Manu Ginobili, James Harden, Pau Gasol, Gerald Wallace: Impact players to look out for next NBA season Part 2
4. Gerald Wallace (Brooklyn Nets):
Gerald Wallace is one of the most versatile players in NBA. Though primarily a scorer, Wallace is a good perimeter defender and is definitely a major asset for the Brooklyn Nets next season. Nets might have an improved squad this season but defense is still something they are not really sure of and for that they will require Wallace to lead.
Wallace’s impact doesn’t stop here. His performance will pretty much define the amount of load Deron Williams and Joe Johnson will have to sustain. A consistent Wallace would go a long way in providing the two stars freedom.
3. Pau Gasol (Los Angeles Lakers):
The Lakers are widely being considered the most explosive bunch of players in the NBA this season; at least on paper. But will the big guns fire and get substantial results for them?
That depends on how good and how soon they gel together, and perhaps the biggest part of that equation is Pau Gasol. The Spaniard is a match winner; there is no doubt about that. But, in the absence of a quality point guard and a well defined offensive strategy he has been lost on the offense for some time now. That has been a big reason of the Lakers not making deep runs in the playoffs.
The arrival of Steve Nash though is sure to change that. Nash is a quality ball distributor, and with him present on the floor, Gasol is bound to get more balls down low.
The more Gasol will score, more will be the confidence and once the power forward gets in his groove, he can be as good as any out there. The consequences for the Lakers can be huge, and in my mind the championship won’t be far away.
2. James Harden (Oklahoma City Thunder):
Oklahoma City’s sixth man of the year has all the makings of a game changing player and that is precisely what his side will be expecting him to be this season. Oklahoma’s chances can increase considerably if one of their players raises his game and come somewhere near Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook.
Harden looks poised to be that player especially after how he performed against San Antonio Spurs in the Western Conference finals last season. Even at the present level, his impact is huge and can be gauged by looking back at the deep end of the playoffs last season.
James averaged 18.5 against the Spurs in the Western Conference finals but when he averaged a much lower 12.4 against Miami Heat in the Championship Finals, we all saw how Thunder came crumbling down to the ground.
1. Manu Ginobili (San Antonio Spurs):
Manu Ginobili is perhaps the best impact player in the league. The veteran is a class of his own and has so many skills up his sleeve, that it is almost impossible to contain him. He is the part of the Spurs big three and has had a major role in the Spurs’ success over the years.
In 2011, with Ginobili out injured, the Spurs had a rough time in the play-offs and they lost to the eighth seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round. However with Manu delivering, the Spurs seemed literally unstoppable last season and at one point were the hot favourites for the NBA title.
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