2010/11 Playoff Contenders Patches NBA Trading Cards. An All About Cards Review

When you have a product that is geared towards rookie card collecting and four out of the six players featured on the box are veterans, that gives you a good indication of what is coming.  Contenders Patches is a strong release during a weak rookie season.  That makes this year’s cards a gamble but rookie speculators wont care.

Contenders Patches Basketball definitely fits our premium cards category.  Each hobby box contains 20 – 5 card packs with a promise of four autographs per box.  Lets take a look at the cards we pulled from the box.

Kobe Bryant Season Ticket front and back

Carl Landry Die Cut Version of the base cards

From the Inserts

 Scottie Pippen Place in History

Rookie of the Year Contenders in regular and die cut versions

Starting Blocks

One Two Punch

Our hits were

Greivis Vasquez and Jeremy Lin Autos

Kevin Seraphin Auto

Chris Mullin Piece of History

Overall Look

The design will be familiar to Contenders collectors.  The players look great on the Season Ticket cards.  The Autograph Patch cards work well and the alternate logos are fun.  The Rookie of the Year Contenders, die cut Season Tickets and the Starting Blocks are sharp looking.

Quality and Variety of Players

The NBA Veterans are well represented but, unfortunately, this year’s Rookie Class is just not that impressive.  No knock to Panini on this one, they didn’t draft the players.  But this is a rookie-centric release, so the variety is there, but only time will tell if the quality of players is there too. 

Do the Hits satisfy?  Are the cards too base heavy?

If you are looking for this year’s NBA rookies, you will appreciate the patches and ROY Contenders autos.  Pulling the Chris Mullin Place in History card was definitely a thrill.

Will you keep coming back for more?

For rookie speculators...yes, but this is definitely a “hold and see” kind of year for this product.  For those less inclined to risk, a “just in case they hit big” box might be enough.

Rating

3 1/2 out of 5

2010/11 Playoff Contenders Patches is for the true rookie speculator.



Review box provided by Panini