ESPN released its annual 25 players under 25 years old in the NBA to expected controversy. Lamelo Ball being third was the main headliner of topics across the media landscape. Other shocking spots in my opinion were De’Aaron Fox at 6, Trae Young at 16, and R.J. Barrett being exempt from this list.
Here is how ESPN’s list rounded out.
1. Luka Doncic
2. Zion Williamson
3. LaMelo Ball
4. Donovan Mitchell
5. Jayson Tatum
6. De’Aaron Fox
7. Ben Simmons
8. Devin Booker
9. Bam Adebayo
10. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
11. Brandon Ingram
12. Jaylen Brown
13. Jamal Murray
14. Michael Porter Jr.
15. Ja Morant
16. Trae Young
17. Mikal Bridges
18. Domantas Sabonis
19. Anthony Edwards
20. Deandre Ayton
21. Tyrese Haliburton
22. John Collins
23. Jarrett Allen
24. Lonzo Ball
25. Collin Sexton
Instead of analyzing each pick from the headline grabbing ESPN article I thought I would make my own top 10 list with justifications for each.
- Luka Doncic
Don’t expect too many picks out of left field from me, especially in the first spot. Like ESPN, it is hard to argue that Luka Doncic isn’t number 1. Simply put, he affects the game on every level. He carries a certain aura around him that makes him one of the most entertaining players in the world of basketball.
The 22 year old has already shown that he is not afraid of the big moments, hitting one of the best game winners in the past 5 years.
He is one of only 5 players on the top 25 that has impacted winning at an elite level (Donovan Mitchell, Jamal Murray, Ben Simmons, and Bam Adebayo). The thing that separates him from the names on that list is that he in the definitive leader of that team. Donovan Mitchell has Rudy Gobert. Jamal Murray has Nikola Jokic. Ben Simmons has Emiid. Bam Adebayo has Jimmy Butler. Luka Doncic has led a subpar Mavericks roster to 7th seed in the East. None of the aforementioned names would have the ability to do that in my opinion.
2. Zion Williamson
Do you remember when everyone said that once Zion Williamson figures out how to play basketball that he would be one of the best players in the NBA? Well, it seems like we are getting closer to that every day. Take a look at his past three performances
The 20 year old is a nightmare matchup for any team in the league. Larger defenders can’t possibly keep up with his speed and smaller players are bullied with his strength. His 26.5 points per game are highlighted by a ridiculous 61.7% field goal percentage.
There are a few things keeping him from the first spot. The first being that he has no idea how to make his teammates better. The Pelicans are the 11th seed in the West and a game out of the play in spot. With talent like Brandon Ingram, Lonzo Ball, and Steven Adams around him, there is no excuse for them to be behind the Warriors, Grizzlies, and Spurs.
That seems like a lot of pressure to place on the shoulders of a 20 year old, but the young man compared to LeBron James in high school will always have a little extra pressure behind him. He has to get significantly better at passing the ball as his career progresses for the Pelicans to ever be considered a threat in the future. He actually had a negative turnover to assist ratio in his rookie campaign and at a 3:2 ratio this season.
With all of that criticism aside, Zion is truly a special talent and it’s scary to think about how much more developed he will become in the future. He has pulled one of the smallest market teams in the NBA into one of the premier must watch teams in the league despite the fact they haven’t even gotten close to the playoffs.
3. Devin Booker
Devin Booker is not a leader. There is no other way to put it. Other than his rookie season, he has never averaged less than 22 points per game. In the two seasons prior to this one he also averaged 26 points a game, and yet, they never got close to the playoffs. Chris Paul came to Phoenix this year and has taken on all the responsibility off of Booker to do anything but be a great ball player.
What he lacks in leadership, he makes up with pure ability.
Devin Booker was once known as being an elite scorer but he is evolving all parts of his offensive game. While he isn’t averaging a career high in assists, it is his second best in terms of the assist to turnover ratio. His passes are creative and add an element of unpredictability to the Suns already great offense. Chris Paul has been playing to an MVP level but they would be no where near where they are now without Booker. He projects to be one of the league’s best for years to come.
4. Donovan Mitchell
Number 4 was the hardest to decide on this list. On paper, it feels like the Utah Jazz wouldn’t lose too much productivity if Donovan Mitchell were to have an extended period off. Guys like Mike Conley, Jordan Clarkson, Joe Ingles would simply get more shots in his absence. It also seems like Rudy Gobert is the best player on the team.
Then I see plays like this is that remind me why he is so special.
Donovan is an athletic freak of nature. He’s the type of player who loves the game of basketball. When Shaq questioned his ability to lead the Jazz, he simply shook it off. It’s not about the sound bites for him. He just wants to win and he wants to be the one who gets it done on a nightly basis.
The biggest detriment to Mitchell, in my opinion, is that he does not make his teammates better. He definitely does not make them worse but I think he puts too much responsibility on himself when he is on the court. He takes ill advised shots highlighted by his 43.8% field goal percentage this year on top of 20.6 field goal attempts per game. A lot of those deficiencies are made up by the fact that he shoots 38% from the three point line.
Mitchell is looking to become a Jimmy Butler-esc leader for the Jazz and carry them to the finals one day. He is a rare type of talent but still has to prove he can outperform of the best players in this league if Utah has a chance to make their Finals aspirations a reality.
5. Ben Simmons
I wanted to put Ben Simmons at number 4 so badly. How can someone with All-Defensive Team level defense, elite passing skills, and special athleticism not be higher on this list?
It almost feels cliche to say at this point, but he can’t shoot. The worst part about it is that is he doesn’t seem interested in developing that part of his game. In fact, he is averaging a career low 10.6 shot attempts a game. He also has shot never shot above 58% form the free throw line.
Even with all these glaring deficiencies, he is incredible at everything else.
I believe he could win a MVP and Defensive Player of the Year Award in his career. That is something I believe no one else on this list could accomplish. Despite the fact that Joel Embiid has missed significant time this season, Simmons has not missed a single game. The 76ers currently have the best record in the East and Simmons is a big reason for that.
He has a lot of pedestrian nights on paper. On April 10th against OKC, Ben Simmons only logged 13 points, 3 rebounds, and 3 assists but he had a +22 plus minus. Simmons cares more about winning than his own personal stat line. If he ever gets the drive to develop his scoring ability, he could rise up as one of the best players in the Eastern Conference.
6. Jayson Tatum
Athletic Small Forwards with All-Star scoring abilities have kind of dominated the league for the past 5 years. From LeBron James to Kevin Durant and Kawhi Leonard, every teams seeks to have a prototypical player like Tatum. He has steadily increased his points and assists every year of his career.
The reason I have him as low as I do on this list is because he lacks a lot of leadership skills like Devin Booker. The Boston locker room has slipped away from head coach Brad Stevens at times this season and he really didn’t do anything to quell the tension. When Kyrie was on the Celtics, Tatum seemed to have a hard time connecting with him and it lead to a lot of animosity.
I think he has to learn that Kemba Walker is not going to be the guy the team is going rally behind. While Walker may possess the type of talent of someone like Chris Paul, he is no where near the kind of guy to lead Boston in the playoffs. Tatum has to make players like Aaron Nesmith, Payton Pritchard, and Robert Williams buy into some sort winning culture that he heads in order for them to be taken seriously. If Luka Doncic was on the Celtics, they would likely be vying for the first seed in the East and yet I don’t think Doncic is significantly better than Tatum. That means there is some intangible Jayson is missing that he hasn’t quite figured out yet.
7. Trae Young
I’ve never understood why people hate on “system players”. Why should it be Trae Young’s fault that he plays in offense that was built around him? Shouldn’t all teams be doing that for their best players?
Young gets a lot of criticism drawn to him because of the way he plays the game. He is simply the product of Adam Silver’s NBA. He is crafty and has learned to take advantage of all the rules. On top of that, he is a spectacular scorer and passer.
He has the range of Steph Curry and Damien Lillard putting him in an exclusive list of players with the green light to shoot with that kind of ability. Since Nate McMillan’s arrival, the Hawks have been on a tear. They are 7-3 in their last 10 games and are 4th in the Eastern conference. Being that John Collins has missed significant time for most of the season, Trae Young has carried this young team to another level.
The only real issue, and it’s a big one, is defense. He is one of the worst defenders in the league, a lot like Harden in his first 3 season in Houston. Like Steph Curry, Young’s coaches will have to scheme their defenses to hide him as much as possible. If Curry has proven anything, it is possible to find success with someone like that as long as he has a roster constructed with that in mind.
8. Jaylen Brown
Do you remember how I just talked about the value of scoring wings? Well, Boston just so happens to have 2 of those adding to the confusion of their misfortunes. On top of an explosion of offensive talent, Brown also prides himself on the defensive side of the ball.
Brown can best be compared to Donovan Mitchell but with more size. The 24 year old has gotten better each year but also has a hard time connecting with his teammates. He seems to go about his business but never pushes the envelope when his team needs him the most. He needs to become the solid foundation that the Celtics can build a team culture around. He needs to play the game with a little more excitement and create some pizzazz that I feel is missing from this Boston team.
9. LaMelo Ball
I’m sure you could have guessed that LaMelo Ball was going to fall a bit from the number 3 spot but he was never going to be outside of my top 10. The young rookie has shown his season in Australia was not a fluke last year. He has phenomenal handles and athleticism. His game compares a lot to John Wall which may sound like an insult but let’s not forget he was once regarded as one of the best point guards in the league before his injuries.
LaMelo has always been under the spotlight being that he is a member of the Ball family but he has navigated his popularity well. He carries a special kind of energy about him that makes him entertaining to watch. The Hornets were surging in the East when he was in the starting lineup. During that time he was averaging over 20 points and elevated his teammates around him which is something only 2 other players on this list do well (Luka Doncic and Ben Simmons).
While there is a lot more that needs to be seen from the 19 year old, we will all be following him closely to see just how much the the Timberwolves will regret passing him up from the number 1 spot in last year’s draft.
10. Ja Morant
There are so many names that could go in this last spot. Jamal Murray, De’Aaron Fox, Bam Adebayo, and so on. What made me put him at the number 10 spot was the fact that the Grizzlies would never accept a straight trade for any of those aforementioned names. If I truly believe that, then how can I put them above him on this list?
Ja Morant bought into Taylor Jenkin’s ideology from day one and has been the leader of this team. He plays hard for his teammates and they reciprocate the effort for him. Memphis has been without Jaren Jackson Jr. for this entire campaign and yet Memphis is the 8th seed in the West.
Besides his mental fortitude, he is a freak of nature at the Point Guard position.
Morant is one of the most creative scorers and passers in the entire league. He loves to show up in big moments and embraces the Grit N’ Grind culture that Memphis is known for. He is a prime figure in the NBA and is destined for an All-Star Game appearance in the near future.
Well, there is my list of the top 10 players in the NBA under 25 years old. Let me know what you guys think in the comment section or hit me up on Twitter @SpencerTheWiz.
