The Drubbing

Now that the 2009 NBA All-Star Weekend is behind us, and the 2009 NBA Draft is upon us, we can take an early look at the 2010 NBA All-Star Weekend, specifically at the rising stars in the NCAA that could be participants in next years festivities.

Rookie-Sophomore Challenge

DaJuan Summers [Georgetown]
Summers is the picture of “up-side”.  He left college early. At 6’8″ he’ll be a tall small-forward . One with an inside and outside game that can play on the block and hit open jump-shots. The real knock against him is his intensity. If he can display a willingness to take over games at times, like a Blake Griffin, then he could be a star.

Blake Griffin [Oklahoma]
The only question about Blake Griffin for the Rookie-Sophomore Challenge is will he be available to play. If this guy even half lives up to his talent, he could find himself in the main event at All-Star weekend.

Thabeet will be throwing a block party in Dallas in February

Hasheem Thabeet [Connecticut]
As they say, you can’t teach height. And at 7’2″, if Thabeet continues to improve at the rate he has been, he could make some team very, very happy. He’ll likely be drafted by a team that’s bad enough that he’ll get some run from the start. So with any luck he’s a shoe-in for the Rookie-Soph Challenge.

DeJuan Blair [Pittsburgh]
Next to Griffin and his Pitt teammate Sam Young, Blair is at the top of my “NBA-ready” list. He has the size, strength, post moves and touch that can make him an NBA success. But he needs to take a look at Al Jefferson, Kendrick Perkins and Big Baby. All three of those guys are undersized for their position, but once they dropped some weight and improved their quickness, they made great improvements.

Eric Maynor [Virginia Commonwealth]
Maynor has bounced around on draft boards in the past few months. I’ve seen him anywhere from the second point guard taken to the eighth point guard taken. If he can get drafted by a team that can give him some clock, I see him surprising a lot of people. He’s a little undersized, but he has a ton of experience and is a proven leader.

Terrence Williams [Louisville]
Another guy that’s high on my “NBA-ready” list. A strong, quick small forward that is a freak athlete and will turn some heads once he gets into the Association. If there was another spot on my Slam Dunk Contest list he’d be on it. But he’ll draw enough attention to get himself into the Rookie Sophomore Challenge.

Chase's dunk contest days are over

3-Point Shootout

Stephen Curry [Davidson]
He doesn’t have much other than his shot going for him. But as Jason Kopono can tell you, in the three-point contest, that’s all you need. He’s also the son of Dell Curry, who never won one, but participated in a few NBA Three-Point contests. Hopefully Steph can break the family curse. He may tire out if he makes it to later rounds.

Chase Budinger [Arizona]
He’s certainly not the second coming of Larry Legend, but in the three point contest, he could certainly play the part. If Chase can build up some of that quiet confidence and swagger that Basketball Jesus always had, then he could be a contender. Cause he’s certainly got the shot.

Sam Young dunks so hard it hurts

Slam Dunk Contest

Blake Griffin [Oklahoma]
I don’t think there has been a more dunk-contest-ready player to come out since Vince Carter. His combination of leaping ability, strength, body control and athleticism is something that doesn’t come along very often.

Gerald Henderson [Duke]
This kid can leap out of the gym. Period. With his kind of jumping ability, all you need in the dunk contest is jumping ability. He may not make a big splash in the NBA, but he’ll be able to wow the crowd.

Is that Larry... no, it's just Chase again

Sam Young [Pittsburgh]
Young is the best chance we have to bring back the power dunks of old that used to be a force in the dunk contest. Young is another big, strong, NBA-ready player that can sky. But his strength in the dunk contest will be rim-rattling and hopefully backboard shattering, thunderous dunks.