Blake Griffin, Kevin Love and the 12 Most Trapped Talents in the NBA
The National Basketball Association is filled with talented basketball players who come from all walks of life. The best of these players are usually on the teams who are perennial contenders.
Names like LeBron James, Dwayne Wade, Kobe Bryant, Kevin Durant and Chris Paul highlight some of the most talented players in the NBA. What do they have in common?
They are all on winning teams!
But not all great players are fortunate enough to be able to play on competitive and winning teams.
Those players are highly skilled and sometimes just as good as, let's say, a "LeBron".
These are some of the best players in the NBA, but have had the misfortune of playing on awful teams.
These players are the 12 most trapped talents in the NBA.
Kevin Love
1 of 12
Kevin Love is one of the more exciting players in the National Basketball Association. Love was taken fifth overall by the Memphis Grizzlies in the 2008 draft and was then sent to the Minnesota Timberwolves in an eight player deal which also included the third overall selection, O.J. Mayo.
Kevin Love has been bothered by injuries during his short NBA career but has remained healthy this year and has arguably been one of the best players in the NBA. Averaging a great 19.4 points per game and a jaw-dropping 15.3 rebounds per game, Love has been simply dominant.
Unfortunately, his success hasn't translated into wins for the dreadful Minnesota Timberwolves who sit third to last in the West standings with a terrible 5-15 record. It has been no surprise though, as the T-Wolves have always been this bad.
It is unfortunate for Love to have to play for them as his talents are going to extreme waste. But there is hope, as maybe one really high draft pick for the T-Wolves after this season could put the T-Wolves in a nice position for the future.
Eric Gordon
2 of 12
Eric Gordon was selected seventh overall in the 2008 draft by the Los Angeles Clippers.
He plays shooting guard for the Clippers and has really excelled this season. He, like Love, has had to deal with a few nagging injuries during his short career that have slowed him down. So far this season, Gordon has averaged 24.1 points per game, 4.6 assists per game, 1 steal per game, and 1.6 three pointers per game.
Like Love, Gordon's success has not translated into wins for the worst team in the NBA, the Clippers. Like the T-Wolves, the Clips are filled with young and talented players and have a relatively bright future. Unfortunately, Gordon can be as good as he wants but it will take a lot of suffering and lot of time until the Clippers become a winning team.
Gerald Wallace
3 of 12
Gerald Wallace has always been one of the better all around players in the NBA and has played both the power forward and small forward position. He is a bit undersized but has still always had spectacular rebounding numbers and blocks. He has always been a great defensive player.
Wallace was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats in 2004 during the expansion draft after being a bench player with the Sacramento Kings for a short time. Since then, Wallace has been a phenomenal find for the Cats and has been with them ever since.
Charlotte had a really good year last year and made the playoffs. Of course, they didn't make it very far, and in the offseason traded away their catalyst, Raymond Felton. Ever since his departure, the Bobcats have had a pretty bad year with a record of 7-13.
Wallace hasn't had a great year with 16 points and 8 rebounds per game, but he is an extremely talented player who would be a great find for a team in need.
Rudy Gay
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The Memphis Grizzlies looked to have figured a lot out last season and were looking like a really good team. They had a strong starting lineup, but had a pretty small amount of depth. One of their best players last season was Rudy Gay.
Rudy Gay was drafted 8th overall by the Houston Rockets but was traded to Memphis for Shane Battier and Stromile Swift soon after. It is quite obvious who won that trade!
This year, Gay has looked really good averaging 21.7 points per game and a decent 6.4 rebounds per game. Even with Gay's terrific season and what looks like a great team on paper, the Grizzlies have gone 8-13. Granted, they are in a tough Western Conference, so maybe it isn't all that bad.
Brook Lopez
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Brook Lopez was taken 10th overall in the 2008 draft by the New Jersey Nets. One interesting note about Brook is that his brother Robin Lopez also plays in the NBA and is also a center and is also seven feet tall. Peculiar!
Last year, the New Jersey Nets had one of the worst seasons in NBA history but Brook Lopez had a breakout year and became one of the elite big men in the league.
This year has been exactly the same. The Nets have struggled and have been in the basement of what is a relatively weak Eastern Conference for quite some time now. Their record is a dismal 6-15, which is pretty darn awful if I do say so myself.
Brook Lopez though, as I said, has been a model of consistency as he has averaged 18.2 points per game and an interestingly odd 6.2 rebounds per game. Unusual, considering he has been one of the better rebounders in the NBA. Still, he has a lot of talent and is trapped in New Jersey.
Monta Ellis
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Monta Ellis was drafted 40th overall by the Golden State Warriors in the 2005 draft. He wasn't very good to begin with, but was slowed down by injuries. After Jason Richardson was traded to Charlotte, Monta was inserted into the starting lineup and has thrived ever since.
Monta's problem is that he has a bad track record with injuries. This year though, he has been healthy and fantastic. Ellis has averaged 25.2 points per game this year, a decent 4.8 assists per game, an excellent 2.4 steals per game, and a good 1.4 three pointers per game.
MVP-like numbers for Ellis indeed. Even though Monta has been great this year, the Warriors have struggled in a tough Western Conference. They started the season well but have trailed off just recently. Monta is going to be trapped in Golden State for a while.
Michael Beasley
7 of 12
Michael Beasley was selected 2nd overall by the Miami Heat in the 2008 NBA draft. He was highly thought of and was highly coveted by the Heat.
He had a relatively disappointing 2009 campaign, as his numbers were not a reflection of his talent. Because of the LeBron, Bosh, Wade sweepstakes in the offseason, Beasley was basically given away to the Minnesota Timberwolves in exchange for cap room.
The move has certainly paid off for Beasley. He has emerged as one of the better young players in the NBA as he has averaged 21.8 points per game and six rebounds per game. Not bad!
Unfortunately, the T-Wolves have control of Beasley for a long time to come, so unless the Wolves get significantly better in the next little while (doubtful), Beasley's career in Minnesota will be long and painful.
JaVale McGee
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JaVale McGee was an interesting pick in my mind. I wasn't sure if he was necessarily trapped, because I have always believed that with the addition of John Wall, the Wizards are on the way to becoming one of the better teams in the league.
McGee is not the best player in the NBA by any extent but he has a lot of talent and size. He has big, long arms and makes good use of his size with excellent shot blocking abilities. His rebounding numbers are pretty good but his points per game numbers could use some improvement.
This season so far, McGee has averaged 10 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game, and 2.5 blocks per game. The Wizards are not doing well and McGee is trapped. McGee would be far more useful on a competitive team where he could really be valued.
Luis Scola
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The Houston Rockets are going absolutely nowhere fast, especially with the losses of Aaron Brooks and Yao Ming to injury. Luis Scola has been one of the more consistent players in his relatively short time in the NBA. Scola is locked up for several years now and the Rockets look like they are going to be rebuilding so it doesn't make sense to keep Scola around.
He is a great player, but his talents are being wasted on a team going nowhere. Scola now is averaging 20.3 points per game, 8.3 rebounds per game, and is shooting .509% from the field. All-Star worthy numbers I would say.
Devin Harris
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Devin Harris had a breakout 2008 season and emerged as one of the best point guards in the league. The 2009 season was one of disappointment and injury for Harris as he and the Nets really sucked.
This year, at least for Harris, things have turned around. Devin has returned to form and is having a relatively all-star worthy season. He is averaging 17.1 points per game, 6.1 assists per game, and has contributed in several other categories that have helped the Nets improve from last season.
Zach Randolph
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Ever since joining the Memphis Grizzlies, Randolph has been extremely dominant. Last year, he helped the Memphis Grizzlies have a very nice season in a tough Western Conference. This year, things have changed. The Grizzlies aren't doing so well and Randolph's numbers are a little down, but they are still excellent.
So far this season, Randolph is averaging an above average 16.6 points per game and a jaw-dropping 11.4 rebounds per game. He plays with fire and intensity and deserves to be playing for a championship team.
Blake Griffin
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If you didn't already hear, Blake Griffin is having a monster year. Drafted first overall by the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2008 NBA draft, Griffin's entire 2009 campaign was finished after injuring his leg in the pre season. This year, Griffin has been dominating everyone in the NBA.
He is averaging 20.6 points per game, 11.8 rebounds per game, and a decent 2.7 assists per game. Excellent numbers for a rookie who will almost certainly win the Rookie of the Year award.
Even though the Clippers suck, there is hope as players such as Gordon and Griffin have emerged as some of the games best. When Baron Davis returns to form and Chris Kaman is fully healthy again, they might become a good team.
But for now, Blake Griffin is the most trapped talent in the NBA
