Who are the veterans in NBA 2016-17 season that can still effectively carry their team to excellent performance? Dirk Nowitzki, Pau Gasol, Dwayne Wade, to name a few.
Athleticism, performance and result are all barometers of a player in the NBA. At the elite level, notable names like Kobe Bryant, Tim Duncan and Amar'e Stoudemire all left at the conclusion of 2015-16 NBA season. Few players of similar calibers will still see another shot in the upcoming opener in October, to include;
Dirk Nowitzki
Dallas Mavericks are always in the search mode for potential replacement of 38-year old Nowitzki. Basketball Reference sets Nowitzki at 18.3 points, 6.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game during last season which is pretty decent compared to other younger players. Nowitzki may have dipped from career average 22 points but he is still capable of carrying the Mavs to the playoffs.
To wrap up how the team is relying on Nowitzki, he leads the Mavs in 2011 championship and bagged the finals MVP in the same year. Nowitzki is also the regular season MVP in 2007 and a 13-time NBA All-Star.
Pau Gasol
Gasol is the cornerstone of Chicago Bulls' rim defense last season with 11 rebounds per game. The 36-year old Spanish center seems to be making a good improvement compared to career average 9.5 rebounds even at advance age. ESPN.com's statistical tally for Gasol also sports an impressive 16.5 points per game with Chicago at 46 percent shooting efficiency.
Dwayne Wade
Dwayne Wade is a runner-up in the list of efficient veterans at 34 years old. NBA pegs Wade's statistics last season at 19 points per game. Then 4.1 rebounds and 4.6 assists will cap the figures for the newly-signed Chicago Bulls.
The shooting guard will turn 35 in January next year and observers are saying that he is peaking hi career. Whatever view there is about Wade, he can still be counted as a very good player if not on the elite level anymore.