The NBA Draft has past and this year’s class is absolutely filled with underclassman. I completely agree with Dickie V’s statement above. The reason there will be probably seven or less players that will make an impact this year is because of their inexperience. To be honest, the NBA Age Limit policy is getting out of hand and it is also hurting not only hurting college basketball, but the NBA as well. But hey, if you want to give a player $23 million dollars a year before they even practice yet, be my guest. It’s your franchise, not mine, that is going to suffer in the long run.

So with that being said, here are the Top 7 players that will make an impact for his team.

1. John Wall (Washington Wizards) – Wall was the number one overall pick before his freshman year even started. There is no doubt that this kid has got the talent, but what I want to know is does he have the heart. The 2009/2010 Men’s Kentucky Wildcats team had 5 players go in the first round, and they did not reach the final four. This can only mean one thing that they still have a lot to learn. John Wall is going to be a star, however, it will take him a while. But, that’s not to say that the kid will make a huge impact for the Washington Wizards who right now are in a interesting position with 3 solid point guards who all want playing time.
2. Wesley Johnson (Minnesota Timberwolves) – Out of all of the top five picks, Wesley Johnson is probably the closest one to NBA ready. Plenty of college experience and athleticism, Johnson is also a terrific defender as well. He is definitely a role player, as he still needs a bit more polishing in certain areas of his game. However, he is going to make a huge impact for the Timberwolves.
3. DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings) – DeMarcus Cousins is the kid in high school that everyone hated because he was big, arrogant, and talented. Cousins’ is arguably the most gifted out of all the prospects, and also the one with the biggest attitude. This pick from Sacramento is going to be a hit or miss. If it hits, DeMarcus Cousins will be a big time player in only a couple of months. On the other hand, his work ethic and immaturity can easily land him on the all time “bust” list.
4. Avery Bradley (Boston Celtics) – Bradley is a Tony Allen type player. The only difference is that he can actually score. Tony Allen is a tremendous basketball player with incredible defensive awareness. He annoyed the hell out of Kobe during the Finals’. The only problem was that when the Celtics were on offense, Allen was nowhere to be found. This is where Avery Bradley comes in. He is not only going to lock down the opposing team’s best player, he is also going to score as well.
5. Greg Monroe (Detroit Pistons) – Detroit desperately needed a big man, and they got one. Monroe could have gone to the draft last year, however he stayed for one more year. Although he didn’t improve as much as people thought he would, there was improvement shown. Monroe will most likely start as soon as the season starts and could easily lead the team in rebounding and scoring.
6. James Anderson (San Antonio Spurs) – The Spurs are the New England Patriots of the NBA. Anderson is in a perfect system, as he is not required to carry the load. He is a 6’6 shooting guard who can shoot it from three and can score at will. There is no doubt that James Anderson will be a game changer for the Spurs.
7. Derrick Favors (New Jersey Nets) – Some say that DeMarcus Cousins is more talented than Favors. But any college basketball player who goes to the gym to work out right after they lose a tough game deserves to be in the top three. Favors had a fairly weak Georgia Tech team yet still found a way to win and execute. The Nets need all the help they can get and Favors will certainly help them. Also, he is not the only big man on their frontcourt as Brook Lopez will be right next to him posting up as well.

Photo Credit: TheSportsBank.net

Who are your impact players? Comment below

Related articles:

• Full Court Press: Top Picks From The NBA Draft (urbanbellemag.com)
• Early Returns: Winners and Losers of the 2010 NBA Draft (bleacherreport.com)

The first thing that must be considered is talent. Does Stoudemire bring more talent than what the Cavs currently have at the position? The answer to this question is absolutely yes. Stoudemire averages 21.2 PPG, 8.6 RPG, 1 APG, 1 BPG. Currently, the Cavs have Zydrunas Ilgauskas and Shaq at center. The Big Z averages 7.5 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 0.7 APG, .75 BPG and Shaq averages 11.7 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.1 BPG, so clearly Stoudemire is a step-up from both of them, not to mention he is younger and more athletic.

Verdict: Make the trade

The second thing that must be considered is team chemistry. The Cavs have the best record in the NBA by two full games over the L.A. Lakers and they are on a 13 game winning streak. It seems that the Cavs are doing just fine with what they have. But, last season the Cavs had the best record in the NBA heading into the playoffs and they didn’t win the Championship, in fact they didn’t even make it to the NBA Finals. Nothing has happened in Stoudemire’s career to make someone believe that he will hurt the chemistry and therefore I don’t see his presence being a problem. In fact, he has played with Shaq in the past and they didn’t have any problems.

Verdict: Make the trade

Let’s take a look back at last season’s playoff match-up against the Magic. The player that destroyed the Cavs was Dwight Howard, the Cavs didn’t have anyone that could match-up against him down in the post. This year the Cavs have Shaq, although he is not as athletic as Howard, he is much more physical than Anderson Varejao and Ilgauskas. Stoudemire is not known for his defense, but he is a solid rebounder that will definitely improve the Cavs front-court.

Verdict: Make the trade

Clearly, the Cavs should do everything they can to make this trade. Not only will it improve them for this season, but it almost guarantees that LeBron will stay in Cleveland after this season (I’m tired of hearing him going to the Nets- they have 4 wins and he wants a ring, he has already rebuilt a franchise. It is time for a ring).

With a starting line-up of LeBron James, Amare Stoudemire, Shaquille O’Neal, Anthony Parker and Mo Williams (sorry J.J. Hickson but your stat line of 7.4 PPG, 4.4 RPG, .3 APG, .4 BPG in 54 games [48 starts] is demoted to the bench), the Cavs will be in the NBA Finals this season and they will be hoisting the trophy when the Finals are over.

Even without Stoudemire, you have to like their chances to make and win the Finals. This season they are 4-0 against the Lakers and Magic (both teams in last year’s Finals).

Now you have heard my opinion, but do you think this trade is the right move?

I can’t believe this is the case. I mean he played 3 games off the bench for the Grizzlies before complaining to the team and media, going on a leave of absence, retiring, and finally being resigned by the 76ers in December.

His numbers for the season are 14.6 PPG, 2.7 RPG, 4.3 APG, 0.6 SPG, and 2.5 TO per game while shooting 45.3% from the field, 37.5% from three, and 80.2% from the free throw line. An all-star? I don’t think so.

From a Fantasy Basketball perspective, according to Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball rankings he is not even a top 50 point guard in the NBA. He is ranked 236 overall and 182 overall when looking at his per game averages.

All three reserve guards easily could have started over him, and several guards that are not even on the All-Star team, including Bucks’ rookie Brandon Jennings, Toronto guard Jose Calderon, and Bobcats’ guard Raymond Felton. If Iverson was not voted in by the fans, I am confident that he would not even be on the team.

This situation brings to light several flaws with the All-Star balloting (not just the NBA, the MLB has the same problem). There needs to be some sort of rule to determine who can be on the ballot. For instance, if you retire from the NBA, your name should be removed (Iverson). Also, more practically, you should only be an all-star if you played in more than half of your teams’ games. It is an all-star game, not a popularity contest, there is no way that Iverson should have received more than 1.2 millions votes. This number tells me that people either don’t care and just want Iverson in the game, or they don’t pay attention to the NBA at all and just go by the names they know from past success.

Iverson was not the only player receiving abnormally high votes that should not have. Tracy McGrady was almost voted into the game, and he only played in 6 games (none as a starter).

What are your thoughts? Do you think Iverson deserves to be in the All-Star game?