NBA Top 5 Under 25
The NBA is in good hands. Young stars around the league are committed to their franchises, as they seek a similar goal. Winning an NBA Championship. Whether they embrace the role of being a villain, single-handedly outscore the Clippers stars, or take down the MVP…the new generation has shown that their time is now.
Luka Doncic
Making the case for Luka at #1 should come with no objections. In just 3 years in the NBA, Luka Doncic has undoubtedly placed himself in the conversation for Top 5 Overall Players in the league. Luka plays like a 10 year veteran. He always controls the pace at which games are played.
What sets him apart from everybody on this list?
Luka is the only player who can truly say they are in win-now mode.
What does this mean?
Luka Doncic has shown that he can be the best player on a championship team. He never fails to hold his weight against superstar talent. There is not one team in the NBA that can say they have the two best players in a matchup, when playing the Mavericks. In the 1st Round of both this year and last, Luka Doncic outplayed 2x Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard and 7x All-Star Paul George night in and night out.
Here were Luka’s playoff stats by quarter this season:
1Q: 85 PTS, 54 FG%, 48 3PT%
2Q: 71 PTS, 62 FG%, 57 3PT%
3Q: 54 PTS, 44 FG%, 32 3PT%
4Q: 40 PTS, 35 FG%, 28 3PT%
Asking a player to orchestrate the offense on every possession comes with a price. You could see from the numbers above, Luka flamed out late in these games after using all of his fuel for the first 36 minutes.
Playing professionally overseas helped him acclimate to both the physicality and spacing of the modern NBA. In just 3 years, Luka is an elite 3 level scorer whose playmaking only pales in comparison to LeBron James. This 1st Round series showed the front office that work needs to be done to the roster. Luka needs playmaking help. In Game 7, Luka scored or assisted on 77 points, the most in a Game 7 in NBA History.
Luka does not have a co-star. If the Mavericks could lure one to Dallas, they would instantly become contenders for an NBA Championship.
Photo From: The Athletic
2. Jayson Tatum
This is why I love the playoffs. You get to really see who has it and who doesn’t. Jaylen Brown was sidelined during this series due to an injury…Tatum had to carry the bulk of the weight. Even with this big responsibility, he showed out. When watching these games, I look for the respect factor between two teams.
Kevin Durant on his podcast, the ‘ETC’s with KD’ had this to say:
“Jayson Tatum...guarding him the whole playoffs so far, he’s shifty with it. He got long arms too, you don’t want to give up the three ‘cause he can get hot...But he’s so good off the dribble, he gives you 5 or 6 dribbles, hesitations...he’s so long he can get to the cup, then he can finish over bigs…you know, he a tough cover”
“It’s gonna be ridiculous. He’s a tough shot maker”
“I've been in the league for 13, 14 years. I started to tally up the matchups and series and players I played against. When I have conversations with my friends about who I played…I say Kobe, Tim Duncan, Lebron, The Memphis Grizzlies...Jayson Tatum is in that conversation”
“He’s that elite level player already at 23? I can see where this is going. It was an honor to play against him”
(ETC’s w/KD)
Quite the compliment from arguably the best current player in the NBA.
Tatum is not a young player without playoff experience. He’s battle tested.
His game is fit for the playoffs. His long frame and elite shot making ability make him an ideal closer in crunch time. Jayson Tatum has shown in multiple playoff runs that he can go off with the best of them. There are little things he can improve on offense, but he mostly has it all. At this point for him, it’s just about continuing to learn the game. Being asked to do so much is only going to make him better.
Not having Jaylen Brown was a big loss, but would’ve only prolonged the inevitable. Brooklyn was still going to win that series in 6 games or less. The more important thing for Tatum, was getting the opportunity to see and play against championship level basketball. Now he knows what it’s going to take to win the Larry O’B.
Photo From: The Jakarta Post
Jayson Tatum defends home court in Game 3
Finished with 50 points - 6 rebounds - 7 assists
3. Zion Williamson
Making the case for Zion at 3 was harder than I originally thought. In this year's playoffs, we are seeing the new wave of young talent get opportunities to show the basketball world what they’re made of. The regular season slander that was pointed toward Trae Young and D Book has been extinguished.
Zion has been at home watching his peers show out. His time is coming. Zion is a once in a generation talent. His ability to switch up his playing style can be compared to a young Charles Barkley. On fast breaks, Zion runs and explodes light on his toes. But when driving to the paint, he uses his physicality and low center of gravity to bulldoze defenders out of the way.
His eFG was a staggering 61.6%. When Zion was within 10 feet of the rim, he essentially could not miss. With the right talent around him, Zion Williamson will be performing to the level of these other young superstars in the NBA. Although Zion is great, I am putting him at 3 due to team projection, rather than current play.
I don’t think New Orleans is the place for Zion to flourish and take advantage of his career. Let’s see if he will be the first player to reject their rookie extension offer.
Photo From: Orlando Pinstriped Post
Zion finished the 2020-2021 Season averaging: 27 Pts - 7.2 Rebounds - 3.7 Assists
*Selected to 1st All-Star team
4. Donovan ‘Spida’ Mitchell
This is when the list gets murky. Each individual is entitled to their own opinion. Donovan Mitchell gets the nod at #4 due to the consistency at which he has performed in the post season. After Utah lost Gordon Hayward, they were looking for a new franchise player. Donovan was thrown into the fire, and he rose to the occasion. In his 4 years in Utah, they have never missed the playoffs.
In his first season. He led the Utah Jazz to the #5 seed in the Western Conference. They faced the Big 3 OKC Thunder with Paul George, Carmelo Anthony and Russell Westbrook. Instead of being intimidated with their star power, Donovan went out there intending to show them he belonged in the same echelon. In his rookie year, Spida Mitchell and the Utah Jazz beat the Thunder in 6, advancing to the semi-finals for the first time in over a decade.
In the 2019-2020 season, Donovan was selected to his first All-Star team. During the bubble, he provided us with a 1st round performance for the ages. Jamal Murray and Donovan Mitchell went back and forth through 7 games, creating for a more than memorable series. Ultimately, the Nuggets outlasted the Jazz in seven games. As our co-host Cam would say…“I did my job”. It was not Donovan’s fault, he averaged 36.1 points per game.
This season, Donovan led the Utah Jazz to the best record in the NBA. In the west, the road to the NBA Finals goes through Salt Lake City. In the 1st round, they took down a young and gritty Memphis Grizzlies team. Now they face the Los Angeles Clippers. In Game 1, Donovan exploded in the 2nd half for 32 points, finishing with 45.
During a mic’d up timeout, Donovan stated:
“It’s all how we start this quarter. They played Game 7 two days ago, it’s all how we start this quarter. They’ll call it quits and get ready for Game 2 if we make them. Let’s get ready for that, shots fall or don’t…keep being the monster”
Donovan is the undisputed leader and best player on the Utah Jazz. Here’s the advice Quin Snyder gave him one-on-one:
“This is where it’s at. You just keep getting your mind right, and it overcomes everything. Just like you’re doing. Let’s go. Do it on D, it’ll happen on O”
Donovan does not fear anybody. He’s played against Russell Westbrook, Paul George, CP3, James Harden and Nikola Jokic in the post-season. He’s seen and matched up against the best. This soundbite is very telling. No longer do these young stars see themselves as less talented players.
They are equals.
What sealed the deal for Spida at 4 was looking at his responsibility for his team. Devin Booker is potentially a more fluid and balanced offensive player, but Spida is asked to do much more. Donovan’s size and quickness allows him to be a combo guard, finding teammates off of dribble drives…or going iso for a much needed bucket.
Donovan Mitchell is a hybrid between Dwayne Wade and Damian Lillard, with the intensity and charisma of Kobe.
Utah is not usually able to attract high talent free agents to their market.
The Suns have the perfect team, D Book nestles perfectly into his role.
Photo From: KTLA.com
Donovan Mitchell Game 1 Performance:
45 points - 3 rebounds - 5 assists
5. Devin Booker
Choosing between Devin Booker and Trae Young was extremely hard. They both impact their team tremendously, in completely different ways. Devin Booker has the stamp of approval from multiple seasoned players in the league.
Chris Paul stated in an interview:
“I came here because of Book. Don’t make any mistake about that. It’s about who Book is, the way he plays, the way he channels his energy…we good over here” - (Valley of the Suns Podcast)
Here are what other players think about the Suns’ franchise player…
Kobe Bryant on Devin Booker:
“I played against Booker tonight. He went straight to my move, the first time he caught it. You’re not going to beat me on my move, man! But it was great to see. I remember I did the same thing with MJ, it was fantastic. He has the right attitude, he has the right competitive spirit. His footwork is extremely sound, his fundamentals are extremely sound. Now it’s about figuring out exactly what his game is.”
Booker plays like someone who was snatched out of the early 2000s era. His old school game is paired with a killer mentality. Booker excels at the elbow, as he routinely gets his buckets from the mid range. Having this lost art of the game in his duffle makes him unique. The 2021 Phoenix Suns are built perfectly around him. They have a floor general at point guard, allowing Book to play off-ball and have more space to work with. Also, their 3&D players (Mikal Bridges, Jae Crowder, Cam Johnson) allow Book to focus more on the offensive side, as they defend the opposing teams best player. The Suns basically ask Book to get buckets. They have other players to do the nitty gritty tasks.
The Phoenix Suns have a good chance to land a spot in the Western Conference Finals. If so, they will face a Spida led Utah Jazz, or Kawhi led Clippers. With the way PHX is currently playing, the sky is the limit for them. I think Devin Booker makes a deep playoff run, continuing his great post season play. He gets the nod for the #5 player under 25.
Photo From: Bleacher Report
Devin Booker closed the Lakers out in 6 Games
Finished with 47 points - 11 rebounds - 3 assists
Honorable Mentions
There is an enormous amount of young talent in todays NBA. There just aren’t enough spots to include everyone in the Top 5. With that being said, here are the players that landed right outside
Trae Young
Ja Morant
Jamal Murray
Michael Porter Jr
The 2021 NBA Draft will bring another handful of franchise players into the league. We’ll see if they can replicate what the younger generation of stars are doing.