The Best of the NBA’s Next Generation Rankings

Getty Images/Ringer illustration The 25 best players in the NBA age 25 and under The NBA is changing. There hasn't been one big-bang moment, like Michael Jordan's summer of 1992—wherein a 29-year-old Mike banked his first back-to-back title and then grasped the reins of the Dream Team—but the tectonic plates are shifting, ever so noticeably. Just look at these playoffs: The faces of the four franchises squaring off in the 2024 conference finals are all 26 or younger, and they're all ringless, while the lions of the game—LeBron James, Steph Curry, Kevin Durant—were gone before the second round. So while it's hard to say the LeBron era is over as he eyes yet another max payday this offseason, something is definitely up. But which of these precocious superstars-in-waiting has all the tools to supplant James as the guy of the next era? For that, we present an offshoot of NBA, Ranked's Top 100: the Best of the Next Generation Rankings. As we do for our year-round player rankings, we asked a panel of Ringer NBA staffers to rank the 25 best players 25 years old or younger (sorry, Jayson Tatum—the jokes about your youthfulness are both unfunny and no longer applicable). But for this sub-list, we included some additional criteria. Because to be the next face of a franchise—and maybe even the next face of the league—it's not just about your performance on the court; your makeup and your marketability matter, too. We asked our panelists to rate 30-plus young players on the following five categories on a 1-10 scale: Current performance: The current quality of the player's overall game. Future performance: Where the player's overall game will be in five years. Gets the people going: Charisma and marketability. Is this player appointment viewing? Would your niece or nephew want to buy their shoes? Intangibles: All of the qualities a team executive looks for in a player: leadership, injury risk/history, reliability. Does this player get it? Foundational qualities: Can you build a franchise around the player's game? How adaptable is it? The results, as determined by the combined overall score (and tabulated by Zachts and Info), are below. So, in the words of Anthony Edwards: Bring ya ass! 25. Jabari Smith Jr. Age: 21 | Top 100 ranking: 93 | Overall score: 28.513.7 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 assists, 0.8 blocks, 53.7 eFG%, 76 GP Reason for hope: Picture Aaron Gordon, except give him Jaden McDaniels's arms and a silky jump shot. That's the promise of Smith, who combines two of the most valuable commodities in today's game: length and shooting. The 21-year-old forward can be a menace across the defensive spectrum, on the ball and off it, and his shooting ability (36 percent from 3 and 81 percent from the free throw line in 2023-24) suggests untapped offensive potential. Even if Smith doesn't become a superstar, it's easy to imagine him as a game-breaking role player on a championship team. That gets the people going, too. Reason for doubt: It's not a great sign when a top-three pick begins winnowing his role in just his second season, as Smith did on the up-and-coming Rockets. Smith's ultimate destiny—especially on a team with so many young mouths to feed—may be as a streamlined offensive finisher and strong defender. There's no shame in that, but the offense is still somewhat theoretical, and many metrics suggest Smith isn't even very impactful on the other end. Favorite factoid (and also best highlight): Smith has already managed to do something that countless NBA players have tried and failed to do: make LeBron James feel old. In their first matchup during Smith's debut season, the rookie humbled the King when he told him that LeBron played against his dad, Jabari Smith Sr., in LeBron's first game, back in 2003. —Isaac Levy-Rubinett 24. Darius Garland Age: 24 | Top 100 ranking: 51 | Overall score: 29.118 points, 6.5 assists, 2.7 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 52.4 eFG%, 57 GP Reason for hope: Is it too soon to say because he might get traded? Garland is a blur—perhaps the fastest player in the league with the ball in his hands. Paired with an ability to grab the hand brake at a moment's notice, he is, when at his best, one of the league's most devastating pull-up shooters. But he might need a change of scenery, devoid of another ballhandling backcourt scorer like Donovan Mitchell, to reclaim the combination of dynamic shooting and distribution that earned him an All-Star nod at just age 22. Reason for doubt: This postseason. Garland was out of sorts for Cleveland's first multi-series run since LeBron James, averaging a modest 15.7 points on just 42.7 percent shooting. Honestly, he's been disjointed since returning from a broken jaw in early January. Is that because of the lingering effects of the injury or because Mitchell grasped the reins a bit tighter in his absence? A trade might resolve the latter, but injuries have been a constant annoyance for the 6-foot-1 point guard; a variety of short-term dings have limited him to 61.4 games a season over his five-year career. Best highlight: Pretty sure this is actually a scene from Baby Driver: Darius Garland hit the brakes and sinks the triple DG now has 49 points with less than 10 seconds left in Q4. pic.twitter.com/JVRn8gTGOH— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) November 14, 2022 —Justin Verrier 23. Desmond Bane Age: 25 | Top 100 ranking: 46 | Overall score: 29.623.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, 5.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 55.2 eFG%, 42 GP Reason for hope: In this league, 3-point shooting is still king, and Bane's got a royal bazooka. Almost as important, he's a marksman who plays more than one note on offense and guards his ass off at the other end. A muscle-bound scrapper who will push an opposing coach out of the way if he finds one in his personal space. He is the special kind of shooter who remains dangerous even if the defense runs him off the 3-point line. Can even put it on the deck a little bit and initiate out of pick-and-rolls. Combine all that with the fact that Bane plays with considerable 'tude and talks considerable shit, and you get a winning player unafraid to put himself out there and mix it up. Reason for doubt: There are the stubby, gator-like arms. He's a decent athlete who lacks the high-end burst necessary to fully make up for his physical limitations. It also wasn't exactly Xanadu with Bane as the primary perimeter option in Memphis this past season. Realistically, at his peak, he is probably the third- or fourth-best guy on a title team and will most likely never make a run at All-NBA. Bold prediction: Before retirement, he'll become a model and spokesperson for GNC. He will parlay that into a career as an actor. His breakout role will be as the Rock's rebellious son, Xander, in Rampage 3, for which he will win the MTV Movie Award for Best Breakthrough Performance. In 2086, he will be awarded an honorary Oscar. It will be presented by the kid from Young Sheldon. —Tyler Parker 22. Jalen Green Age: 22 | Top 100 ranking: 66 | Overall score: 29.719.6 points, 5.2 rebounds, 3.5 assists, 0.3 blocks, 49.8 eFG%, 82 GP Reason for hope: Green has always had the ingredients for stardom: twitch, unpredictability, electrifying movement patterns, elite confidence, and hints of three-level scoring ability. After a tumultuous, inconsistent first four months of the season, Green finally put it all together in the final 17 games, putting up 24.6 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 4.2 assists on 38 percent accuracy from beyond the arc. Reason for doubt: Green's rise came in the absence of Alperen Sengun, whose absence gave Green a bigger runway to attack the rim. You hope that Green's improved decision-making, defensive effort, and 3-point accuracy will hold when the two are reintegrated next season, but the greatest determinant of whether Green will hit his offensive ceiling may be Sengun's progress as a floor spacer. Trend watch: Men wearing nail polish. Green walked so Jared McCain could run. You love to see it. —Seerat Sohi 21. Jalen Johnson Age: 22 | Top 100 ranking: 71 | Overall score: 30.316.0 points, 8.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 0.8 blocks, 56.2 eFG%, 56 GP Reason for hope: Top 1 percent in terms of athleticism and feel for the power forward position. A plus motor. Human highlight reel. Flashed competence from distance this season, albeit at a pretty low volume. The former 20th pick looks more like the premier prospect he was coming out of high school, and a potential building block for the next phase in Atlanta. Reason for doubt: Johnson struggled to stay on the floor this season, missing 26 games due to injury. And he's ultimately the kind of guy who needs to be set up by plus playmaking, as he lacks a true "bag" on offense: a problem, of course, that may be exacerbated if he's minus one of the league's truly best setup guys next season in Trae Young. Bold prediction: Johnson will lead the Hawks in scoring next season. Young's ball dominance will likely be out the door, and even if Dejounte Murray stays, Quin Snyder will craft an attack centered around the franchise's true centerpiece. —Wosny Lambre 20. LaMelo Ball Age: 22 | Top 100 ranking: 56 | Overall score: 30.923.9 points, 5.1 rebounds, 8.0 assists, 1.8 steals, 51.5 eFG%, 22 GP Reason for hope: When Ball plays, he dazzles. Being the face of the league isn't just a matter of playing great basketball—it takes undeniable charisma and, just as crucially, a buzzing sense of possibility. You never quite know what LaMelo might do with the ball, and that alone makes him worth the price of admission. Reason for doubt: It's not entirely clear whether Ball can thrive in any sort of structured environment—like, say, the half-court offenses that determine the entire NBA playoffs. Plus, our top scientists are still working around the clock to figure out how to reinforce some of the most worrisome ankles in the league. Signature move: The deep pull-up. LaMelo doesn't have to let it rip from 30 feet, but who would he be if he didn't? Walking the line is part of the package. —Rob Mahoney 19. Jaren Jackson Jr. Age: 24 | Top 100 ranking: 45 | Overall score: 31.322.5 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.6 blocks, 49.4 eFG%, 66 GP Reason for hope: In six years as a pro, Jackson has proved himself as an elite defensive anchor, with a DPOY trophy, two All-Defensive team selections, an All-Star nod, and two shot-blocking titles. He checks nearly every box for what you'd want in a modern big, with the ability to defend the paint and the perimeter and a reliable enough 3-point shot (34.5 percent over his career) to stretch the defense at the other end. Beyond that, Jackson has a strong partnership with Ja Morant and is known as a high-character guy. Reason for doubt: He can't stay healthy. Even his 2023 DPOY trophy came with an asterisk and some backlash because he played only 63 games. He played just 58 games as a rookie, 57 (out of 72) in 2019-20, and 11 in 2020-21. In the past four years, he's had surgery for a torn meniscus and a stress fracture in his right foot. The only season he stayed upright from start to finish was 2021-22 (78 games). Because of Jackson's subpar rebounding (5.5 per game for his career), the Grizzlies have always needed to pair him with a strong center. With better 3-point shooting and rebounding, Jackson could fill that role and make the lineup much more dynamic. Bold prediction: Jackson will one day become only the second player, joining Brook Lopez (2018-19), to rack up at least 150 blocks and 150 3-pointers in the same season. —Howard Beck 18. Franz Wagner Age: 22 | Top 100 ranking: 55 | Overall score: 31.719.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 3.7 assists, 1.1 steals, 52.5 eFG%, 72 GP Reason for hope: Wagner is a graduate of the Derrick White School of Basketball Proficiency: He can score, pass, rebound, and defend. Yet Franz amounts to more than the sum of those discrete elements. Like White, he has no real weaknesses in his game, so his strengths compound and enhance one another. Unlike White, Wagner is 6-foot-10, which nudges his ceiling from star role player to flat-out star. Reason for doubt: In his third season with the Magic, Franz's jumper went poof. His 3-point percentage dipped to 28 percent, and even that masks how bad it got: In the final 25 games of the regular season, Franz shot 19 percent from downtown. He's always been streaky, but that represents a concerning nadir. Without a reliable jumper, the idea of Wagner as a do-it-all second star begins to dissolve. Teams already started sagging off Franz on the perimeter, further cramping Orlando's already tight spacing and making it impossible for the rest of his well-rounded offensive game to sing. Trend watch: Size. As Charles Darwin theorized, the NBA is evolving past small ball, and only the fittest and biggest will survive. Wagner is a jumbo playmaker at the center of the Orlando Magic's big bet on … well, being big. That approach translated to the third-best defense in the NBA this season, but its ultimate success as a strategy hinges on players like Franz, who can punish teams for going small without taking any offensive optionality off the table. —Levy-Rubinett 17. Brandon Miller Age: 21 | Top 100 ranking: 99 | Overall score: 32.417.3 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 0.9 steals, 52.4 eFG%, 74 GP Reason for hope: In his first season, Miller quickly established himself as a franchise pillar. His GOAT is Paul George, and Miller paid tribute to him by producing a better rookie season than George's, averaging 17 points, four boards, two assists, and at least one highlight play per night. His combination of athleticism, versatility, offensive efficiency, and smooth shooting has the Hornets giddy about his potential ascent into superstardom. Reason for doubt: During its second run as the Charlotte Hornets, the franchise has struggled to build competent teams, mired by curious draft choices and free agent signings. Even LaMelo Ball, the 2021 Rookie of the Year, has struggled to stay on the floor and lift the team out of the play-in. In March, the Hornets hired Jeff Peterson, a former assistant general manager of the Brooklyn Nets, to lead a front office with a lot to prove. Time will tell whether the Hornets can get back to relevance, but Miller will be the face of the next era, for better or worse. Best highlight: This dunk on Walker Kessler shows every reason you should pencil Miller in as the face of the next wave of athletic wings. He catches the ball, throws a little hesi, and just disrespects Kessler's whole life. Incredible. —Logan Murdock T-15. Evan Mobley Age: 22 | Top 100 ranking: 59 | Overall score: 32.815.7 points, 9.4 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.4 blocks, 60.0 eFG%, 50 GP Reason for hope: Mobley has flashed enough offensive potential when playing as Cleveland's center—with Jarrett Allen out due to injury—to prove he still has room for growth on that end of the court. But the real draw is his defense: Mobley is already one of the NBA's best rim protectors and most versatile defenders. He might never be favored to win Defensive Player of the Year now that Victor Wembanyama has taken the league by storm, but Mobley already has one third-place DPOY finish under his belt, with presumably plenty more votes to come. Reason for doubt: Mobley made 23 3-pointers as a rookie, 22 in his second season, and 22 in his third season, and he's averaged 15 or 16 points in all three seasons of his career. He might have shown occasional flashes of potential, sure, but his offense on the whole hasn't improved at all. That doesn't just create an issue for Mobley's ceiling; it presents problems with roster flexibility as well because of the Cavaliers' challenge of playing Mobley next to another non-shooting big in Allen. Favorite factoid: Mobley is one of only eight big men in NBA history to make an All-Defensive team in his first or second season, joining Tim Duncan, David Robinson, and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (who did so in each of their first two seasons), plus Joel Embiid, Manute Bol, Hakeem Olajuwon, and Victor Wembanyama (who did so in one of their first two). Forget Mobley's offensive stagnation—that's a pretty good list! —Zach Kram T-15. Trae Young Age: 25 | Top 100 ranking: 35 | Overall score: 32.825.7 points, 2.8 rebounds, 10.8 assists, 1.3 steals, 51.6 eFG%, 54 GP Reason for hope: When it comes to the failures of the Trae Young era in Atlanta, there's plenty of blame pie to go around—but the Hawks never surrounded Young with enough size or dynamism. Then, in a last-ditch effort to salvage things, they paired him with … another point guard?! Trae's offense is legit: He's a genius passer with an innate sense for manipulating defenses. He just needs to curb his worst impulses and find teammates who actually complement him. Reason for doubt: I may not be able to quit Young, but many of his former teammates and coaches have. Young's insistence on playing his way—dominating the ball, jacking logo 3s, getting torched on defense—isn't just grating to the people around him; there's also little evidence that it can lead to winning basketball. Bold prediction: Young will be traded to the Lakers this offseason, form the NBA's most potent alley-oop connection with Anthony Davis, and help LeBron reach one more NBA Finals with L.A. —Levy-Rubinett 14. Cade Cunningham Age: 22 | Top 100 ranking: 58 | Overall score: 33.422.7 points, 4.3 rebounds, 7.5 assists, 0.9 steals, 50.0 eFG%, 62 GP Reason for hope: He sure did whip those guys in that Team USA scrimmage! But seriously, the Pistons have put together one of the worst rebuilds in recent memory, so you could easily argue that he'll be better when a sensible roster is constructed around him. Cunningham carried an absurd burden—the fourth-most pick-and-rolls per game in the NBA, with a 33.1 percent usage—on a roster that lacks additional creators and was tied for fewest made 3s per game in the entire league. I've seen soccer riots with better spacing than the Pistons' half-court offense. Reason for doubt: There's a level of floor-raising handler/scorer/creator that can turn these types of lemons into some semblance of lemonade, and I think it's safe to say that we can remove Cade from that tier of player. Not reaching the apex of offensive players is hardly the end of the world, but it's important for calibrating expectations. Cunningham is still fairly turnover-prone, he's an inefficient and frequently non-confrontational finisher at the rim, and this past season's 3-point percentage is so far the only indication that he'll improve as a shooter. Best highlight: The team results were … still bad, but Cade put together an impressive six-game stretch that started just before Christmas and ran through the end of December, capped by the cathartic snapping of the longest losing streak in NBA history: The run—during which he averaged 32.5 points, 8.2 assists, and nearly two steals and attempted five 3s per game and hit on 50 percent of them—was further proof of Cunningham's mettle. —J. Kyle Mann 13. Scottie Barnes Age: 22 | Top 100 ranking: 36 | Overall score: 34.219.9 points, 8.2 rebounds, 6.1 assists, 1.5 blocks, 52.8 eFG%, 60 GP Reason for hope: Barnes, three years in, has traced the outline of a star with game-changing versatility: a playmaking hub who is also already an elite defensive playmaker from the help side. The only player in NBA history who's had a comparable stat line to the one Barnes produced in 2023-24 is a 26-year-old Kevin Garnett. There is a fast-growing confidence in his perimeter game that gives him a shot at mutating into something different from the evolutionary Draymond Green he's presented as thus far. Reason for doubt: While Barnes made a significant leap last season in terms of his scoring package, his deep-range accuracy has consistently tailed off in the latter portions of each season. It's fair to wonder whether he lacks the flexibility and fluidity in his overall athleticism to truly excel as a primary shot creator on a bad team, let alone a great one. Signature move: The 3-point block. A hallmark of Toronto's defensive schemes over the past five years, Barnes has become the exemplar of hard contests out on the perimeter, leveraging his nearly 7-foot-3 wingspan and the ground coverage he's capable of with his long strides. Barnes nearly had twice as many 3-point blocks (17) as Victor Wembanyama did (9) last season. —Danny Chau 12. Alperen Sengun Age: 21 | Top 100 ranking: 43 | Overall score: 34.821.1 points, 9.3 rebounds, 5.0 assists, 0.7 blocks, 55.3 eFG%, 63 GP Reason for hope: Sengun's third season saw him be a finalist for Most Improved Player, with major strides taken on both ends in a competitive, winning environment. He won't ever be as good as Nikola Jokic but does a better job mimicking the world's best player than anyone else, with more athleticism and organizational support than the three-time MVP had in his early 20s. Reason for doubt: It's fair to be concerned about a young big's lacking 3-point shot until he makes it respectable, but Sengun is so good in too many other areas for it to really matter. The greater issue, in a playoff context, is his defense. Can the Rockets ever survive four rounds with Sengun as their anchor, or will the front office have to add a real rim protector? Bold prediction: Sengun will be an MVP finalist at some point in the next five years. —Michael Pina T-10. Ja Morant Age: 24 | Top 100 ranking: 31 | Overall score: 36.625.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, 8.1 assists, 0.8 steals, 51.2 eFG%, 9 GP Reason for hope: Assuming all health and off-court distractions stabilize, Morant is still only 24 years old, and the Grizzlies' hierarchy clicks into place and becomes something legitimate when he's steering the ship. He can still mass-manufacture paint touches and will continue to be one of the most electric and creative playmakers in the world. Reason for doubt: Like his contemporary Zion Williamson's, Morant's style has always been heavily contingent on being physically spectacular—and that's a tough racket for a leanly built guard who lives on penetration and rim production. He's like a basketball spelunker: traversing tight spaces, scaling perilously high peaks, and terrifying us with the high stakes of when something goes wrong. Bold prediction: Isiah Thomas convinces Mat Ishbia to send Kevin Durant to Memphis for Morant to put a true playmaker between Devin Booker and Bradley Beal. —Mann T-10. Zion Williamson Age: 23 | Top 100 ranking: 20 | Overall score: 36.622.9 points, 5.8 rebounds, 5 assists, 1.1 steals, 57.3 eFG%, 70 GP Reason for hope: Zion's first 35 minutes in the Pelicans' play-in loss to the Lakers. Williamson has had plenty of drop-your-jaw moments—he ranks fourth in our Get the People Going category, a mere 0.3 points from first—but his first postseason game might've been his most complete performance. He was active and engaged, on both ends of the floor; LeBron, who picked up the primary cover as the game wore on, looked old trying to keep up with Zion's off-ball cuts, full-head-of-steam barrels to the rim, and trampoline-jump contests. It was the exclamation point of a strong second half for the former super prospect, wherein he not only looked more svelte and dynamic, but also seemed to finally get what it takes to lead a franchise. Reason for doubt: Zion's final minute in the Pelicans' play-in loss to the Lakers. The cruel irony of Williamson's career is that his body betrays him just as he's ready to ascend. So it should come as no surprise, tragically, that his breakthrough 40-point, 11-rebound, 5-assist outburst ended with him hobbling off with his jersey pulled over his face to mask the frustration. New Orleans seems ready to move on from Brandon Ingram this summer, paving the way for Zion to be the unquestioned face of the franchise—but it's hard to man the reins from the bench. Bold prediction: If he plays at least 70 games again next season, Zion will finish top five in MVP voting. Is that bold, or just the story of his career? —Verrier 9. Paolo Banchero Age: 21 | Top 100 ranking: 33 | Overall score: 38.622.6 points, 6.9 rebounds, 5.4 assists, 0.6 blocks, 49.7 eFG%, 80 GP Reason for hope: In a game that demands versatility, length, size, and quickness, Paolo is one of the most multifaceted players to come out of the draft in the last decade—a big man who can play either role in the pick-and-roll. And after a promising showing in the first round of this year's playoffs—wherein he averaged 27 points, 8.6 rebounds, and four assists over seven games—Banchero has shown he has all the tools to be the face of Orlando's title hopes for years to come. Reason for doubt: It feels cliché, but considering the fate of every star that has come through Orlando, there's the question of whether Paolo will play his entire career in Florida or be enticed to leave for someplace far away from the Magic Kingdom. And sensing this threat, whether valid or not, will Orlando's front office make panic trades, instead of naturally growing the roster organically? We'll see. Best highlight: This dude faked three men out of their sneakers with an around-the-back move before skipping a pass across nearly the entire baseline. Paolo looks like the OG playing against the lil' homies at the park (the Wizards were lil' homies of the league this past season, but still). I've watched this highlight 37 times over the past 15 minutes and it's still scintillating. —Murdock 8. Jalen Williams Age: 23 | Top 100 ranking: 37 | Overall score: 39.319.1 points, 4.0 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 1.1 steals, 59.2 eFG%, 71 GP Reason for hope: There's a rangy, two-way destroyer lurking in here that can create shots for himself, playmake for teammates, and get the clamps out at the other end. This season, he showed even stronger on-ball juice and displayed an ability to be the hammer in late-game situations. In many fourth quarters, with MVP runner-up Shai Gilgeous-Alexander catching a breather on the bench, Williams would carry the offensive weight for the Thunder and start the avalanche. He's in only his second year, is still developing, and shot damn near 43 percent from 3 this season. In a league ravenous for long wings that can score and defend, he's gold—the type of player everyone is looking for. Reason for doubt: The second round of these playoffs showed chinks in an armor that had seemed steel solid. He struggled against the Mavericks' elite, physical defense and had difficulty finishing at the rim over bouncy length. There was a passivity to him in that series, ineffectual play not seen out of him since early in his rookie season. His jumper abandoned him. His touch, too. He will need to show that he can grow larger than the moment. Bold prediction: Williams will win a Finals MVP before the age of 30. He will be wearing one gold shoe and one black shoe. Before he raises the trophy, he will speak glowingly of dogs, then bark into the mic. —Parker 7. Chet Holmgren Age: 22 | Top 100 ranking: 41 | Overall score: 39.716.5 points, 7.9 rebounds, 2.4 assists, 2.3 blocks, 59.8 eFG%, 82 GP Reason for hope: During the crucible of this year's NBA playoffs, Chet has proved he is already at the vanguard of paint protection—and he's doing it in lineups where he is the only big on the floor. In other words: Chet, a rookie, is the only thing between the Thunder defense and the rim. Oh, and did I mention that he's credibly spacing the floor out to the 3-point line and flashing on-ball juice?! Reason for doubt: Holmgren needs to add a ton more core strength to punish smaller players when they switch onto him—a development that, when it happens, could take OKC's offense to the stratosphere. He's also flashed very little one-on-one scoring ability, which he'll need if he ever wants to seriously be considered as a no. 2 or 3 option. Bold prediction: Chet will spend the bulk of his career in the top 1 percent of NBA defenders but won't win a single Defensive Player of the Year because of the alien who plays in San Antonio. —Lambre 6. Tyrese Maxey Age: 23 | Top 100 ranking: 32 | Overall score: 40.325.9 points, 3.7 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 1.0 steals, 52.4 eFG%, 70 GP Reason for hope: In the most basic terms, the ideal point guard can shoot, score, and pass without turning the ball over, and Maxey checks every one of those boxes. His speed is exciting, he has a magnetic personality, and he's not afraid to attempt audacious shots in the clutch. What more could you want from a young guard on the rise? Reason for doubt: What is Maxey without Joel Embiid? The 76ers tumbled down the standings after Embiid's midseason injury—even when Maxey was still healthy. And, against the Knicks in the first round, the 76ers were outscored by a whopping 46 points in 44 minutes when Maxey played without his MVP teammate. That doesn't mean Maxey's a scrub, but it does suggest that his ceiling is as a sidekick rather than a main act. Bold prediction: Maxey will finish his 76ers career with more 50-point games than Allen Iverson. AI had 10 50-pointers in Philadelphia, the second most in franchise history (behind Wilt Chamberlain's 11). But Maxey tallied three this season alone, in his first real opportunity to take as many shots as he wanted. There are obvious era effects here, and, if the NBA continues to change officiating emphases to reduce scoring, then 50-point games won't come as easy—but Maxey's on a strong pace for now. —Kram 5. Tyrese Haliburton Age: 24 | Top 100 ranking: 17 | Overall score: 42.320.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, 10.9 assists, 0.7 blocks, 57.0 eFG%, 69 GP Reason for hope: The scale and singular impact of Haliburton's presence is incalculable for a small-market franchise like the Pacers. His play style is generous and generative. His personality is unifying. He wants to be in Indiana, and because of him, other stars like Pascal Siakam have warmed up to the idea. The most creative and willing passer in the East has the IQ to lift a high-octane offense, and the EQ to lift smile lines. Reason for doubt: Haliburton, like a young Nikola Jokic, is resistant to calling his own shot, even when he's the best option. His game thrives in space, but in the compacted, half-court context of playoff basketball, his wide crossovers are easier to pick off and he's reluctant to shoot from the midrange (despite excellent accuracy from that area). He is in the perpetual pursuit of finding the perfect shot, but sometimes you just have to settle for good. Trend watch: The death of ball-thumping, energy-suffocating heliocentrism. Haliburton gets on and off the ball quickly, letting his teammates cook in a way that, with time, reps, and a full training camp with Siakam, will increase the variability of Indiana's offense. —Sohi 4. Luka Doncic Age: 25 | Top 100 ranking: 2 | Overall score: 45.433.9 points, 9.2 rebounds, 9.8 assists, 1.4 steals, 57.3 eFG%, 70 GP Reason for hope: Doncic is simply one of the greatest offensive talents basketball will ever see. He's mastered shooting off the glass down low in ways no player has since Tim Duncan; he attempted more 3s than anyone not named Steph Curry in 2023-24; he has the second-highest assist rate in the league over the past five years, behind only Trae Young. He has refined the pursuit of maximum volume and efficiency that defined James Harden's prime—yet it still feels as though Luka has a few levels he's yet to access. Reason for doubt: Even the most effective offensive engines break down sometimes—especially ones that run as hot and haul as much as Doncic does on a nightly basis. Considering how he invites contact and powers through bumps, it makes sense that he would insist on having some Shaq-esque insulation on his frame, but there will always be questions about how best to optimize his conditioning. The childlike wonder of his game also comes with a childlike petulance when it comes to dealing with officiating—that hotheadedness has been on the scouting report since his teenage years in Spain, and it's evidently been a tough habit to break. Bold prediction: In the next two years, Luka will be the only player in NBA history to record a 50-point, 60-point, 70-point, and 80-point game. (Arbitrary, I know, but Wilt never had an 80-point game, and Kobe never had a 70-point game.) —Chau 3. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Age: 25 | Top 100 ranking: 4 | Overall score: 45.830.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 6.2 assists, 2.0 steals, 56.7 eFG%, 75 GP Reason for hope: Gilgeous-Alexander, in just his sixth NBA season, was runner-up for this season's MVP award. He can average a hyper-efficient 30 points in his sleep, cares about defense, and couldn't care less about his individual celebrity. A faultless franchise player. Reason for doubt: Um, aside from being the worst actor-singer in an inescapable, extremely confusing commercial that has tortured millions on a daily basis for several months, there aren't any. Bold prediction: SGA will make Converse cool again. —Pina 2. Anthony Edwards Age: 22 | Top 100 ranking: 14 | Overall score: 4725.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 5.1 assists, 1.3 steals, 52.2 eFG%, 79 GP Reason for hope: Whatever the "it" factor is to you, Edwards redefines it. The shot-making. The personality. The sense of the moment. The not-of-this-world plays. And to make matters simpler, Edwards is so good already that we really don't have to do all that much projection. Reason for doubt: Given the rapidly deteriorating state of the world, there's a nonzero chance the NBA doesn't last long enough for Edwards to become the face of it. Best highlight: Saving a game while bumping his head on the freaking rim: Any old chase-down block would be exciting enough, but Edwards elevated the form by (1) turning away what would have been a game-tying layup, and (2) jumping so damn high in the process that he hit his head on the rim and knocked himself out of the air. Ant is just on a higher plane of existence. —Mahoney 1. Victor Wembanyama Age: 20 | Top 100 ranking: 16 | Overall score: 48.121.4 points, 10.6 rebounds, 3.9 assists, 3.6 blocks, 51.9 eFG%, 71 GP Reason for hope: Literally everything, including the intangibles. We already know Wemby is an elite shot blocker who can guard five positions, who can handle the ball like a guard, who can shoot and pass and drive and do all sorts of things we've never seen before from a guy who stands 7-foot-4. Cool. But consider everything else we've learned: He cares. He works. He loves the game. He's confident as hell but strikingly humble. He seems like a great teammate and a joy to be around. Talent is a prerequisite for greatness, but it's Wembanyama's overall persona that makes me believe. Reason for doubt: Only two things can possibly derail or diminish Wembanyama, both out of his control: injuries and the roster. Is he a bigger injury risk because of his height and build and the way he moves? I'll leave that to the kinesiologists. As for the roster, I trust the Spurs to build the right team around him—just as they did for Tim Duncan (multiple times over). Bold prediction: I'm not sure any prediction for Wemby will sound bold, given the potential we've already seen. But here goes: He's winning at least three MVPs, three DPOYs, and three championships. —Beck

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