The NBA thrives off players who are elite and those who are not far away.
Every season, the media and fans worldwide debate the virtues of those that are legitimate superstars (LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Kobe Bryant) and those who seem so close to making the next step (Paul George, John Wall, Kyrie Irving, Steph Curry).
That next step is sometimes known as ‘the leap’, young studs are seen as looking to have ‘the look’ or we say ‘they got game’, and we all wait to see who will next progress to superstardom.
But for now let’s just talk about having ‘it’. To use such a generic term, one must define it.
‘It’ is embracing the big moment, demanding the ball, knowing you bear the brunt of a game-winner missed but confident you will make the shot and win the game.
‘It’ is knowing the opposition coaching staff spends the last timeout drawing up a play to stop you, and every last person in the building knows it will happen, but still taking that shot.
‘It’ is leadership, swagger, confidence, even arrogance. Players with ‘it’ polarise opinions and divide fans worldwide as they are often abrasive, sometimes disliked, but universally respected.
Above all, ‘it’ is success and is confined to those great players who are at the very highest of high levels.
Michael Jordan undoubtedly had ‘it’, and his moments of glory were aplenty.
Craig Ehlo still loses sleep over ‘The Shot’, which inspired a generation to want to Be Like Mike.
Byron Russell, try as he might, was overmatched in 1997 and 1998 as Mike finished his Chicago Bulls career in style with a game winning shot in Salt Lake City in Game six of the 1998 Finals.
Kobe Bryant had (and still has) ‘it’, and has often displayed it in strange ways.
An ostracising figure, individual success came early as he was compared to Jordan and other legends as a teenager.
Some would say leadership never came easily to Bryant, but basketball did and he has performed at an elite level for the last 15 years.
Five titles, two Finals MVPs and a league MVP later, his legacy proves Kobe is the modern-day epitome of ‘it’.
LeBron James took a while to find ‘it’, and for so long seemed destined to be arguably the greatest waste of sporting and athletic talent the sporting world has seen.
The low point was a mediocre 2011 NBA Finals capitulation to the Dallas Mavericks, but James found ‘it’ the following season as he dominated the Finals against the Oklahoma City Thunder.
While Ray Allen’s three pointer in game six is part of NBA folklore, James hit a huge three not 20 seconds earlier and in game seven he displayed ‘it’ on the biggest sporting stage of all.
It would take a brave man to bet against James leading his team to a three-peat of championships and NBA Finals MVP awards this season.
Kevin Durant has ‘it’. Blessed with one of the more effortless jump shots the league has seen, Durant often cruises to 30 point games and picks his spots when attacking.
Rarely has the game seen a more efficient offensive player than Durant, and he continues to evolve from an elite scorer to an assassin; his personality might remain as a laid-back, relaxed man but his behaviours are evidence that he knows he has ‘it’, and wants everyone else to know.
Everyone has their opinions on Jordan, Bryant, James and Durant but the facts are clear and their legacies are set.
What may be somewhat less clear is which of the next generation has ‘it’.
However it isn’t unclear at all – Paul George has ‘it’.
George is 23, and the face of a franchise that no more than 18 months ago was cursing its luck as its star Danny Granger had gone down with a serious knee injury.
George may not be making Pacer fans forget Granger, but he will come back as a role player when he is fit because he is the man in this team and is dramatically improving before our eyes.
George has it all – at 6’9″ and 220 lb he has the size to play big but the game to play as a guard. He shoots well, posts up well, rebounds, passes and defends at the elite level.
George craves the big moment, and in last season’s Eastern Conference Finals series took on James and pushed the Heat all the way, giving them a mighty scare in a seven-game series.
As the Pacers sat in their locker room, vanquished and defeated, George commanded the floor and ordered his teammates to go away and ensure they all improved at least one part of their game over summer.
This was a 22-year-old taking control and demanding excellence from his team.
George put his neck out with his actions in the locker room on that May evening, but his performances so far this season are incredible.
His scoring average is 24.6 points per game, over seven points above his career average and he is shooting at a career-best .476 from the field.
Indiana are a league-best 16-2 and 6-0 in crunch time (where in the last five minutes of the fourth quarter or overtime neither team is ahead by more than five points) and while George’s individual numbers in crunch time are not as elite as one would expect, you would expect these will only improve and while the team is winning, George will have to be content with overall dominance as the best player on the best team.
George has swagger, he has ‘the look’ and plays the game with an intensity that owes much to his work ethic and want to be the best.
Let’s not for a minute pretend he hasn’t been blessed with amazing natural ability, but to get to the next level and become a legend of the game requires maniacal dedication and rabid competitiveness.
George displays these characteristics and more, and it would be foolish to think he will leave anything to chance as he chases history.
Having never gone past the second round, critics will say until he performs at a high level deep into the playoffs he has no claim to having ‘it’.
Indiana have put a team around George this season to give him every chance to take ‘the leap’ but the Pacers go as far as George takes them.
It might just be that George proves to the world that he has ‘it’ by leading the Pacers to their first NBA finals appearance and perhaps more.
As a basketball lover, watching Paul George is pure bliss. You never tire of watching the very best, and this kid is on the verge of joining this esteemed company.
Steven Paice
Roar Guru
Thanks for the feedback Mushi, its always welcomed. I will do my best to address this with my next blog.
mushi
Guest
not sure how you can say on court contribution is entirely subjective. I more have issue with your inability to apply your own standards with a modicum of consistency than the definition of it.
Steven Paice
Roar Guru
Thanks for the comment Jai, he is indeed the best player on the best team and the sky seems the limit for the kid.
Steven Paice
Roar Guru
Thanks for the comment Astro, I understand that my definition of 'it' might lack a few qualities and players like Duncan and Nowitzki could have been included in this discussion. I would argue that 'the best never let confidence spill over into arrogance' can be debated for a few recognised legends.
Steven Paice
Roar Guru
Thanks for the feedback Mushi. It is interesting to hear a different viewpoint on an entirely subjective issue contained within an opinionated blog. I can see your point related to my use of 'it' and welcome the debate.
astro
Guest
Yeah Steve, I think you need to let go of the idea that Kobe is still an elite player. I'm not doubting his greatness, or the fact that he is still a very effective offensive player, but he's a passenger on the defensive end these days, and the gap between him and Durant/LBJ which currently exists is enormous. If you're going to talk about Kobe having 'it', you'll need to talk about Duncan and even Dirk having the same. My only real issue with this article is the idea that having 'it' or being a top-tier elite level talent, requires arrogance and to sometimes be disliked by fans. I actually believe the exact opposite is true. Part of what makes guys like Bird, Magic, Duncan, Kareem, Olajuwon etc so great is that they never forgot that a big part of their 'greatness' came from their team mates and coach. Arrogance is a different concept to confidence, and while all the greats have very strong self-confidence and belief, the best never let that spill over into arrogance...again, here is where Kobe falls short. Even his recent contract is an example of Kobe choosing what is best for him over what is best for his team. He'll never win another title because of that. Duncan meanwhile, came within a whisker of winning again last year, and has his team at the top of the division yet again...and earns $14mil less. Surely, that is part of what 'it' is...
mushi
Guest
I actually have no idea what you think the highest level based on your pre finals win assessment of LeBron as a failure whilst elevating Durant and somehow still having Kobe ensconced at the top of the mountain despite him not having played defence for some time. Because to me it seems to have zero to do with affecting the outcomes of basketball games, which is more what I would care about. By your own standards Paul George is out of the conversation. As he got out of the second round proving the critics wrong retrospectively and gaining entry to the “it” club. I had George becoming the pacers “star” last year, but that said I still think he has something to prove in regards to being in the Durant discussion, He’s the best player on the best team sure, but then I believe team results are driven by a group with a coaching staff rather than just one player. In actual ability to play basketball and be one of the pinnacle guys (I’d have Bron, Durant and Paul as those right now) I think Anthony Davis will be a better player than George eventually, not a knock on George more a vote of Davis. But George can get there if he takes a little more notice of how/where a guy like Durant gets his buckets (George’s hot start ahs a lot of long 2s falling – something that is unlikely to happen for his entire career, but if it did then well he’ll destroy the league). Davis I think will be dominant at both ends and has the athleticism mixed with skill and work ethic to reach “best in league” discussion. I’d give him the nod over George because I’d rather the extra inches of reach. Guys like Love, Curry and Harden all have some major holes that I think caps their ceiling but can probably challenge for an MVP at some point when voters do the moronic “we’re sick of giving to the player who deserves it” . Curry’s never going to be able to play Paul level D, Love’s mobility means you need to do something system wise on defence and Harden hasn’t shown the willingness or ability to defend another quality player.
Jai
Guest
Paul George is a superstar, with both talent and the right attitude for success. To come out of Fresno St after two seasons and be a franchise centrepiece on a few years later is a monumental achievement.
Steven Paice
Roar Guru
Thanks for commenting Mushi, do you have any thoughts on which of today's young guns are most likely to progress to the highest level?
Steven Paice
Roar Guru
Thanks Brent, his start to the season has been outstanding and as a pure basketball fan I hope he can continue to improve at the rate which he currently is.
mushi
Guest
“Having never gone past the second round, critics will say until he performs at a high level deep into the playoffs he has no claim to having ‘it’. I believe this pretty much sums up the amount of veracity to this entire article. Then this: “LeBron James took a while to find ‘it’, and for so long seemed destined to be arguably the greatest waste of sporting and athletic talent the sporting world has seen” Maybe by the same incredibly well informed critics that are hammering George for not getting out of the second round of the playoffs. But I’d think that if you’ve led a team with no all stars to the finals at age 22 whilst posting a playoff PER, win shares, and win shares per 48 minutes greater than someone like Kobe’s career average then if you are considered so far from “it” that you are a waste of talent then “it” is the most irrelevant quality to a basketball player it doesn’t require discussion.
Brent Ford
Roar Guru
I hope so, he was killer that other night when he had 43 points. He was also named NBA conference player of the month, was reading an interesting article that said that MVP's usually have a good storyline to go with their win. For example to go with his superhuman numbers Lebron also led his team back to the top despite losing to the Mavs a year earlier. When D Rose won it Chicago became a force again. If George can keep his numbers up and Indiana keep winning anything is possible. Great article by the way.