25-and-Under Players Shining In the 2023 NBA Playoffs
The NBA playoffs are still very much an old man's game. Experience matters more than ever when the competition intensifies and success depends on execution and veteran savvy.
There's a reason why 14 of the last 15 Finals MVPs have been 26 or older.
With that said, several younger players are making their marks in the early stages of the 2023 postseason. They're gaining the reps and confidence necessary to one day lead their teams all the way to a title.
Some of the 25-and-under talents we'll feature here have already headed home following first-round eliminations. That's fine. A little adversity is part of the seasoning process, and it doesn't detract from their big-game production at these relatively early stages.
We'll likely celebrate the old heads the deeper we get into the playoffs. For now, let's serve the youth.
Honorable Mention: Jamal Murray, Denver Nuggets
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This is technically Jamal Murray's age-25 season, but he celebrated his 26th birthday in late February. That disqualifies him from our official list, but considering his road back from injury and his undeniable impact on the Denver Nuggets' first-round elimination of the Minnesota Timberwolves, he deserves a sentimental nod.
Murray's postseason level-up is the best indication that he's all the way back from the torn ACL that sidelined him for all of last season. He averaged 27.2 points, 6.4 assists and 5.6 rebounds on a 47.1/42.9/90.9 shooting split in five first-round games against the Timberwolves, exceeding his regular-season figures across the board.
Other than his legendary battle with Donovan Mitchell and the Utah Jazz in the first round of the 2020 playoffs, the series Murray just completed rates as the best one he's ever produced. More importantly for the Nuggets, Murray's return to form means he is again commanding extra defensive attention.
It's already difficult enough to keep Nikola Jokić from picking apart defenses that can play his teammates straight up. But when Murray draws a second defender and allows Jokić to scan the floor in advantage situations, guarding Denver is virtually impossible.
It's good to have Murray back...unless you have to figure out how to stop him.
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
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Anthony Edwards' second career playoff run ended even more abruptly than his first, as the top-seeded Denver Nuggets bounced his Minnesota Timberwolves in a tidy five games. The Wolves lasted six games against the Memphis Grizzlies in 2022.
Nonetheless, Edwards' statistical step forward in these playoffs mirrored his gradual growth across his first three regular seasons. The collective progress clearly marks him as a potential superstar ticketed for much longer postseason stays in the future.
At the time his Wolves were eliminated on April 25, Edwards led all 25-and-under postseason participants in total minutes, field goals, free throws, points and value over replacement player (VORP). His 10 blocks put him in a 25-and-under tie with Defensive Player of the Year Jaren Jackson Jr.
If Edwards had merely repeated his 2022 postseason averages of 37.8 minutes, 25.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 3.0 assists, he probably would have earned a spot on this list. But the 2020 No. 1 overall pick left those numbers in the dust. This time around, Edwards posted 31.6 points, 5.0 rebounds and 5.2 assists with a remarkable 60.2 true shooting percentage in 39.8 minutes per game.
Dramatically improved foul-drawing craft earned him more free throws in five games than he attempted in six last postseason, and Edwards was far more responsible with the basketball, tallying 26 assists against just eight turnovers after putting up 18 and 15 last year, respectively. He also fought through a shoulder injury and took on greater defensive responsibilities due to Jaden McDaniels' absence.
The Wolves have their issues. Max-salary center Karl-Anthony Towns continued his trend of struggling in the playoffs, and Rudy Gobert failed to provide the defensive lift Minnesota hoped for. Edwards, though, shone brightly against the Nuggets. Considering he has another four years of eligibility for this list, the Wolves shouldn't get too discouraged.
De'Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
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You could make a case that through the initial four games of the Sacramento Kings' first-round series against the Golden State Warriors, De'Aaron Fox was the most impactful player on the floor. In a matchup that featured several four-time champions led by Stephen Curry, that's a big deal.
Fox racked up 38 points in Game 1, slithering his way into the floaters and mid-range pull-ups that made him so difficult to stop during a breakout regular season that should land him on an All-NBA team. Golden State had no answers for the 25-year-old despite deploying defensive aces Andrew Wiggins and Gary Payton II against him.
Although he managed only 24 points in another home win in Game 2, Fox's nine assists, four steals and in-your-jersey defensive harassment against Curry and Jordan Poole were integral to speeding up the Warriors and forcing loads of turnovers and miscues. It's easy to say Golden State's 20 cough-ups and 26 personal fouls were self-inflicted wounds, but Fox and the Kings put the Warriors in uncomfortable positions to produce those gaffes.
Fox missed a triple-double in Game 3 by only one rebound and one assist and then bookended the opening quartet of contests in the series by pumping in another 38 points in Game 4. Unfortunately for the Kings and for Fox, the lefty speedster suffered a fractured left index finger late in that defeat—one which didn't stop him from burying a 29-footer that brought his team within a single point of the Dubs with 28.1 seconds left in the game.
Clearly bothered by the finger in Game 5, Fox still managed to put up 24 points to go with nine assists, seven rebounds and two steals in 41 minutes. Don't forget his 26 points and 11 assists in Game 6, not to mention his integral role in the intense pace-pushing that swung the contest in Sacramento's favor.
Whether the Kings go on to dethrone the Warriors or not, Fox will have used this series to announce his arrival as a legitimate, game-breaking star.
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Mitchell Robinson, New York Knicks
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Several factors contributed to the New York Knicks knocking off the Cleveland Cavaliers in five games, and most would start the list with point guard Jalen Brunson. But Mitchell Robinson, New York's paint-patrolling center, might have something to say about that.
The 25-year-old's work on the offensive glass was a series-swinger. New York hauled in a ridiculous 34.9 percent of its own misses against Cleveland, a rate that bettered its 31.8 percent offensive rebound rate during the season, which ranked second in the league.
While rebounding tends to require collective effort, Mitchell did more work than any of his teammates. He snared 29 of the team's 75 offensive boards while playing only the fifth-most minutes of any Knick. No other Knicks player had more than Josh Hart's dozen offensive boards in the series.
In addition to creating so many second-chance opportunities, Robinson also made sure the Cavaliers struggled to convert on their first looks. New York forced the ball out of Darius Garland and Donovan Mitchell's hands with aggressive defense above the arc, and when Cleveland's release valve—often Evan Mobley—headed downhill in a 4-on-3 situation, Robinson was there time and again to force misses.
The Cavs shot only 46.2 percent on attempts inside six feet when Robinson was the primary defender. That's lower than what Jaren Jackson Jr., Brook Lopez or any of the other bigs in consideration for this season's Defensive Player of the Year allowed during the season.
Robinson's limitations persisted. He was 4-of-11 from the foul line and converted only 18 field goals in the series. But his integral role in the tactics that sent Cleveland home earlier than most expected can't be ignored.
Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks
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As proof that the playoffs can shift narratives on a dime, Trae Young goes from earning an early postseason loser designation to landing here among the most impressive 25-and-under performers. He earned the former distinction by struggling through a pair of listless losses to the Boston Celtics, sliding into an 0-2 hole that seemed to mark that series as the most lopsided of the first round.
Young hit his stride in Game 3, tallying 32 points and nine assists in an eight-point win. His 35 points and 15 assists couldn't prevent a Game 4 defeat, but the 24-year-old whose leadership came into question throughout the regular season showed up in the biggest way possible to secure another victory in Game 5.
It wasn't just the game-winner Young drilled from way beyond the arc with 1.8 seconds left or the 38 points and the 13 assists—even if those achievements alone would have deserved praise. It was the way he showed up and fought, even sprinkling in a couple of competitive and sturdy stops against Malcolm Brogdon down the stretch.
In contrast to the 2022 playoffs, when Young's effort waned and he averaged only 15.4 points and logged more turnovers (30) than field goals (22) in five games against the Heat, the last few games against Boston felt like a restoration of order. Young is capable of picking apart the best defenses out there, a label that clearly applies to the Celtics, who finished second in defensive rating during the season. In all, he finished up a redemptive 2023 postseason with averages of 29.2 points and 10.2 assists.
Tyrese Maxey, Philadelphia 76ers
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The Brooklyn Nets were determined not to let Joel Embiid beat them, and they mostly succeeded. Of course, their sell-out strategy that sent multiple bodies at the Philadelphia 76ers' best player every time he touched the ball opened up opportunities for others to attack a warped and overcommitted defense.
Tyrese Maxey happily capitalized on them.
The rocket-propelled 22-year-old guard wound up leading the Sixers with a ridiculously efficient 21.8 points per game. When Embiid got rid of the ball against double-teams, Maxey excelled by accelerating and slicing into gaps. When Brooklyn sank toward the middle, Maxey calmly spotted up and fired from deep. He drilled 15 of his 30 three-point attempts in the four-game sweep.
It won't be as easy to find those opportunities when the Sixers face the Boston Celtics in the second round. Boston won't commit so many resources to slowing Embiid, especially if the big man's knee sprain doesn't allow him to play with something close to the level of force he showed during the year. With James Harden generally unable to break down the defense on his own, it may still fall to Maxey to penetrate and get the offense churning against a Celtics defense that ranked third in points allowed per 100 possessions this year.
Whatever happens from here, though, Maxey has proved he's too good to be an afterthought on the scouting report. Defenses will always focus on Embiid, but the third-year guard can make them pay for that strategy better than any other 76ers player.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Basketball Reference and Cleaning the Glass. Salary info via Spotrac.
Grant Hughes covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter (@gt_hughes), and subscribe to the Hardwood Knocks podcast, where he appears with Bleacher Report's Dan Favale.
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