The Passing of the NBA Torch: Long Overdue and Finally Relieving the Old Guard

The last 15 years of NBA basketball has arguably changed the game more so than any other similar stretch in the league’s existence. This era was dominated by familiar names in LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and Kawhi Leonard, among others. This year has revealed a harsh truth, with three of the four having been taken out in the first round of the playoffs or in the play-in tournament. The only one left standing is Leonard, who finds himself out with injury with his team in a dogfight of a series against Luka Dončić and the Dallas Mavericks. One thing is for certain; the younger stars are here to stay and will only get better. However, each of the major stars carry their own concerns and face a massive amount of pressure as they step into the spotlight. We took a look at five of the top up-and-coming potential superstars and singled out one potential problem that could hold them back in the future.

Jayson Tatum: Always a Bridesmaid, Never the Bride

There isn’t a player that has experienced the kind of playoff success at such an early point in their career than Tatum, who has been to at least the Eastern Conference Finals in four of his seven years in the NBA and already has never missed the postseason. Credit either the team around him or his overwhelming talent, but Tatum has proven that he can lead his team to consistent success. The issue, though, is his apparent inability to finish the deal and bring home the hardware. Regular season success is all well and good, but at the end of the day, players are judged historically based on how well they do when the games matter most. Tatum could banish those demons and hush the naysayers if he can lead the Celtics and navigate them towards the Larry O’Brien trophy in June, but with every playoff misstep that he has, the concern and worry will only get louder, both around the NBA landscape and within Boston itself.

Luka Dončić: A Short Fuse and a Big Explosion

Luka is one of the more entertaining players in the NBA without any shadow of a doubt. He has arguably the most talented teammate he has ever had sharing the backcourt with him in Kyrie Irving and seems to have finally bought in on the defensive side of the floor. He is engaging with the media and shows off his charismatic spirit. His problem is the fact that he all too often allows the emotions of the game to take over his reasoning, leading to outbursts that all too often rub fans the wrong way. His game is mature, but Luka is prone to temper tantrums should he not receive a foul call he feels entitled to or the game otherwise doesn’t go his way. Can he overcome this? Of course, but there are many who will only believe it when they see it happen.

Victor Wembanyama: Superman Can’t Do It All

Wembanyama has treated the NBA to one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory, putting up outrageous statistics and posting defensive numbers that put him on par with soon-to-be four time Defensive Player of the Year Rudy Gobert. More surprisingly, though, has been Vic’s durability. He played in 71 of 82 games this season and never missed major time due to injury. His off-court presence is dynamite as well, as he has become a fan favorite almost immediately. The question is the team around him. Can the Spurs put together a competent roster around their star and put themselves into a position where they can seriously compete? Wembanyama is sure to draw interest from future free agents, but it will be up to the Spurs front office to make effective moves so they don’t waste any single year of what is sure to be a long and hopefully illustrious career for Wembanyama.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander: A Mastermind, But Not a Loud One

Gilgeous-Alexander has been one of the most dominant players in the NBA over the past two years and will garner serious MVP consideration both this year and many to come. He’d never tell you that though. SGA seemingly desires to be left to the side and overlooked as he matriculates his way through an NBA season, making him difficult to market to a wider audience. He has plenty of talent, but it would appear that he doesn’t embrace the spotlight as eagerly as many would want him to. We might already have the solution to this problem though, and it comes in the form of his teammates, led by his partner-in-crime Jalen Williams. The team almost always groups up for post-game interviews and it is clear that team success matters more to them than anything they could do for themselves. If the Oklahoma City Thunder can keep this roster together, SGA won’t have to worry about not being the best media personality and instead focus on leading the Thunder on deep postseason runs.

Anthony Edwards: Has Definitely Got It, But a Little Too Eager to Flaunt IT

No player has made more of a statement in the first round than Edwards, who led the Minnesota Timberwolves to a dominant sweep over Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and the Phoenix Suns. A deeper look into the numbers might suggest that this series result isn’t as big of a surprise as it is being made to be, but one thing can’t be denied; Edwards’ personality fuels everything the Timberwolves do. While this can be fun and enjoyable to watch as ANT blossoms into a superstar, some of his actions seem a bit too much. His celebration during Game 3 garnered him a lot of backlash from fans and opposing players, who saw it as a bit too much. Show-boating has become a larger and larger problem in the NBA over the last few seasons, so it will be interesting to see if Edwards can learn to reel himself in and let his game do the talking, like Kobe, LeBron and many others did before him.