's going to prosper like several other straight from high school stars have, or he'll fall to the bottom of the bench. So far Smith has been swimming, well above water, and well above the rim. He used to be most known for impressive dunks, but now they go hand in hand with his scoring prowess and outside shooting. The Hawks are surprisingly considered in talks for the Eastern conference playoffs too. Thanks can go to Josh Smith as part of its talented group of young stars.

It would be great to see both players in a dunk contest showdown. While this isn't a measure of success in the NBA, they both provide a lot of excitement. and will surely continue to make their teams better.