NBA Power Rankings: Blake Griffin and The 10 Most Exciting Players To Watch
Blake Griffin is worth the price of admission.
In his rookie season, he has dazzled national audiences with his ability to not only stuff the stat sheet on a regular basis, but create his own highlight reel every single evening.
And with so many players in the NBA that simply don't excite us, Griffin is the type of player who can effectively turn the casual fan into a diehard.
And the other nine on the list?
Well, how else would SportsCenter fill out a daily top 10 plays?
10. Steve Nash, PG, Phoenix Suns
1 of 10
You don't just win back-to-back MVP awards for nothing.
Nash has been a spectacle to watch over his career, and it's no surprise that he's the sole representative of the Caucasian persuasion on this list.
Despite his obvious shortcomings on defense, the Canadian baller is loads of fun to watch as he shreds through the defense, into the lane and creates for his teammates.
9. DeMar DeRozan, SG, Toronto Raptors
2 of 10
If you didn't know about DeRozan before this season, odds are that you certainly do now.
Since Chris Bosh's departure for South Beach, DeRozan has become the Raps' No. 1 scoring threat on a nightly basis.
Showcasing his insane athleticism with rim-rattling jams and looking equally as dangerous on the perimeter, DeRozan is finally showing off the potential that Toronto saw when they made him the ninth overall pick in the 2009 draft.
8. Kobe Bryant, SG, Los Angeles Lakers
3 of 10
The Black Mamba is still the most clutch player in the NBA.
Although he doesn't move quite as fast as he once did or throw it down with as much emphasis as he did when he rocked an afro, there's little doubt that Bryant is still a major draw in Los Angeles and beyond.
While KB24 has serious mileage on those 32-year-old legs, Bryant's got plenty of spring left in his step as he pursues his sixth ring.
7. Rajon Rondo, PG, Boston Celtics
4 of 10
Rajon Rondo's five-year, $55 million extension seems like chump change now.
The Celtics might have the original Big Three, but it's becoming increasingly clearer that this is rapidly becoming Rondo's team.
A nightly threat to post a triple-double, Rondo's skills are incomparable to anyone else in the league because there's simply nobody like him.
Aided by his insane athleticism, Rondo has ascended to elite point guard status and is typically the first player's name out of experts' mouths when discussing the Celtics.
6. Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder
5 of 10
The Thunder obviously belong to Kevin Durant, but like the aforementioned Rondo, Westbrook is quickly gaining steam around the league.
Looking like the MVP of his team this season and a legitimate MVP candidate for the 2010-11 campaign, Westbrook does it all. With the ability to score, be active on the boards and dish out dimes like it's nothing, the UCLA product is setting himself up for a max contract extension when the time comes.
What's not to like about this kid? He keeps his mouth shut, produces on the court and has a continuing desire to improve every facet of his game.
5. Monta Ellis, SG, Golden State Warriors
6 of 10
Monta Ellis is a beast.
While his game is heavily dependent on his ability to score, this combo guard is anything but one-dimensional.
He can burn defenders from the outside or beat anyone off the dribble and right to the rim.
And once he gets there? Ellis' impressive athleticism lends itself to him being able to do just about anything, including hanging in the air for far longer than gravity would seemingly allow him to do.
4. Amar'e Stoudemire, PF, New York Knicks
7 of 10
Allow me to pose an open question to anyone who thought Amar'e wasn't worth the $100 million he signed for this offseason.
Has your opinion changed now?
While he's gotten some help from teammates like Raymond Felton and Wilson Chandler, Stoudemire has been instrumental in the turnaround of the New York franchise.
Illustrating his very deserving nickname of STAT, Amar'e looks every bit like the franchise player that the Knicks thought him to be.
3. Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls
8 of 10
Some might think it's premature to anoint Rose as the best point guard in Bulls' history, but that sounds just about right.
Rose has really ascended to the next level this season, developing an outside that game that was severely lacking from his arsenal.
Arguably the fastest player in the entire league, Rose's explosive moves allow him to do whatever he wants on a basketball court.
2. Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers
9 of 10
It's been just one half of his rookie season, but Griffin has definitely earned his spot at No. 2 on this list.
He leads the league in dunks by a wide margin, and his unique skill set lends itself perfectly to the spotlight in Los Angeles.
Rapidly popularizing himself as one of the most noticeable players on a global scale, Griffin mania is in full swing and it's only a matter of time before someone is ready to call him the most complete power forward in the NBA.
He's achieving by himself what his team has tried to do for over a decade: put people in the stands.
1. LeBron James, SF, Miami Heat
10 of 10
Let's be realistic; If Elton Brand would have aired his "decision" on national TV, would it have even been picked up by a news outlet?
Maybe that's a bit of an exaggeration, but it's easy to see the point here. Whether you love or hate LeBron, everybody watches him because, frankly, he's just that good.
After a rocky beginning to his tenure in South Beach, James has fully lived up to his nickname and is dominating games in ways that most players are simply just incapable of doing.
He'll be at the forefront of everyone's attention until the day he retires and James has had an effect on the league that only few players before him ever did.
And when it's all said and done, his affect might loom a whole lot larger.
