Ricky Rubio and the Next Generation of Stars Who Will Hoop Like Steve Nash
It originally took Steve Nash a few years to become the star that he is today. Once he did, though, the point guard position would never be quite the same.
Nash was never just another pass-first floor general. He's used well-honed skill and unique talent to score from the inside and outside alike, and he's become the model for stars like Chris Paul who similarly pick and choose the right time to take over a game.
That said, there's no question that Nash's countless passes to the likes of Dirk Nowitzki, Michael Finley and Amar'e Stoudemire have defined his legacy and earned him two MVP awards and eight appearances at the All-Star game.
Ricky Rubio—PG, Minnesota Timberwolves
Rubio's season may have been cut short by injury, but that won't stop anyone from making the obvious comparisons. The 6'4" rookie had an exceptional rookie campaign, handing out 8.2 assists per game while impacting the game on the glass and helping to spark fast-breaks.
The 21-year-old is still a long way from becoming a Nash-like scorer, but he's got more than enough time to work on it.
Rondo may never share Steve Nash's oh so pure shooting touch, but he's matched the former MVP in almost every other respect. He led the league with 11.6 assists a game this season and trailed Nash alone in assists per 48 minutes.
Rondo can also do a lot of things that have eluded Nash for the duration of his career, he's a much better on-ball defender and rebounds far more than the average point guard.
In other words, it's not so much that he's the next generation's Steve Nash as he is this generation's version of Steve Nash.
Jeremy Lin—PG, New York Knicks
The comparisons between Lin and Nash were an inevitability for a number of reasons, Lin made his Knicks debut under Nash's old coach Mike D'Antoni and was well-equipped to make the most out of the system.
Lin uses Nash-like floor IQ and finesse to space the floor, but he's also able to leverage a bigger frame to attack the paint. Lin will never be a carbon copy of Nash, but there's no question they share similar approaches.
Ty Lawson—PG, Denver Nuggets
Lawson is still too much of a scorer to qualify as a heir to Steve Nash's throne, but he's got the floor vision to get there. He's averaging 6.6 assists this year and helping fuel an up-tempo Denver attack. Still, only in his third season, the 24-year-old is well on his way to becoming an elite point guard.
He may wind up being a little more Isiah Thomas than Steve Nash, but there's nothing wrong with that.
Goran Dragic—PG, Houston Rockets
Dragic actually got to play with Steve Nash for two-and-a-half seasons in Phoenix before being traded to the Houston Rockets in exchange for Aaron Brooks. Some of Nash's wisdom may have rubbed off on the young Yugoslavian, because he's become a well-rounded floor general in just his fourth season.
He's having an emergent season and averaging 9.4 assists per 48 minutes, making the most of Kyle Lowry's extended absences. Dragic will be a free agent this offseason and is sure to become a more integral piece on one roster or another.
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