Top 20 Players UNDER the age of 24

[LogicMan]

No clue about Kuzma though. He’s not a high upside guy imo.

Kuzma will be a solid player and perhaps an all star. His offense is really good. If he learns to play great D he is a important piece

 

[flyerhawk]

Kuzma will be a solid player and perhaps an all star. His offense is really good. If he learns to play great D he is a important piece

He will need to really elevate his game to be an all-star.

 

[trojanfan12]

My top 20 players UNDER the age of 24..........this is if i was building a team and having a draft and picking a guy for the next half decade plus. I am also dividing them by tiers. If they are in the same tier they are not that that far away from eachother.

1. Giannis Antetokuompo
2. Joel Embiid
3. Karl Anthony Towns
4. Donovan Mitchell
5. Ben Simmons
6 Kristaps Porzingis

7. Jayson Tatum
8. Devin Booker
9. Nikola Jokic

10. Myles Turner
11. Andrew Wiggins
12. Jaylen Brown

13. Dennis Smith Jr.
14. Markelle Fultz
15. Lonzo Ball
16. Jabari Parker
17. Brandon Ingram
18. DeAron Fox

19. Aaron Gordon
20. Gary Harris

Honorable mentions in no particular order

Zach LaVine
Domotas Sabonis
Thon Maker
Jamal Murray
Gary Harris
Julius Randle
Josh Jackson
Dragan Bender

With the exception of Ingram, it probably won't stay this way through their careers, but just from the Lakers, I'd have Ingram, Randle and Kuzma ahead of Lonzo right now.

By the time all is said and done, I think Ingram will be still be ahead of Lonzo, but not Randle and Kuzma.

 

[CitySushi]

With the exception of Ingram, it probably won't stay this way through their careers, but just from the Lakers, I'd have Ingram, Randle and Kuzma ahead of Lonzo right now.

By the time all is said and done, I think Ingram will be still be ahead of Lonzo, but not Randle and Kuzma.

I don't think Kuzma has quite the ceiling that everyone thinks he has, but maybe that's just me. He just reminds me so much of Rudy Gay. Going to be a really good scorer, but gonna be a fringe All-Star. Lonzo at least to me has the upside of being more, but could also be MCW 2.0. It really just depends on how he evolves his scoring abilities. The rest of the stuff is already there.

 

[trojanfan12]

I don't think Kuzma has quite the ceiling that everyone thinks he has, but maybe that's just me. He just reminds me so much of Rudy Gay. Going to be a really good scorer, but gonna be a fringe All-Star. Lonzo at least to me has the upside of being more, but could also be MCW 2.0. It really just depends on how he evolves his scoring abilities. The rest of the stuff is already there.

If I understand the list correctly, it's about who is the best right now, not who has the highest ceiling.

I agree that it's unlikely that Kuzma is going to get significantly better which is why I think that ultimately Lonzo will pass him. But for right now, based on how they played this past season, Kuzma belongs ahead of Lonzo, imo.

 

[shopson67]

He will need to really elevate his game to be an all-star.

He'll also need a more consistent role. Competing with Randle for minutes at PF and with Ingram at SF isn't going to get him there.

All-star is a tough status to break into, given the vet presence that dominates those selections.

 

[flyerhawk]

He'll also need a more consistent role. Competing with Randle for minutes at PF and with Ingram at SF isn't going to get him there.

All-star is a tough status to break into, given the vet presence that dominates those selections.

Agreed. Kuzma is a nice player to have. Kinda like Darios Saric for the Sixers. Neither will probably ever become All-Star but they could be important players on good teams.

 

[knowyourenemy]

Agreed. Kuzma is a nice player to have. Kinda like Darios Saric for the Sixers. Neither will probably ever become All-Star but they could be important players on good teams.

I’m not sure Saric doesn’t have higher upside than that...but I guess we’ll see. Honestly, even with Kuzma, if he continues to score at a solid rate, he could make an ASG at some point. It really depends. I don’t see him becoming a 16-20 FGA per game kind of guy. On higher volume, though, he’d be putting up 20+ per game and that’ll get you consideration for an ASG.

Kuzma had a better rookie campaign than Saric but Saric made some major improvements from year 1 to year 2. We’ll see if Kuzma makes a similar jump next season.

Saric averaged more points, rebounds, and assists per game in the playoffs than he did in the regular season. It makes me think he could be ready to take another major step forward.

 

[flyerhawk]

I’m not sure Saric doesn’t have higher upside than that...but I guess we’ll see. Honestly, even with Kuzma, if he continues to score at a solid rate, he could make an ASG at some point. It really depends. I don’t see him becoming a 16-20 FGA per game kind of guy. On higher volume, though, he’d be putting up 20+ per game and that’ll get you consideration for an ASG.

Kuzma had a better rookie campaign than Saric but Saric made some major improvements from year 1 to year 2. We’ll see if Kuzma makes a similar jump next season.

Saric averaged more points, rebounds, and assists per game in the playoffs than he did in the regular season. It makes me think he could be ready to take another major step forward.

Both of them could turn into All-stars. It's just not very likely that they will.

To be clear, I love homie. He's a great player to have on the team and I really hope they deal him unless we get someone like Kawhi in return.

 

[SJ76]

Ben Simmons next year gonna be stupid good

 

[knowyourenemy]

Both of them could turn into All-stars. It's just not very likely that they will.

I’m not even necessarily talking about becoming all-stars, just making the roster.

Consider this, in the last 10 years, the following have made the ASG, some of them multiple times: Luol Deng, David Lee, Paul Millsap, Kyle Korver, Danny Granger, Gerald Wallace, Chris Kaman, Andre Iguodala, Manu Ginobili, Zach Randolph, Jrue Holiday, Carmelo Anthony, Jeff Teague, Isaiah Thomas.

Not all of those guys are elite players. Maybe you think a few of them are and don’t belong lumped in with some of the others. Ignore that for a second. Many of them had a good stretch of 2-3 years that got them attention and voted in. Some of them just had one really good standout year. I excluded most of the centers other than Kaman because he’s legitimately not a very good player but he made it one year. Some get in on name recognition. There are lot of ways to get in. It’s not too far fetched to see Kuzma pull a Danny Granger and just have a really good year one year and make it.

Just saying.

 

[knowyourenemy]

Ben Simmons next year gonna be stupid good

He will be the first player to average a quadruple-double for a season.

 

[SJ76]

He will be the first player to average a quadruple-double for a season.

Go homer!! Go homer!!

 

[Mebert]

KAT is probably too high, he was worse this year than last year. Maybe this upcoming year he adjusts to Thibs/Butler, but to be at 3 he would need to up his defense a lot.

If this list was "How good a player could be if his mind matched his athleticism" Wiggins would be 3 or 4. I have never seen anyone that gifted be so devoid of a cutthroat attitude. As is he does not deserve to be on the list.

Wiggins could be a 6'8" version of Donovan Mitchell if he desired.

 

[tlance]

Hawk he will be a very good player, but they need to get him to work on his shooting. His shot is not NBA ready. And I am all over tatum because he got no marketing fan fare but instead as a teenager, two years younger and with no knowledge of the playbook came out and delivered like a rookie we have not seen in years

It is a lot easier to develop a jump shot than it is to learn to be 6-10 with explosive athleticism and otherworldly court vision.

Tatum is very good. But anybody who ranks him ahead of Simmons on potential loses credibility IMO. Tatum is more polished, Simmons is the better prospect and it isn't close.

 

[WiggyRuss]

It is a lot easier to develop a jump shot than it is to learn to be 6-10 with explosive athleticism and otherworldly court vision.

Tatum is very good. But anybody who ranks him ahead of Simmons on potential loses credibility IMO. Tatum is more polished, Simmons is the better prospect and it isn't close.

its not even close

Like i have been saying--- since the Durant draft--- Anthony Davis is the best prospect to come into basketball

then their is the next tier with guys like Rose, Wall, Towns, Griffen and Simmons- and i would probably put Simmons #2. Embiid- if he was not injured- would have been in that group as well. Wiggins is up there as is Jabari Parker...Kyrie is a little under those guys.

 

[LogicMan]

Tatum is very good. But anybody who ranks him ahead of Simmons on potential loses credibility IMO.

Alas I have been uncovered.................................in parallel news, for 15 minute call you can save 15% in car insurance by calling Geico

 

[LogicMan]

Wiggy and TLance, take the time to look at rookie shooting stats. In fact look at some of the worst rookie season shooting stats of current players who still cant get it right (Altho Marcus is improving). Tell me which one has the worst shooting % beyond 10 feet

Ben Simmons
Rajon Rondo
Marcus Smart

 

[FSU rules]

My top 20 players UNDER the age of 24..........this is if i was building a team and having a draft and picking a guy for the next half decade plus. I am also dividing them by tiers. If they are in the same tier they are not that that far away from eachother.

1. Giannis Antetokuompo
2. Joel Embiid
3. Karl Anthony Towns
4. Donovan Mitchell
5. Ben Simmons
6 Kristaps Porzingis

7. Jayson Tatum
8. Devin Booker
9. Nikola Jokic

10. Myles Turner
11. Andrew Wiggins
12. Jaylen Brown

13. Dennis Smith Jr.
14. Markelle Fultz
15. Lonzo Ball
16. Jabari Parker
17. Brandon Ingram
18. DeAron Fox

19. Aaron Gordon
20. Gary Harris

Honorable mentions in no particular order

Zach LaVine
Domotas Sabonis
Thon Maker
Jamal Murray
Gary Harris
Julius Randle
Josh Jackson
Dragan Bender

I would put Brown 2-3 spots higher, Wiggins way lower and keep Fultz off the list until he shows he can play.

 

[tlance]

Wiggy and TLance, take the time to look at rookie shooting stats. In fact look at some of the worst rookie season shooting stats of current players who still cant get it right (Altho Marcus is improving). Tell me which one has the worst shooting % beyond 10 feet

Ben Simmons
Rajon Rondo
Marcus Smart

I am quite sure it is Simmons.

I am also quite sure he had the fewest attempts of that group.

I have personally fixed enough busted jumpers over the years to know that it can be done with time, effort and attention to detail. Simmons has a lot of work to do, but the only excuse for him not eventually adding a respectable jump shot would be laziness.

And I don't think Simmons is lazy.

He needs to re-tool his form and then shoot about 2000 shots a day once he has his new form grooved.