Top 10 Players Under 25

I've seen many lists where it is discussed who the best players under the age of 25 are. Many of them include some form of 'potential' based on the player. When I do my list, I'd like to do more of the player's skill right now, and where they are at now in the league. This list will be just a rough estimate of what I think the order should be.

1. Luka Doncic (22)

Luka has easily proven his dominance in the league right when he entered. He is the clear number one player under the age of 25. His individual skill is at generational talent level, and could go down as one of the most skilled players ever. The ability to score for him seems to come easy, and he has proven his ability to be a playmaker as well. In his short career so far he has averaged 25.7 PPG, 8.4 TRB, and 7.7 AST. The only thing that he hasn't been able to prove is his team success. The Mavs have now made the playoffs the past two seasons, only to fall in the first round both times to the Clippers. You can't put the blame on Doncic though, he averaged 33.5 PPG, 8.8 TRB, and 9.5 AST in just the two playoff series. He is still very young and has a lot to still accomplish as far as individual accolades, and especially team success. The number one spot is very easily Luka if you watch the NBA.

2. Jayson Tatum (23)

Tatum is an easy option for the number two spot in my opinion. He has seen a huge jump in his game the last couple of seasons, and is a proven elite scorer in the league now. He has been able be a big part of a Celtics team that makes the playoffs year after year. The team success hasn't faired the best for the Boston team, but Tatum has been a shining light on the franchise. He has shown an immense amount of growth each year, and is primed to be at the top of the league when it comes to elite scorers. This past year he put up 26.4 PPG and willed his injury riddled team at the end of the season, even putting up a 50 point game in the playoff win against the Nets. If you watch his game, you can see how reminiscent it is of those such as Kobe Bryant, and Kevin Durant. Also, becoming a good defender is something he has improved on along with his offensive prowess. Tatum is destined to be in MVP conversations for awhile now, and is making his mark as an elite level scorer in this league.

3. Devin Booker (24)

This third spot is where it started to get more difficult in choosing the order. I went with Booker because of the way he shows to be an elite scorer consistently in the game. Even on a struggling Suns team, up until the past two seasons, he has been the light of the team. He continues to grow as a scorer and leader of the Phoenix squad as they might reach the Finals for the first time in 28 years. He has had many great performances such as 71 points in a game, and a 40-point triple double in his first ever Conference Finals. Booker is one of the best young players in the league and proves it with his offensive abilities. He could really solidify himself after this playoffs with the way the Suns are looking.

4. Donovan Mitchell (24)

Donovan is very similar to Booker in my mind, so they are very close in rankings. He has been able to prove his scoring ability right when he entered the league. He has proven himself as one of the best young players on a very good Jazz team. The last two seasons he has shown what he can do in the playoffs while having amazing scoring performances and leading his team. Mitchell has averaged over 20 points a game ever since he stepped on an NBA court. He is another guy that I can see at the top of the league very soon with the way he plays his game. Also could easily see him excelling in a championship environment, which he could very well be in in his career. He is someone that you can rely on to get a bucket on every possession, and is showing how good he really is on the offensive end.

5. Trae Young (22)

Young's stock has a skyrocketed throughout this playoff run the Hawks have had. He has looked like an elite point guard and has lead his team all the way to the Eastern Conference Finals when nobody thought they would make it that far. His offensive flow has excelled in the playoffs and been huge for the Atlanta squad. He plays so effortlessly for it only being his third season, and first playoffs at that. Young has been averaging nearly 30 and 10 with points and assists in this playoff run so far. His ability to shoot and get to the paint to facilitate comes so naturally for him, and is cementing himself as one of the best young stars. The one thing he needs to work on is his defense, because at times he becomes a liability on that end which some teams exploit. However, he is already beginning his run to the top of the league.

6. Ja Morant (21)

It was a little bit harder after the five spot, but Ja proved himself a lot after this season, and his playoff performance. During his first playoff appearance in the first round against Utah, he looked like a certified star in only his second season. His improvement from just the regular season to the playoffs was impressive. Morant averaged 30 and 8 with points and assists, which he only averaged 19 PPG during the regular season. He proved that he can lead a team, and show up on the big stage. Once he can solidify his perimeter shooting, the league should be scared, because his ability to get to the hoop is already easy. He showed he can also very well be at the top of the league in his career and become an elite point guard.

7. De'Aaron Fox (23)

I would say Fox and Zion can be interchangeable, but in my opinion I like Fox slightly more here for now. He has been a huge 'surprise' in the league, and showed major growth this season. He is another point guard on this list that can cement himself as one of the best in the league very soon. He proved this year his ability to score consistently on a struggling Kings team. Fox would thrive on a playoff team, and would be able to show his true potential. He is another explosive guard that has been able to show flashes on both sides of the ball, especially the offensive end. He jumped up to 25.2 PPG this season and looked like one of the most improved players in the league. This season helped his stock immensely and I see him continuing to ball out no matter the circumstances.

8. Zion Williamson (20)

I know many people would have Zion higher, but I have him here at eight, and would put him at seven also. Zion still hasn't been able to show a ton of game yet due to injuries in his first two seasons now. Obviously Zion plays very well when he does play, averaging 27 PPG this season playing for a disappointing Pelicans team. He can easily be one the best big men in the league with his glimpses of dominance already in the league. Hopefully he will be able to be on a playoff team like Fox, so that he can prove that he is the real deal. Zion has a ton of potential, but potential isn't my main focus with this list. However, he has already proven he is a dominant force, and can only continue to grow from here in this league.

9. Bam Adebayo (23)

Bam is a very interesting player on this list, and could very easily be higher if he stepped up his game just a little bit. He has shown incredible growth in just the past two seasons already. His playoffs performance last year was very good averaging 18 and 10 when it came to points and rebounds. He helped lead the Heat to a Finals appearance, which wasn't expected to most fans. He had a very down playoffs performance this year which hurt his stock slightly. However, he has still shown how great he can really be as a big. His ability to also be an elite defender and guard multiple positions is so important for a team. He has already proven himself as one of the most versatile, and quick big men in the league. Once he improves and expands his offensive game, he can be an elite big man/two-way player, and creep his way into the top of the league.

10. Jaylen Brown (24)

JB improved so much in the past season, it was hard for me to have him this low on the list. He is already becoming one of the best two-way players in the league, and starting to show his potential. He continues to improve on the offensive end scoring 24.7 PPG on the season while shooting efficiently from the field. His flexibility on defense and ability to go up against some of the best wings in the league is detrimental for a team. Brown has now shown what he can be in the league, and what the duo of him and Tatum can truly be with the right team around them.

Next 3 Out: Jamal Murray (24), Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (22), Brandon Ingram (23)

These are my next three out, it was very hard to leave Murray off the list after his performance last season, and I could even see him in the 7-10 spot for sure. All of these players are continuing to show how good they are scoring the ball and can be stars in the league easily. I just didn't think they had it quite enough to make the list. The league is so full of young talent, I believe it's one of the hard things to do when ranking them.