10 NBA Players Who Will Lose 'Star' Label by Season's End

Each year, new NBA stars emerge, but more sadly, current stars fade, shedding their label in the process.

This season will prove to be no different, as already there are a number of players who are poised to exit the realm of stardom.

Age, injuries, diminished roles and a loss of competitive edge are all factors that contribute to a player's departure from stardom. While it can be, it is not always a tragic form of regression, as sometimes athletes' roles simply change based on where they are in their career.

Regardless of the rhyme or reason though, the slightly unsettling reality of it all is that come season's end, certain stars' names and reputations may never have meant less.

Jamal Crawford

Jamal Crawford didn't get the payday he was hoping for this offseason, and his plan to get one later on is flawed, as star caliber status will not be a luxury he holds this time around.

Crawford is averaging a respectable 13.2 points and 3.3 assists per game, but he is having the worst season from the field since his rookie year, knocking down just over 35 percent of his attempts. His three-point shooting has dropped to 30 percent as well.

While the 31-year-old shooting guard has the opportunity to win a title with the Portland Trail Blazers, his best chance maintaining his star status would have been with a team who would have had a more substantial role for him. 

Crawford is no longer the featured player he was with the Atlanta Hawks. Portland has a variety of other options it explores before going to Crawford, and his production, as well as his ability to establish continuity on the offense end, has suffered substantially.

Crawford will always be a scoring threat, but by the end of the season, he will be clinging to whatever star power he may have left.

Stephen Jackson

Stephen Jackson has been a source of prolific offense for almost his entire career, but his reputation is on the line with the way he is playing this season.

Jackson is averaging just 12.5 points per game, his lowest total in the last 10 years. He is shooting a shockingly horrid 36.2 percent from the field and posting an out of character 9.55 PER.

The Milwaukee Bucks brought Jackson on board to do what he does best, which is score, but the same attributes that helped him establish himself as one of the premiere players in the league, are failing him at the moment.

Perhaps age is catching up with the 33-year-old shooting guard, or maybe he's just a bad fit alongside Brandon Jennings. Whatever the reason though, his time amongst the top players in the game is poised to come to an end by the close of the season.

Jason Kidd

Coming into this season, Jason Kidd was not the player he was a decade ago, but after helping the Dallas Mavericks to a championship, his star status remained in tact. For the time being.

Kidd is having the worst season of his nearly two-decade long career. He is averaging 4.1 points and 5.4 assists in over 30 minutes per game, while posting a lowly 8.58 PER.

The point guard is visibly slower and doesn't seem to have much gas left in his tank. He is still held in high regard will not be remembered as the player he has regressed into, yet after this season he will no longer be considered a star.

Fittingly enough, should Kidd opt to continue his career next season, there is a better than good chance he will be found coming off the bench, as opposed to assuming a starting role. 

Kidd is living proof that you can't outrun age forever.

Richard Hamilton

Richard Hamilton has proved to be a great addition for the Chicago Bulls, but there is no denying that he is no longer the primary offensive option he once was.

As tough as it got for Hamilton with the Detroit Pistons, he was their go to scorer, even ahead of Ben Gordon. While he is far from a non-factor on the court, he has officially assumed the identity of a role player, and not a franchise star.

The 33-year-old Hamilton is in the best possible situation he could be in at this stage in his career. He is still a valuable player to have on the roster and will help the Bulls contend for a title.

Despite what he brings to the table though, by the end of this season, his reputation simply won't precede him the way it has in years past.

Tim Duncan

Tim Duncan's slow crawl out of stardom began last season with a significant drop in production.

Loyalists reserved judgment regarding his status until this season out of respect, but the power forward hasn't proved anything to the contrary.

Duncan will go down as one of the best big men to ever play the game, but the days of him averaging 20 and 10 plus are gone, and the days for him to average 13.5 points and 6.1 rebounds are being ushered in.

The 35-year-old Duncan is one of the hardest working athletes in the NBA, but there is no escaping the rigors of age. By the end of the season, Duncan's reputation may allow him to remain an honorary star, but officially, his active status will have been revoked.

Vince Carter

Despite the fact that Vince Carter past his prime long ago, his name has always held a certain level of star power that has rendered him alluring to various organizations. And even if it hasn't, his contract  always spoke for itself.

Prior to being sidelined with a sprained left foot though, Carter was on pace to endure the worst season of his illustrious career. His averages of 9.5 points and 2.7 rebounds are career lows, and his high flying accolades have regressed into mild and tepid finishes at the rim.

Carter has always been known for his instant offense, and his ability to score is the one thing that has remained constant over the years. However, more of his offensive abilities seemed to have abandoned him, and by the end of year, his time as one of the league's stars will be officially over.

Jason Richardson

Like Vince Carter, Jason Richardson, despite his diminishing athleticism, has managed to keep himself in the conversation when discussing the league's stars. Also like Carter though, he is poised to lose that label by season's end.

Richardson is on pace to have one of the worst seasons of his career. He is averaging 10.7 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, and his ability to finish strong has all but vacated his possession.

The Orlando Magic inked Richardson to a four-year, $25 million contract extension over the offseason, essentially betting that he had a few years of star worthy instant offense left in him.

Otis Smith and company were wrong though. Richardson's time to shine hasn't only passed, but is long gone. And come the end of the season, he will have to acclimate himself to the life of a marginal role player. 

Kevin Garnett

Kevin Garnett is the superstar of drama queens, but unfortunately for him, such a label is not reflected in the stat lines.

Garnett is averaging a quaint 13.5 points and 7.3 rebounds per game. His offensive game isn't nearly as potent as it used to be, and while his mouth never fails him, his defense is starting to.

At 35, it was only a matter of time before Garnett was an elite star of the past, not the present, and it seems that time is now. The power forward has certainly left a lasting footprint or two on the NBA, but soon enough, most of his production will be coming from straight out of his mouth.

Despite the tendency to speak his mind, Garnett has always let his game do that talking. By season's end, that just won't be the case anymore. 

Joakim Noah

Joakim Noah has always been a good center, but he is nowhere near, and has never been, a great one.

With each passing game, Noah's limits on the offensive end are becoming more discernible. And while he is a solid defender, he does not compensate for his shortcomings on offense there nearly as well as DeAndre Jordan does.

Injuries have hampered Noah's development to an extent, but there come's a time to admit that he's no superstar. He may receive his fair share of All-Star votes, but that's the result of playing at a position with wafer thin talent.

Noah is a competent big man, and a great fit for the Chicago Bulls, but once the season concludes, the star caliber status the center should never have had will be with him no more.

Lamar Odom

Lamar Odom is a stand up guy, and if anyone can rebound from his performance thus far, it's him.

That said, it has become increasingly clear that the Los Angeles Lakers' system molded Odom into the star that he is poised to no longer be today.

Odom looks lost on both ends of the floor with the Dallas Mavericks and is posting career lows in just about every statistical category. From his defense to his foul shooting, the power forward is visibly void of that edge that made him one of the few stars who came off the bench.

The 33-year-old remains one of the most versatile players in the game, yet the extent of his effectiveness has diminished substantially. 

This time next season, we will be left wondering if Odom would have held on to his star label any longer had the Lakers not traded him. 

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