My Player (Season 3) The Top 5 Under 25 - Hapshoops32's Blog

Hapshoops32's Blog

My Player (Season 3) The Top 5 Under 25

Posted on February 22, 2011 at 11:54 PM.

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YOUNG GUNS
The NBA's Best Under 25

By Joe Smith
NBA.com

We're about to ring in a new year, and that means all kinds of lists. Best of this. Worst of that. Well, I can't resist! I've got my own list for all you NBA nuts out there, and it's faaaantastic! There's been quite an infusion of talent into the NBA over the last few years. So, I'm taking a look at how they stack up against each other. Today, we're considering the Top 5 Players Under 25. These players aren't just stars of the future. The future is NOW for these guys. First, a look at those who are worth a mention, but didn't quite make the top five.

HONORABLE MENTION:

Best of the Rest - Young Guns Stats
Player	GP	PPG	RPG	APG	SPG	BPG	FG%	3PT%	FT%
Brook Lopez (24yo)	348	17.2	9.0	1.2	0.4	1.9	.510	.000	.825
Kevin Love (24yo)	337	14.0	10.1	1.3	0.3	0.6	.456	.328	.789
Russell Westbrook (24yo)	361	17.4	4.1	6.5	1.4	0.2	.431	.241	.808
Jonny Flynn (23)	277	17.8	2.3	6.2	0.9	0.0	.456	.343	.817
Bobby Lindsey (24)	114	18.0	9.9	0.8	0.6	1.0	.473	.500	.708

And now, the moment you've all been waiting for - a countdown of the top 5 players under 25 years old.

5. STEPHEN CURRY - 24 YEARS OLD - POINT GUARD - GOLDEN STATE

A lot of people thought Curry was way too undersized to be able to perform at a level similar to what he did at Davidson. But, he's proved a lot of people wrong. Curry continues to get better every year with Golden State. He had a solid rookie season with 17.5 points per game, 5.9 assists per game and 1.9 steals per game. Those numbers have gone up every season, to the point where he is now averaging 22 points, 8.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game. He is in the top 10 so far in 2012 in assists and thefts. And, there isn't a more pure shooter among his age bracket.

4. JOHN WALL - 22 YEARS OLD - POINT GUARD - WASHINGTON

John Wall was EXPECTED to be a star when he left Kentucky to enter the NBA Draft early. And, he certainly hasn't disappointed. Wall is a dynamic, explosive talent who continues to get better every season. He is averaging 19.2 points and 7.5 assists per game for his career. But, the numbers have gone up in each of his 2+ seasons in the NBA. He is now averaging 23.5 points and 8.7 assists per game, both in the top five in the league.

He's a force on defense in terms of stealing the ball. And, he is becoming a big time leader for such a young age. The one criticism with Wall is the turnovers. Those numbers have gone up every year as well, so taking care of the ball is one area he'll need to focus on. If he can get some real talent around him in Washington, watch out!

3. BRIAN HAPPEL - 21 YEARS OLD - SMALL FORWARD - ORLANDO

Brian Happel may be the biggest surprise on this list. He had a good college career at Syracuse University and managed to get drafted late in the first round by Orlando. But, not even the Magic knew just what they were getting. Happel started off without much fanfare. But now, he is clearly one of the best, if not THE best players in the game today. It's been quite the meteoric rise - kind of like his dunks nowadays. NBA Champion? Check. NBA Finals MVP? Check. Regular season MVP? Check. All at the ripe old age of 20 - and in just his second year in the league! He led the league in scoring and rebounding last year, and he's in position to do the same this year. So far over his career: 27.7 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game. He is the best shooter in the game - 61% FG, 46% 3-pointers, 92% FT. He can beat you off the dribble. Happel moves without the ball like nobody else. He's relentless on the glass. He makes his teammates better. The only reason why he's not number one on this list - it's only his third year in the league. The next 2 guys have a bigger body of work.

2. DERRICK ROSE - 24 YEARS OLD - POINT GUARD - CHICAGO

Derrick Rose may be the most athletic of this bunch. Again, many people ASSUMED Rose would become a good player. But, he is quickly becoming the BEST in the league. Rose can take over a game at any time. But, while he can put the ball in the hoop with the best of them, he also finds a way to get his teammates involved. In his 5th year in the league, Rose is averaging 24 points and nearly 7 assists per game.

Rose is an outstanding shooter that can nail the jumper from anywhere on the court, but he can also break down the defense and get to the basket for easy layups and dunks. His foul shooting is also significantly improved. Rose's coming out party came a few years ago in the playoffs against Boston. Since then, Derrick has been associated with dominance. The only question is, can he lead the Bulls to a title and cement himself in both franchise and league history?

1. KEVIN DURANT - 24 YEARS OLD - SMALL FORWARD - OKLAHOMA CITY

This was really a no-brainer. Happel may beg to differ, but considering the longer body of work, Kevin Durant is both the better player and better pure scorer. Durantula is a nightmare to guard. He can stick jumpers in your face. He can get to the basket with ease. He can pretty much do what he wants on the floor when it comes to putting the ball in the basket. Durant led the league in scoring twice (2009-10 and 2010-11) and is consistently putting up 25+ points per game.

His rebounding is also vastly improved. Durant went from 4.3 rebounds per game in his rookie year to 11.1 rebounds per contest last season, and he's again averaging a double-double every night out. Durant's shooting has also gotten measurably better - now shooting better than 50% over the last year and a half. One of the biggest criticisms is his lack of getting teammates involved. This is one reason Happel may overtake Durant as the best player in the NBA. Durant does not do a good job finding teammates, averaging just about 2 assists a game for his career. Like Rose, the question is whether Durant can lead a team to an NBA title. He may have to leave Oklahoma City to do that.