The Birth of a Superstar
Whether or not a player is drafted as a lottery pick or drafted late in the 1st round or somewhere in the second. That isn't the determining factor of whether or not the player will be a good player or superstar. If we look in the league today there are players that are considered a bust, especially when contrasted to what the expectations of them were, this happens for a few reasons, pressure, role in the transition process, propositioning; For example, a player could be 6'8" small forward, the same position they played in college, yet has the capability to play the 4 or power forward to an extent. But having to guard someone that might be and expected to be a lot more physical may pose a disadvantage over an extended period of time, game-wise, or season duration. Another reason is the coaches may not be as adept at figuring how to help the player adjust and improve their skill set.
What constitutes a star and/or superstar? For the star player, it's someone that is able to perform consistently at a high level. The superstar is a player that performs at a high level consistently and is capable of doing several impactful things, even during late-game situations without having a drop-off. We could also mention being adored by the fans, even being hated. Superstars, as stated, are impactful, they seem to find ways to be an asset for their team on a nightly basis or whenever the game is held.
The journey to becoming a superstar, a player that a franchise wants to center their team around in hopes of winning a championship, starts in the developmental years. Junior high is really when if you have a gem, that is where they truly begin to understand game situations and how to execute during those situations. The sooner a ballplayer is able to make the correct decision or as close to that as possible based on what their coach(s) have taught them during certain circumstances, the faster they grow. For example, if you notice a double team coming, scan the floor as fast as possible to see where the double team came from to then locate a possibly open teammate. Some might be taught how to try to avoid the double team as it is coming, which could help to create more high percentage looks for teammates. Being able to rotate off your man for help defense, sometimes a show like help defense may help a beaten man regain distance or regain leverage on their assignment.
As the players mature and work on their game and practice, they grasp the concept of the sport and some being blessed with athletic abilities, it pushes them to new heights with in-game experience involved. As they play against bigger, some faster, some with better techniques than theirs, they themselves learn how to react as well as counteract, they get to understand that the game is mental as well as physical. Being able to read the game as it flows and play a step ahead of the competition enables fascinating plays, that might lead to outstanding performances. When this type of behavior is displayed often, it leads to stardom, being a specialist at something with high or good efficiency at other things consistently leads to superstardom, fans cheer and go out their minds, with excitement.
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David Burrell
