Rising Young Stars in the NBA

Every year a couple NBA players take the next step to becoming a star. Sometimes, their improvement goes largely unnoticed. Here is a list of five rising stars who don't get nearly the amount of press that they deserve.

Kevin Martin - It is almost shocking to me that the new K-Mart doesn't get more mentions for the Most Improved Player award. While the clear winner of the award will be Deron Williams, deservedly so, Martin should be the clear second choice. And yet I still have friends who watch Kings games with me and wonder who this kid scoring all the points is.

Kevin is averaging 20.5 points per game on close to fifty percent shooting. He has been the only consistent threat on offense for a Kings team marred by injuries all season long. And he will be in the media spotlight soon enough.

Monta Ellis - In only his second season, Ellis has posted averages of 18.7 points per game with the Warriors. Like Kevin Martin, Ellis suffers from playing on a team that is out of the playoff picture. But there is no question that he is talented. Want to know why the Warriors were offering Jason Richardson, who had just averaged twenty-three a game the season before, at the trade deadline? So they could have cap space to resign this rising superstar over the summer.

David Lee - Lee has been getting more attention as of late, an excellent performance in the Rookie/Sophomore game put him on the map, but not enough. He plays on the woeful Knicks and showcases hustle and determination each and every night. In fact, Lee has been so good that he averages a double-double off the bench.

In a team surrounded by selfish, lazy players it is nice to see a hard-working individual succeed like Lee. The real reason the Knicks have improved this season largely in part due to the former Gator.

Caron Butler - So here's the thing, everyone knows Caron Butler right? He went to a big college, Connecticut, was drafted early in the lottery and has had pretty good seasons with the Wizards and Lakers. So why is he on this list?

What must irk Butler is when fans fail to realize just how much he has improved this season. His performance in just about every statistical category the NBA records has gone up. His season averages of 20.3 points, 7.6 rebounds and 46.9% field-goal shooting are not the type of numbers fans outside of Washington would associate with Butler. Caron really has taken the next step under the radar.

Andre Igoudala - He will never be Allen Iverson, but Igoudala's superhuman performance since the departure of the original A.I. has only proven that the Answer always was part of the problem. Igoudala has averaged over nineteen points a game since Iverson was dealt to Denver. He has also posted around 5.5 rebounds and assists per game. His all-around game has helped him notch two triple-doubles this season.

And the scary part? This is only his third NBA season. The new A.I. is only going to get better as he gets older. Unfortunately, the Sixers are so bad that no one notices him unless he scores a Sportscenter top-ten dunk.

So those are the five. Maybe you knew them, maybe you didn't. Either way, all five deserve more credit for their accolades this season. Who knows? Maybe next season when your friends are asking where these guys came from, you'll know the answer.