They’re called Generation Y, the Millennial Generation, and Generation Next (sometimes flopped around as Next Generation). They’re teens and twenty-somethings; children of the baby-boomers. They are the most diverse generation in history. They are the core demographic for Facebook. They earn an average income of 34k, and they send and receive an average 110 texts per day. They’re bright, enthusiastic, and they’re lighting up the floor in the N.B.A.
Kevin Durant (9/29/1988), LeBron James (12/30/1984), Carmelo Anthony (05/29/1984), and Dwyane Wade (01/17/1982); they’re all part of the Next Generation. They’re also the league’s leading scorers, in that order. Kobe (the geriatric 33 year old) sneaks into the list just after Wade, but Kobe’s not human and therefore doesn’t count. If we exclude him (for kicks and giggles), the list falls right back in line: Stoudemire (11/16/1982), Derrick Rose (10/04/1988), Monta Ellis (10/26/1985), Kevin Martin (02/01/1983)…
League wide, and in each division, the fact of the matter remains, if you want to lead the stats sheet you need to be around 24 years old. (That just so happens to be the average age for Generation Y!) These guys are putting up the best numbers each night and each season. They’re not your Enes Kanters (19 yrs) nor your Grant Hill’s (37 yrs). They are your Blake Griffins.
Generally speaking, the Millennials are the best conditioned. They have the best stamina. The numbers indicate this. They’re on the court longer than both their younger and the elder counterparts. Can you attribute more time on the floor to more points, more assists, more steals, more blocks, etc.? You can and you should!
The following are from the Northwest Division (this is a blog about the Jazz after all). The numbers here are no different than in the Atlantic Division. In the Northwest it’s the Al Jeffersons and the Paul Milsaps that have turned the limelight on themselves.