The Next face of the NBA

lakers2020 · Post #101 » by **lakers2020** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 1:41 pm

Freak is the favorite but Zion and Luka have a decent shot.

I don't see anyone contending with those 3 that's currently in the league.

Buzzard · Post #102 » by **Buzzard** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 2:06 pm

AD and Giannis. They are both on teams that should be able to reach the finals and their duel could be similar to Bird vs Magic. If either do not make the finals, the NBA is close to being in another Golden Age. Young charismatic players are gaining experience and it is only a matter of time.

Buzzard · Post #103 » by **Buzzard** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 2:32 pm

lakers2020 wrote:Freak is the favorite but Zion and Luka have a decent shot.

I don't see anyone contending with those 3 that's currently in the league.

There have not been many, if any, faces of the NBA that did not make the finals and win championships. I like all the youth that is coming into the NBA but teams like New Orleans, Dallas, Atlanta, Memphis, Chicago, Phoenix are a ways off from some final appearances, if they get any. And that is a valid if for most of these teams. Team being the key word.

AD, Giannis, Embiid, Simmons. Jokic have the best chances to pick up the hype and win some Championships. To me this is just a cold hard fact. If you don't win and compete on the biggest stage like Bird, Magic, MJ, LeBron, Curry etc...being the face of the NBA is a much tougher sell; if not outright impossible.

Knicks7Tape · Post #104 » by **Knicks7Tape** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 2:34 pm

Lavar Ball hasn't lost yet.

Colbinii · Post #105 » by **Colbinii** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 2:38 pm

There is no next face of the NBA yet. Magic/Bird, to MJ, to Kobe to LeBron; no player is remotely close to those levels yet as the face of the league.

If I had to guess it would not be Zion because the league has always had an offensive all-time great as the face for the last 40 years.

tv24lakers · Post #106 » by **tv24lakers** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 3:14 pm

What would you say are some common traits these league leaders possessed? Mind you these leader group is diverse in the extent of personalities.

traits:
> statistically dominant
> fairly affable (may disqualify Kawhi)
> compete on a successful team.
> a new element to factor is social media presence.

BodieB · Post #107 » by **BodieB** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 3:39 pm

Vacated title if it's not AD or if Zion doesn't live up to the hype. Some posters seem a bit delusional about the "face" potential of Giannis and Luka. Doesn't work the way some of y'all are thinking.

rapscity · Post #108 » by **rapscity** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 4:03 pm

its Giannis period.

Benedict_Boozer · Post #109 » by **Benedict_Boozer** » Tue Aug 13, 2019 5:16 pm

Giannis has the skills but not the name recognition. NBA badly needs Zion to pan out, no one else can really take the mantle.

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Mogspan · Post #110 » by **Mogspan** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 3:26 am

Chanel Bomber wrote:

I know that you don’t literally think that AD is as appealing as a shrimp, but that jab combined with your continual downplaying of his game led me to believe that he stole your girl or something lol. You seem to have an objective personality and be reluctant to offend, but I guess I’m a touchy AD Stan. I disagree that he isn’t relatable to people. Before his latent mutant genes manifested in the latter half of high school, he was just a bespectacled nobody watching cartoons. He went from rags to bitches metaphorically, and basketball nerds like us should root for him to make the most of his gift. He’s done well so far, winning an NCAA title as the MOP, going first overall, and earning 3 All-NBA First Team selections by age 25.

I think that a distinction can be made between floor-raisers and ceiling-raisers at the superstar level. Whereas I think players like Harden, Lillard, and Curry can do a lot/more with a little, other players, especially bigs, stand out more on reasonably talented squads. Would you really rather have MVP Westbrook than current Davis if your goal is to win a title? Steph is unique in that he is such a threat without the ball that his teams really have no ceiling on offense. Still, even though his shortcomings are overstated, I think there's something to his being too limited physically to make as much of an imprint on either side of the ball when the going gets tough in later playoff rounds - when players care and whistles are swallowed. Steve Kerr and even Steph acknowledge this.

I don’t have much of a problem with ranking LeBron, Kawhi, Giannis, and Steph ahead of him, but I’m fairly confident that AD > KD/Harden/Lillard/PG. There’s no doubt in my mind that the Warriors would have been a better team with AD instead of KD, and if my goal is to win a playoff series, I’d definitely rather have Davis on my team than Harden or Lillard. PG had a hell of a year, but I don’t know if it's an anomaly or the start of a trend.

I would like to hear what about Embiid and Jokić makes them more valuable. Embiid is a monster, but I think that he's a hypochondriac who is limited by his stamina and immobility in the playoffs. Jokić is fantastic, but his rim protection and athleticism concern me. He had a great offensive postseason, but Kanter was the opposing starting center in half of those games.  

IMO:
Offense:  Jokić > AD > Embiid
Defense:  Embiid ≥ AD >> Jokić

bee14ish · Post #111 » by **bee14ish** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 4:13 am

I think there's going to be a period similar to Jordan's retirement where there is no clear face the way Lebron is, with a few players battling for the spot. Whoever emerges to become the dominating force in the league likely hasn't been drafted yet.

JB2 · Post #112 » by **JB2** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 4:16 am

Giannis on the Lakers

Blazers-1977 · Post #113 » by **Blazers-1977** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:06 am

It seems like since the 50s there has been a pattern like this

60s, 80s ,00s - having multiple players as the face of the league

50s,70s,90s,10s - having one player be the clear face of the league during the decade

Jesus Juice · Post #114 » by **Jesus Juice** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:07 am

I agree I don’t think the next face is here.. I think it would be pretty cool to have a collective global faces of Greek Freak, Luka/KP (if he can stay healthy), Embiid, Jokic, Simmons even dudes like Siakam for the next 4-7 years carrying a global push while KD, AD, Leonard, Curry, and Harden finish out their primes.

Hroz · Post #115 » by **Hroz** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:14 am

Championship s will decide this.

Though it does feel like Steph's time to be the face has still be overshadowed by LeBron

My guess is Kawhi (mostly because I don't think Giannis will leave and the Bucks won't go into luxury tax range)

Hroz · Post #116 » by **Hroz** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:21 am

Blazers-1977 wrote:It seems like since the 50s there has been a pattern like this

60s, 80s ,00s - having multiple players as the face of the league

50s,70s,90s,10s - having one player be the clear face of the league during the decade

Disagree with the 70s
I feel like Kareem despite being the best player (imo by a distance) never grabbed the mantle as the face.

Oscar DrJ especially were just as big. Wilt was around for a lot of the 70s. New York had their own heroes.
It was a crazy time.

Alot of Kareems stardom comes from the 80s

BoogieTime · Post #117 » by **BoogieTime** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:50 am

The NBA is in bad shape if it’s Giannis or Zion because they are in bad markets

The stars need to be in markets for ratings

JazzUte88 · Post #118 » by **JazzUte88** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 6:58 am

Zion if actually lives up to the hype

Lord Cuban · Post #119 » by **Lord Cuban** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:17 am

LUKA DONCIC

HeartBreakKid · Post #120 » by **HeartBreakKid** » Wed Aug 14, 2019 10:24 am

BoogieTime wrote:The NBA is in bad shape if it’s Giannis or Zion because they are in bad markets

The stars need to be in markets for ratings

That isn't true at all... LBJ in Cleveland? Durant/Westbrook in OKC (the smallest market)?