The NBA Young Guns

NBA Young Guns  L/R Shai, Anthony, Luka

I thought it would be a fun exercise to look at some of the young players who might distinguish themselves as the NEXT group of elite players in the NBA.  I have followed the NBA since its conception back in the 1946-47 season so I realize we are just getting started in the decade, and a lot can happen, like injuries. I also know that it is very rare that someone comes into the league and immediately makes such an impact that they make the All-NBA First Team in their first or even second year. I have compiled a list of young players under the age of 27, who are already considered among the elite. Many are already first team All-NBA selections. So, based on their accomplishments since the 2019-20 season here are the players that have a “leg-up” on making the next greatest of all-time list. (At the end of this article I want to share two “nuggets” that I discovered during my research.)

My first “young” player is Luka Doncic. Some NBA followers may think of Doncic as a “ole pro”, based on all he has accomplished, but he is only 25 years old. He has made1stteam All-NBA five times. He has also finished in the top 5 in MVP voting three times. He led the league in scoring this past year with a 33.9 average to go along with 9.2 rebounds, and 9.8 assists. (Close to averaging a triple double.) He will be near the top as the 2020 decade’s best player.

In the “hunt” for greatest young player since the 2019-20 season is Jayson Tatum. Championships always make a big impact when choosing great players. The Celtics winning the NBA Championship this past year is a big boost to his resume. He is only 26 years-old and already has made the 1stteam All-NBA 3 times and the 3rdteam in 2019-20.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is my third pick for the most impactful young players in the NBA this decade. Shai is a young 26 (July b-day) but has been in the league 6 years. He has made the All-NBA First Team the last two years and finished a close second to Jokic this past year for league MVP.

My top 10 list of “Young Guns”, as I refer to them in my book, gets a little “trickier” after these first three picks. I am not listing these next seven in any order, but based on their performance in the first years of their career I think these players have a chance to make the 2020 All-Decade and perhaps eventually the Top 75.

Devin Booker is 27 years-old but has been in the league 9 years. He has a 24.3 points per game average and has made 2 All-NBA Teams, a 1stand 3rd.

My “up-and-comer” pick is Anthony Edwards. He may have been somewhat of an “unknown” before this past year’s playoffs and the Olympics but not anymore. “Ant-man” is only 23 years-old and with a better 3-point shot could even crack everyone’s top 50 all-time greats list. He does have some of the same traits on the court as MJ. He has been in the league for 4 years. He has a career average of 22.9 points and made the 2nd Team All-NBA this past year.

Victor Wembanyama is the most skilled all-around “big man” to ever come into the NBA. Yes, that includes the great Wilt Chamberlain. Wilt is the G.O.A.T. to many NBA fans but Wilt could not do the things out on the perimeter of the court that “Wemby” can do. I have been a player, coach, and fan for over 70 years, and I know better than most that there is a long way to go. Wemby is a 20-year-old phenom and could become the greatest if he stays healthy.

Donovan Mitchell barely skates under the 27-year-old wire. He has been in the league 7 years and has a 26.8 points per game average in this decade. He has made 5 all-star teams and a 2ndteam All-NBA team in 2022-23.

My next pick is the player that is most often compared to Steph Curry, and for good reason. Trae Young can launch 3’s with the best of them. He is 25 years-old and already has been in the NBA for 6 years. He has a 25.5 career scoring average to go along with a 9.5 assist average. If he didn’t play in Atlanta, I honestly believe he would have made more than just one All-NBA team (3rd).

My last two picks are certainly worthy BUT they both come with a caveat. History and their “track record” is not on their side. IF they both stay healthy, I don’t think there is any question that Ja Morant and Zion Williamson can be elite players in the NBA. They both bring excitement, as well as skills to the court. Morant has a 22.5 career average to go along with 7.4 assists average in his 5 years in the league. He made the All-NBA 2ndTeam in 2021-22. His acrobatic moves to the basket may be a mixed blessing. He is spectacular but at 6’2” and 174 lbs. can his body endure the contact in the NBA over a long period of time? Zion has a somewhat similar problem as far as physicality goes. At a reported 284 lbs. he may have too much size to have a long career. Since his rookie season in 2019-20, Zion has ONLY played in 184 of a possible 410 games. When he plays, he averages 24.7 points a game and is dominant and electrifying. He is still only 24 years old. Maybe he will get the Moses Malone to Charles Barkley message.

These are my “young guns” of the NBA. I have always believed that if a player, in any sport, is going to be considered special or make the Hall of Fame they must put up numbers when they are young and have their “best body”.  As promised, I want to share a couple nuggets I discovered in doing research for this post. In 2019-20 Luka Doncic was the 6thplayer in NBA history to be named to the All-NBA 1stTeam at the age of 21 or younger. (Kevin Durant, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Rick Barry, and Max Zaslofsky are the other five. Surprisingly, Barry finished college at the age of 20, Zaslofsky went one year to St. John’s, and both made All-NBA in their rookie season.) Finally, every member of the 2021-22 All-NBA 1stTeam was 27 or younger. (Giannis, Tatum, Jokic, Booker, and Doncic) That was the first time that had happened since the 1954-55 season. thebasketballgoat.com

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