[ESPN] Top 25 under 25

http://www.espn.com/nba/insider/sto...okounmpo-anthony-davis-25-best-nba-players-25

Which young stars are taking over now and in the future?

Kevin Pelton, Bobby Marks and Chris Herring ranked their top 25 players under age 25 based on future potential to make this new list of the league's best young talent.

Note: Each writer's individual rankings are listed at the bottom.

1. Giannis Antetokounmpo | Milwaukee Bucks | Forward | Age: 23.3​

There's no bad answer in the debate between Giannis and Anthony Davis as the NBA's best player under 25, but I lean in the direction of the Bucks' star because he's barely 23 -- more than a year and a half younger than Davis. Already, Antetokounmpo has established himself as a strong MVP contender, ranking fourth in the league in my wins above replacement player (WARP) metric. Antetokounmpo's versatility allows him to protect the rim on one end and run the offense at the other. Just imagine what he could do if he ever becomes a reliable outside shooter. Given his age, Antetokounmpo has plenty of time to add to his game. -- Pelton
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2. Anthony Davis | New Orleans Pelicans | Forward/center | Age: 24.9

This is not a misprint. Davis still has not reached his 25th birthday (by a few days). A repeat performer on the all under-25 list, Davis is not only once again having an All-NBA season for New Orleans but is also posting a dominant stretch of games that has catapulted him into the MVP conversation. He's also on pace to play in more than 70 games, a feat he has accomplished only once (2016-17) in his career. With Davis' superman performance, New Orleans has climbed to the third-best record in the West (without DeMarcus Cousins) and shown that Davis can carry a team riddled with injuries. Graduating out of the under-25 list next season does come with an advantage. Davis is in line for a $230 million extension during the summer of 2019 once he earns All-NBA this season. -- Marks
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3. Joel Embiid | Philadelphia 76ers | Center | Age: 24.0

The 31-game sample last season teased the NBA with what the future could hold for Joel Embiid. In 786 minutes, Embiid showed himself to be a physical specimen who had the footwork of a boxer, the ability to post up or stretch the floor on offense, and a defensive presence capable of blocking shots at an elite level. However, even with a scouting report that resembled an All-NBA player, the big question came back to health. Entering the first week of March, Embiid is on pace to double his games and minutes played from last season. This season he has earned an All-Star Game selection, soon to be All-NBA honors (likely second team), and a playoff berth -- all while averaging only 31 MPG. -- Marks
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4. Karl-Anthony Towns | Minnesota Timberwolves | Forward/center | Age: 22.3

If the season ended today, Towns would join Dirk Nowitzki as the second member of the 50-40-85 club for 7-footers, according to Basketball-Reference.com, having made a career-high 41 percent of his 3-point attempts and 87 percent from the foul line. In his third season, Towns has found an ideal balance between hitting 3s against defenders who struggle to contain him on the perimeter and overpowering smaller opponents in the paint. Towns' defense remains a work in progress; he has made positive strides after ranking last among centers in ESPN's defensive real plus-minus (RPM) last season, but Towns is a factor in Minnesota's below-average defensive rating. -- Pelton
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5. Nikola Jokic | Denver Nuggets | Center | Age: 23.0

The NBA's forgotten great young big man, Jokic hasn't been able to maintain the efficiency of his second season, when he made 63 percent of his 2-point attempts. But Jokic has taken on an even larger playmaking role on the NBA's sixth-best offense, handing out a career-high 6.0 assists per game -- the fifth-highest average ever for a player 6-foot-10 or taller, per Basketball-Reference.com. Jokic ranks 11th in the NBA in RPM and has kept the Nuggets in the playoff picture with Paul Millsap missing more than half the year. -- Pelton
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T6. Ben Simmons | Philadelphia 76ers | Guard/forward | Age: 21.6

Even with Simmons putting up perhaps the most versatile rookie season in NBA history, his long-term potential remains a polarizing topic. It remains to be seen how much Simmons will be held back in a playoff setting by his lack of a perimeter game -- he has made just 15 shots all season beyond 15 feet, per Basketball-Reference.com, none of them 3s. Yet as a 6-foot-10 point guard -- a position he's playing at both ends -- Simmons brings so much other value that he was a legitimate All-Star candidate in his first season at age 21. -- Pelton
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T6. Kristaps Porzingis | New York Knicks | Forward/center | Age: 22.6

The question of durability has Porzingis outside of the top five. Even before tearing his left ACL in a February game, Porzingis had missed 33 games due to injury in his first three seasons. Having said that, he is a franchise-level talent who offers a blend of size (7-foot-3), athleticism and the ability to play down low or stretch the floor. While there is still room for growth on the defensive side, Porzingis posted a career high in blocks (2.4) this season. Like Davis, Porzingis has been hampered by a roster that has been below average in his first three seasons. Eligible to sign a rookie extension this summer, Porzingis was in line for a $146 million contract extension, an offer the Knicks will likely table until there is a full recovery. -- Marks
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8. Bradley Beal | Washington Wizards | Guard | Age: 24.7

While the Wizards aren't better without John Wall, they've survived without their star point guard thanks to Beal successfully shouldering a larger load on offense. He has averaged 21.6 points and 6.9 assists per game since Wall went out in late January, the latter mark nearly double last season's average of 3.5 per game. Beal is just as effective complementing Wall as a spot-up shooter, making him an ideal shooting guard for the modern NBA. -- Pelton
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T9. Donovan Mitchell | Utah Jazz | Guard | Age: 21.5

The debate between Booker and Mitchell, both playmaking shooting guards drafted late in the lottery who took home trophies on All-Star Saturday, figures to rage for years to come. So it's only fitting they ended up tied on our list. Mitchell makes up for his relatively average shooting (35.1 percent on 3s) with superior finishing (he's shooting 64.8 percent inside 3 feet to Booker's 59.9 percent, per Basketball-Reference.com) and defense. The latter factor is key to Mitchell ranking ahead of Booker in RPM. -- Pelton
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T9. Devin Booker | Phoenix Suns | Guard | Age: 21.4

Put Booker on a team competing for a playoff spot and the 21-year-old would likely be in consideration for All-NBA honors while earning a spot in last month's All-Star Game. While Phoenix is headed to the lottery once again, Booker has emerged as one of the top shooting guards in the NBA. Not only is he averaging a career-best 25 PPG, but he's doing so as teams continue to devise game plans against him. -- Marks
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11. Gary Harris | Denver Nuggets | Guard | Age: 23.5
12. Andre Drummond | Detroit Pistons | Center | Age: 24.6
13. Clint Capela | Houston Rockets | Center | Age: 23.8

When Houston drafted Capela with the No. 25 pick in 2014, the thought was that the center would be a long-term developmental project. Now four years later, he has turned into one of the top defensive centers in the NBA, a key part of the Rockets' offense, and a foundation player for the future. Per Cleaning the Glass, Capela ranks in the 90th percentile for his position in block rate (92 percent) and defensive rebounding rate (98 percent). A restricted free agent this summer, Capela would be considered a low-risk stock to invest in based on his high upside. -- Marks
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14. Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics | Forward | Age: 20.0
15. Otto Porter Jr. | Washington Wizards | Forward | Age: 24.8
16. Brandon Ingram | Los Angeles Lakers | Forward | Age: 20.5
T17. Steven Adams | Oklahoma City Thunder | Center | Age: 24.6

Give credit to Adams and the player development staff in Oklahoma City. If you scouted Adams at the University of Pittsburgh, the last place you think you would see the center would be on this list. Like Capela, Adams was deemed more of a project when he entered the NBA in 2013. Four years later, he has developed into OKC's interior cornerstone and the top offensive rebounder in the NBA. -- Marks
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T17. Lonzo Ball | Los Angeles Lakers | Guard | Age: 20.4

After a tough start to his rookie campaign and having to deal with his father's criticism of Lakers coach Luke Walton, Ball has settled in and shown why he was the No. 2 pick in the 2017 draft. Along with Simmons, Ball is on track to join Magic Johnson and Oscar Robertson as the only four rookies ever to average at least seven rebounds and seven assists per game, according to Basketball-Reference.com. Ball has also proven a better defender than advertised because of his size and ability to read plays. -- Pelton
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19. Lauri Markkanen | Chicago Bulls | Forward | Age: 20.8
20. Jamal Murray | Denver Nuggets | Guard | Age: 21.0
21. Aaron Gordon | Orlando Magic | Forward | Age: 22.5
22. Jaylen Brown | Boston Celtics | Guard/forward | Age: 21.4
T23. Andrew Wiggins | Minnesota Timberwolves | Forward | Age: 23.0
T23. Kyle Kuzma | Los Angeles Lakers | Forward | Age: 22.6
T25. Myles Turner | Indiana Pacers | Center | Age: 22.0
T25. Dario Saric | Philadelphia 76ers | Forward | Age: 23.9

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