Column: NBA has bright future in youngsters

In the Los Angeles Clippers’ game against the New York Knicks on Saturday, Blake Griffin hammered home two incredible dunks. His first dunk involved Griffin posterizing Timofey Mozgov by throwing the ball into the hoop with Mozgov still standing in front of the rim; the second was a fast-break slam off a spin over the Knicks’ Danilo Gallinari.

Due to a stress fracture, Griffin did not play last year after getting drafted No. 1 overall by the Clippers, but he has made up for lost time this year through incredible feats of athleticism and impressive stat lines. Griffin scored 44 points, grabbed 15 rebounds and dished seven assists in a loss to the Knicks and also validated the Clippers’ selection of him in the 2009 NBA Draft as a piece around which to build a team.

Seeing the rookie Blake Griffin in action made me think of other young players in the league that teams are using as building blocks upon which to construct their dynasties. I compiled an All-NBA Youth Team, featuring players in the league who are under the age of 23.

Russell Westbrook, guard, age 22

Westbrook impressed people watching this year’s FIBA World Championship in Turkey. Playing tenacious defense and hustling athletically while on the court, Westbrook showed that he not only deserved a spot on the national team, but also deserved to be in the discussion of best point guards in the NBA right now. On Friday against the Celtics, the Durant-less Oklahoma City Thunder pulled out a victory under the guidance of Westbrook, who managed 31 points, four rebounds, six assists and two steals.

The Thunder surprised a lot of people by selecting Westbrook fourth overall in 2008, but Westbrook has earned his money by helping the Thunder make the playoffs last year along with the help of Kevin Durant (who we will discuss later).

John Wall, guard, age 20

Wall earned some hype in the summer of the LeBron James debacle. (Or was it the decision? I am going to keep calling it the debacle unless the Miami Heat beat the Boston Celtics in the postseason, which they won’t.) The Washington Wizards drafted Wall No. 1 overall with the hope that he would lift them back to being contenders, something the Wizards have not been since Gilbert Arenas was sidelined with injuries and suspended from the league after bringing weapons to a team facility.

John Wall is leading the league in steals per game with 3.25, and he is third in the league in assists per game with 9.8. Wall’s playmaking ability, along with his ability to create his own shot, earns him a spot on this list.

Kevin Durant, forward, age 22

Durant has been in the league a few years, having been drafted second in the 2007 NBA draft. (On a side note, Greg Oden, who was selected first in the draft, had another season-ending injury, continuing a painful career in which Oden has seen the floor very little. I feel almost as bad for the city of Portland as I do for him.)

Durant signed a contract extension this offseason with the Thunder, quietly tweeting his “decision” to stay with his team.

Also this summer, Durant electrified the FIBA games in Turkey by leading the United States in scoring and leading the country to a world championship.

Durant brought home the trophy with a team that did not feature any members of the championship Redeem Team in 2008. Durant also leads the NBA in scoring this season and is my favorite to win Most Valuable Player if the Thunder can pick up their play a little and if the 11-2 New Orleans Hornets cool off.

Blake Griffin, forward, age 21

Griffin may be a (pseudo) rookie this year, but I think he is one of the best power forwards in the game right now, and certainly the most athletic. If he can stay healthy, and if the Clippers can stop being the Clippers and actually make some smart decisions by surrounding him with good role players, I can see them becoming a playoff team in the next few years. Griffin is a great start but is going to need a good support cast and some time to gel before the Clippers can make a run at the playoffs.

Brook Lopez, center,

age 22

Lopez, another top-notch talent on a failing team, posted solid stats last year in a record-setting 70-loss season. Lopez averaged 18.8 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.7 blocks last year as the center for the New Jersey Nets. This year, Lopez and Mikhail Prokhorov, the team’s new owner, are looking to improve on their past performance, which I think they will succeed in. (Seventeen wins is still better than 12, right?) Lopez has played well for a young player, and look to see him step into the spotlight as one of the premier big men in the league in a few years.

Honorable Mentions

Earning honorable mentions for the All-NBA Youth Team are Minnesota’s Kevin Love and Chicago’s Derrick Rose. Kevin Love compiled a ridiculous 31 points and 31 rebounds against the Knicks this season, placing him on the league’s radar of young players with potential. Love leads the league in rebounding right now, but he has yet to show an ability to take over games (not against teams from New York), which kept him from making the list.

Derrick Rose has played very well for the Chicago Bulls, giving the world a juicy performance in the 2009 playoffs against the Celtics, and has posted noteworthy stats for the Bulls during the regular season. Right now Westbrook and Wall look to be the future of guards in the NBA.

Also, did you notice that two of the players on this team are from the same team? Durant and Westbrook will be taking the Thunder to another postseason this year, and while they probably will not overcome the Los Angeles Lakers in their quest for a second three-peat, the playoff experience will prove to be crucial in the coming years. Durant, Westbrook and the Thunder against LeBron, Dwyane Wade, some other guy (he wears No. 1, I think) and the Heat. Sounds like a great series and a great future for the NBA.