Where Are They Now? All Star Check In

Eric Bledsoe (Phoenix Suns)
34mpg, 45% fg, 33% 3pt, 5rpg, 6apg, 17ppg, 13.5 pie, 1.7 +/-

If the season were over right now the Suns would be in the playoffs, but it's not over and they are not going to be able to hold off Oklahoma City.  I feel for Phoenix who is 4 games over .500.  Bledsoe is having a solid year and proving himself to be a good starting guard in the NBA.  I'm hoping Phoenix can hold on for a playoff spot, but it's gonna be tough.

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DeMarcus Cousins (Sacramento Kings)
35mpg, 47% fg, 13rpg, 3apg, 24ppg, 17.6 pie, 2.3 +/-

The Kings had such a good start to the season, as did Cousins. Then Cousins got sick and the Kings fired their coach and it all seems to be going downhill. At the same moment Cousins is calling out his teammates for having no heart he's standing flatfooted to let someone get an easy dunk. Will George Karl be his savior or not? That seems to be one of the big topics right now in the NBA. Bledsoe, Cousins, and Wall are all coming into their own in the NBA, but Cousins is the one everyone is watching very closely, because he seems to be the one with the most talent. The question is whether he can become one of the best players in the NBA for the next 10 years and actually win.

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Anthony Davis (New Orleans Pelicans)
36mpg, 55% fg, 10rpg, 2apg, 25ppg, 19.7 pie, 3.8 +/-

New Orleans is still fighting for a spot in the playoffs and I would love to see them pull it off. Unlike Cousins where everyone questions his mental state, Davis is assumed to be the best big man in the NBA for the next 10 years. So far this year he is living up to the hype.

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Archie Goodwin (Phoenix Suns)
7mpg, 36% fg, 1rpg, 1apg, 4ppg, 8.4 pie, -3.7 +/-

Goodwin is getting scattering playing time here and there, but it's hard on a team full of guards to get playing time. If the Suns trade
Dragic as some people suspect, then maybe Goodwin will get more playing time.

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Chuck Hayes (Toronto Raptors)
9mpg, 2rpg, 1apg, 4.3 pie, 1.7 +/-

We root for Chuck and so too the Raptors.

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Terrence Jones (Houston Rockets)
23mpg, 49% fg, 33% 3pt, 5rpg, 1apg, 9ppg, 9.1 pie, 6.5 +/-

Happily Jones is back from injury and in the lineup for Houston. Jalen Rose mentioned that he believes Jones is one of the key factors for Houston to be able to make a deep run in the playoffs. That makes me happy and I hope Jones can come back from this injury and be better than ever.

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Enes Kanter (Utah Jazz)
27mpg, 49% fg, 8rpg, 14ppg, 10.9 pie, -2.7 +/-

Kanter is a tough one to understand. He's a starter on a bad team. Some people think he has real potential, others think this is about as good as he's going to get. So how good is that. Well based on per 36 minute stats he's averaged a double double his entire career. This year he's averaging 18 points and 10 rebounds per 36 minutes. Those are good numbers. His offensive rating this year is 105 his defensive rating is 109 and his value over replacement player is -0.8. How does this say compare to Cousins another big man on another bad team. Well Cousins per 36 minutes numbers are 25 points and 13 rebounds this year. His offensive rating is 103 his defensive rating is 101, and his value over replacement player is 2.1. The biggest difference between these two guys is their defensive rating, and the problem for Kanter is his defensive rating is worse now than it was his first two seasons. Basketball is more than just offense and Kanter needs to show that he can improve on defense otherwise he's essentially a replacement player.

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Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (Charlotte Hornets)
26mpg, 45% fg, 7rpg, 2apg, 10ppg, 11.8 pie, -1.6 +/-

If you look at the numbers above it doesn't seem like Kidd-Gilchrist is doing much, but here's something interesting. If you look at his per 100 possessions stats he's averaging 20 points and 14 rebounds per 100 possessions. That is a big improvement for Kidd-Gilchrist who last year averaged 16 points and 11 rebounds per 100 possessions. His defensive rating is also better a 102 over 103 last year. You could look at Kidd-Gilchrist in many ways and say he has been a bit of a bust. He was the number 2 pick in the draft and so you expect a lot more from a number 2 pick, but he's turning into a solid player. His team has struggled a bit this year, but they are back on track to make the playoffs and so we'll keep hope out for Kidd-Gilchrist.

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Brandon Knight (Milwaukee Bucks)
33mpg, 44% fg, 41% 3pt, 4rpg, 5apg, 18ppg, 14.1 pie, -0.9 +/-

The Bucks continue to play well and Knight is an important part of that. What's really impressive about Knight this year is his growth as an overall player, especially defensively. His defensive rating has gone from 114 last year to 103 this year. That's a huge improvement and I'm hoping signifies a big change for Knight. Knight has been a starter in the NBA since day one, but he's thought of by many as a guy who is good enough to be on a bad team, not someone who can lead a good team. This year I think he's proving his value.

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Jodie Meeks (Detroit Pistons)
25mpg, 41% fg, 31% 3pt, 2rpg, 2apg, 12ppg, 8.3 pie, -0.7 +/-

Meeks has gotten to be part of one of the most interesting stories of the NBA season so far, the surge of the Detroit Pistons. Meeks was a big acquisition for the Pistons last summer then missed a good chunk of the season due to injury. His number are getting better, but one area where Meeks has struggles since leaving Philadelphia is defense. In 2011-2012 Meeks offesive rating was 111 with a defensive rating of 103. This year so far it's 109 and 109. It would be nice to see him get that split back and hopefully he will. With luck the Pistons can make the playoffs and we'll be rooting for Meeks.

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Nerlens Noel (Philadelphia 76ers)
30mpg, 45% fg, 7rpg, 2apg, 8ppg, 8.9 pie, -7.1 +/-

I feel for Noel. He's had a tough road in the NBA so far. Misses a season due to injury, then has to come in and be a starter on a bad team. It's a tough way to learn how to be a scorer, etc. in the League. The good news for Noel is that he is as good of defensive player as people expected. His defensive rating is 100 which is better than Anthony Davis. However, his offensive rating is a sad 90. The good news is he can become a better offensive player and if he can do that he could quickly become one of the best big men in the NBA.

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Patrick Patterson (Toronto Raptors)
27mpg, 47% fg, 41% 3pt, 6rpg, 2apg, 9ppg, 10.7 pie, 4.5 +/-

Toronto is still sitting as the second best team in the East and Patters is an important part of that. His offensive rating this year is 129 which is fantastic, better than Anthony Davis or James Harden.

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Tayshaun Prince (Boston Celtics)
24mpg, 45% fg, 3rpg, 2apg, 8ppg, 8.9 pie, 0.3 +/-

I feel for Prince. He went from coming off the bench for one of the best teams in the NBA to now coming off the bench for one of the worst teams in the NBA. As I've said this is probably his last year in the NBA and I was hoping he could get a run on a good team. As it is he'll go out of the League quietly.

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Rajon Rondo (Dallas Mavericks)
31mpg, 40% fg, 6rpg, 9apg, 9ppg, 11.3 pie, 1.2 +/-

Rondo in some ways is in real trouble. Everyone hoped that the move to Dallas would be a good one for him and Dallas, but it hasn't. His offensive rating, which was already an awful 95 has dropped to 93 and his defensive rating has gone from 102 to 105. Rondo has gone from being an elite player back in 2008 to 2010 to being just an average player, and I'm honestly not sure what his future will be.

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John Wall (Washington Wizards)
36mpg, 46% fg, 31% 3pt, 5rpg, 10apg, 17ppg, 15.6 pie, 4.9 +/-

In many ways Wall is having the best year of his career, but the real test for the Wizards will come this year in the playoffs. Washington is struggling a bit lately, but they have been struggling with injuries off and on all season. Hopefully they'll all be healthy for the playoffs and we'll see how far the Wizards can go.

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James Young (Boston Celtics)
10mpg, 38%fg, 1rpg, 1apg, 3ppg, 6.6 pie, 1.6 +/-

Young is starting to get more playing time which is good. It will be fun to see how he progresses over the second half of the season. It's a critical time for a young player if they can start getting time and stick.