The Top-10 Players Under the Age of 25

The NBA is littered with young talent, as the future of the league has never been brighter.

Here are the top-10 players under the age of 25:

1. Luka Doncic

This one is easy, it’s not even debatable. At the age of 22, Doncic has taken the league by storm, as he has already cemented himself as one of the league’s best.

He’s been a borderline MVP candidate the last two seasons, as he’s averaged 28.3 PPG, 8.7 RPG, and 8.7 APG over that two year span.

He’s single handedly, propelled the Dallas Mavericks each of the last two seasons. His playoff play has been out of this world, as he averaged 35.7 PPG, 7.9 RBG, and 10.3 APG in the first round of the playoffs, this season. He took Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, and the Clippers to the brink, in a seven-game shootout. In that series Doncic scored more than 40 points in three of the seven games in the series.

Doncic is on his away to becoming one of the game’s greatest players. He’s a global star, and will continue to get better.

Doncic will be the face of the NBA very, very soon.

2. Jayson Tatum

Jayson Tatum’s upward trajectory has been off the charts, as he’s jumped into NBA stardom the last two seasons. After taking a back seat to veterans like Al Horford, Kyrie Irving, and Isaiah Thomas for the first two years of his career, he’s come into his own, and has taken the league by storm.

Jayson Tatum’s 2020-2021 campaign was by far the best of his career. Tatum averaged 26.4 PPG , 7.4 RPG, and 4.3 APG.

Tatum was given the keys to the Celtics offense and he did look back. On May 4th, Tatum helped the Celtics erase a 32-point deficit against the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 60 points. Tatum dropped 50 points in the play-in tournament victory against the Washington Wizards, and scored another 50 points in game 3 of the first-round of the playoffs against the Brooklyn Nets.

He can score at will, from anywhere on the court. He can create his own shot, and get buckets at-will.

Tatum is already a premiere scorer in this league, and the sky is the limit for this young superstar.

3. Donovan Mitchell

Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz were arguably the best team in the regular season in 2020-2021.

Mitchell led the charge, averaging 26.4 PPG, which was a career high. He’s shot the ball better and better each season, and is one of the least talked about stars in the NBA.

Mitchell sometimes gets overlooked due to the small market of Utah, but he is one of the NBA’s brightest stars.

Mitchell’s clutch performances in the playoffs have added up, as he has statistically been one of the best playoff performers over the last two playoff runs. In Mitchell’s last 14 playoff games, he’s averaged 34.3 PPG, shooting 47.4% from 3-point range.

Mitchell’s 3-ball was considered to be his weakness early on in his career, but he’s developed into a great shooter.

Mitchell isn’t going away anytime soon, and it’s time that he gets some recognition.

4. Devin Booker

I was really critical of Devin Booker early on in his career. I felt that he turned the ball over too much, didn’t play defense, and took poor shots.

But, over the last few years Booker has improved upon those areas, and the results are finally showing for this Phoenix Suns team.

The Suns advanced to the Western Conference Finals after defeating LeBron James and the Los Angels Lakers in the first-round. Then, they defeated MVP Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets in the second-round.

Booker has been impressive in his first ever playoff appearance, averaging 27.9 PPG.

This Suns team seems poised to be serious championship contenders, and with that being the case, it’s impossible to put Booker outside of the top-5 on this list.

5. Trae Young

When Trae Young entered the NBA, many compared him to Steph Curry, due to his outstanding shooting ability.

Through three seasons of Young’s career, he has not been a disappointment. Young has averaged more than 25 PPG in the last two seasons. He’s been a spark plug, and a ruthless shooter, who has really evolved as a good passer.

Young led the Hawks to a playoff appearance, and a playoff series victory over the New York Knicks.

Young has gotten better each season, and will continue to wreak havoc across the Eastern Conference for years to come.

6. Zion Williamson

Zion Williamson and the New Orleans Pelicans have underachieved, and failed to make the playoffs in Williamson’s first two seasons. For that reason, I have Williamson outside my top-5, along with the fact that I’m not sold about Williamson’s durability going forward.

His talent, athleticism, and explosiveness are evident, and have been since he stepped onto the court.

He’s averaged 25.7 PPG and 7.0 RPG through two seasons, shooting a ridiculous 61.1% from the field.

If he can get into shape, and prove that he can play at an elite, healthy level, the sky is the limit for Williamson’s career.

But, as it currently stands, I have Williamson outside my top-5.

7. Ben Simmons

Ben Simmons often gets mocked for his failure to attempt a 3-point shot, but Simmons certainly has his his strengths outside of shooting the basketball.

Simmons is one of the best defenders in the NBA, as he led the NBA in steals last season, and was voted to the NBA All-Defensive first team.

Simmons’ passing ability is truly generational, as he makes passes that most point guards can only dream of making. At 6-11, Simmons is truly a mismatch on both ends of the court, ad he can do things nobody at his size can do.

The 76ers were the best team in the Eastern Conference in the regular season, and will likely find themselves in position to fight for a chance to reach the NBA Finals.

Simmons needs to come up big in the playoffs, because to this point, he has failed to really elevate his team in the postseason throughout his career.

If Simmons can create a viable jump shot, look out…

8. Jamal Murray

Once Jamal Murray tore his ACL, the Nuggets just weren’t the same. Before Murray hurt his knee, he was in the midst of a career season, and the Nuggets looked poised for a deep playoff run.

Murray played out of his mind in last year’s playoffs, and was building off that this season.

He’s developed a lethal 3-point shot, and is quickly rising amongst the ranks of young wing players in the NBA.

When Murray finally gets healthy, expect for him to continue his growth and development.

9. Jaylen Brown

Jaylen Brown really took his game to a new level this season, as he had a career high, all across the board. His scoring and shooting numbers were up significantly.

He developed a real shooting stroke this past season, and he looks like he can be a two-way star in this league.

His shot will get better and better, which could enhance his true ceiling. Before this season, I’m not sure if Jaylen Brown would be in the top-15 in this list.

But, before he went down with a wrist injury, Brown really proved himself, and proved to be someone who has a bright future in this league.

10. De’Aaron Fox

De’Aaron Fox has gotten better each season, but his 2020-2021 campaign was his best by far.

Fox averaged 25.2 PPG and 7.2 APG. He’s already one of the most athletic and electric point guards in the NBA today, and he has so much room for growth.

Fox has not had a lot of talent around him over his career, but he still has found away to score the basketball, along with getting his teammates involved.

Fox needs to become a better shooter if he wants to hit the next level, as he only shot 32.2% from 3-point range this season.

But, if Fox can improve his shot, I don’t see why he won’t be an all-star year-in and year-out.