Action in
the 2014 NBA Playoffs has undeniably been among the best for several reasons.
One of these is how the road teams have virtually negated homecourt advantage,
winning an NBA Playoffs record 24 times in the first round and 32 overall.
Games have been extraordinarily tight, too, with 8 first round games going into
overtime (including four straight between the Grizzlies and Thunder — another
NBA Playoffs record) and five first round series going the full seven games.
One of the best reasons, at least for me, however, is this — we have seen the
emergence of some young stars. These young guns have really impressed so far,
coming up big in crunch time and showing the entire NBA fanbase that they
belong in the Playoffs. Among these are Jeff Teague, DeMar DeRozan, Bradley
Beal, and LaMarcus Aldridge. The ones I really want to talk about right now,
though, are two guys who, despite their youth, are already among the best point
guards in the NBA — Portland’s Damian Lillard and Washington’s John Wall.
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| Two guards who are sure to continue to rise in the future: John Wall and Damian Lillard! |
Let’s begin
with Lillard, who has undeniably made his first foray in the postseason very
memorable. He got his hero moment back in round one, when loud cheers enveloped
him after he hit this
game-winning and series-ending shot that eliminated the Houston Rockets. In
fact, minutes after the Blazers tossed Houston, clips of Lillard’s improbable
long tom circulated around Vine and YouTube. We all knew the 2013 Rookie of the
Year was good, but this shot, this moment, permanently validated his star
status.
He learned a
lot in the second round as well when Portland faced the seemingly invincible
San Antonio Spurs. With his club down 0-3 in the series, Lillard came up big in
Game 4, shooting 52% from the floor to score 25 points on top of 4 rebounds and
5 assists to prevent a sweep. The Blazers were bounced just today in Game 5,
but it wasn’t for Lillard’s lack of effort. On the contrary, he recorded an
impressive 17-point, 10-assist double-double in his final game of the 2014
Playoffs. With everything he learned in his first postseason campaign, Lillard
should be even more ready and more solid when Portland makes the Playoffs again
next season.
Here’s @Dame_Lillard
rocking a sublime pair of adidas Crazyquick 2s as he sends the Rockets fishing!
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| Damian Lillard's now famous buzzer-beating, game-winning, and series-clinching three! (image from SoleCollector.com) |
Meanwhile,
out East, Washington Wizards star floor general John Wall continues to stand
out in his own pair of Crazyquick 2 PEs. In Game 5, with the Wizards in danger
of getting kicked out of the Playoffs, Wall scored a playoff career-high 27
points, handed out 5 assists, and hauled down 5 boards. It was, perhaps, Wall’s
best performance of these Playoffs so far, and it definitely couldn’t have come
at a better time! The former top overall pick shot 55% from the field, 50% from
beyond the arc, and 100% from the line in this encounter, underscoring his
potential as one of the league’s flagship superstars in the very near future.
To
illustrate, Wall had a banner season in the NBA, averaging career-highs in
points (19.3), assists (8.8), steals (1.8), three-point shooting (35%), and
free throw shooting (81%). He was also named an All-Star for the first
(definitely not the last) time, and was the Slam Dunk Contest Dunker of the
Night. In terms of Player Efficiency, Wall is the best PG in the Eastern
Conference (with a 20.6 EFF rating) and ranks fourth overall behind veterans
Chris Paul, Steph Curry, and Russell Westbrook. Wall’s stock continues to rise
as each season goes by and nobody should be surprised if his game makes another
jump in 2014-2015 as he continues to wear the storied #trefoil.
Here’s
@John_Wall about to pull up in his Crazyquick 2 PEs!
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| John Wall is primed to make another big jump in the next season! (image from NiceKicks.com) |
Without a
doubt, Damian Lillard and John Wall are two of the brightest young stars in the
NBA, and as their games continue to grow, so will their legacy as ambassadors
of the game and the adidas brand. As they prove, game in and game out, that
#quickaintfair, they also continue their emergence as new idols for passionate
young hoop nuts everywhere.
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| Wall's signature adidas line is set to be launched later this year! (image from NiceKicks.com) |
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| Another angle of Lillard's jaw-dropping three over Chandler Parsons. Check out those Crazyquick 2s!!! (image from SoleCollector.com) |
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