Building the All-25-and-Under NBA Team Before 2015-16 Season
The amount of young talent in the NBA is terrifying.
Even without counting players who will turn 26 just before the start of the 2015-16 campaign—here's looking at you, Jimmy Butler—the all-25-and-under squads are just brimming with high-quality players who haven't yet reached the full extent of their lofty potential.
Eric Bledsoe? The point guard position is too stacked for him to gain admission to even the third team. Ditto for Giannis Antetokounmpo on the wing. In the frontcourt, Nikola Vucevic can't even get consideration because of the prominence of so many other young bigs.
But this isn't about who didn't make the cut. It's about the players who will enter the next season at 25 years old or younger and then dominate their opponents to the point that they become lasting household names—if they don't already qualify as such.
We wanted to form the most competitive five-man units while evaluating players at their current levels. Defense and offense matter, but unrealized potential doesn't count.
Third Team
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Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (25)
It's incredible that a two-time All-Star must be relegated to the third team, but that's the situation Damian Lillard finds himself in. At least he wasn't omitted entirely, as was the case for other talented young point guards such as Eric Bledsoe, Brandon Knight and Ricky Rubio.
Lillard is a phenomenal offensive commodity—a floor general who can create for himself or his teammates while drilling so many shots from beyond the arc that any 1-guard not named Stephen Curry would be jealous. But, as has been the case since he left Weber State, defense holds him back.
Khris Middleton, Milwaukee Bucks (24)
The world is finally starting to recognize the talent of Khris Middleton. Coming off a season in which he averaged 13.4 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists and 1.5 steals—numbers matched by only 13 qualified players during the 2014-15 campaign—he signed a five-year deal worth $70 million to remain with the Milwaukee Bucks.
As he continues to get comfortable as a featured offensive option, Middleton's numbers should keep trending upward. And he already finished the last year with a top-10 spot in ESPN's RPM metric.
Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz (25)
The Utah Jazz probably don't regret matching the max offer sheet Gordon Hayward signed with the Charlotte Hornets during the 2014 offseason. He continues to impress as the No. 1 option in Salt Lake City, showing off his versatile skill set and figuring out how to deal with increased defensive attention.
Now, the new goal for this 25-year-old will be leading Utah into the playoffs for the first time since 2011-12, when the San Antonio Spurs swept the Jazz in the opening round. Fortunately, Hayward will have two second-team members joining him as Utah tries to make the difficult charge up the Western Conference standings.
Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers (21)
"I think it's really going to help me as a basketball player overall, especially at [power forward]," Nerlens Noel said of the daily sessions he spends working on his jumper, via Keith Pompey of the Philadelphia Inquirer. "[It will] help space the floor with my ability and start hitting the jumper consistently and complement our whole offense. And, you know, just changing my whole game and how effective I am."
Now entering his second year with All-Star aspirations, Noel was effective enough during the latter half of his rookie campaign, averaging 13.1 points, 10.0 rebounds, 1.9 assists, 2.1 steals and 2.3 blocks. His jumper started gaining a bit more consistency, and that, paired with his incredible work on the defensive end, allowed him to make a strong charge toward Rookie of the Year honors.
Though he didn't get there, his ceiling still seems astronomical.
Andre Drummond, Detroit Pistons (22)
Though Andre Drummond has all the physical tools a center could ask for, he still hasn't put them into a perfect package.
He's a dominant force on the offensive glass who can finish nearly any feed in a pick-and-roll setting. He's terrifying in passing lanes, where he gets to use his quick hands. He's good at protecting the rim when he's in the right position.
But until he improves his post-up game, learns how to pass out of double-teams and becomes more consistent on the point-preventing end, he's not going to reach the true extent of his massive potential, which currently limits him to the third team. More accurate work from the line would help, as well.
Second Team
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Kyrie Irving, Cleveland Cavaliers (23)
When healthy, Kyrie Irving is one of the league's most entertaining players.
A whirling dervish on the offensive end, he can showcase his remarkable dribbling skills while weaving through traffic and creating just enough space to get off a shot. Usually, it's going to drop through the hoop during a crucial situation, though there's always a risk Irving could give up the equivalent amount of points on the less glamorous end of the floor.
Paul George, Indiana Pacers (25)
We still need to see which Paul George is going to show up.
Before he fractured his leg during a scrimmage with Team USA, the Indiana Pacers swingman appeared to be a true superstar and fringe MVP candidate, a player who could dominate a game on both sides of the ball. But since that devastating injury, he's only come off the bench to appear in six contests, averaging 21.0 points, 8.7 rebounds and 2.4 assists per 36 minutes while shooting 36.7 percent from the field and 40.9 percent from beyond the arc.
Chances are good that George will reach his pre-injury level, but the mental trauma of the fracture could hold him back a while longer. Until he proves otherwise, he's stuck on the second team—which, to be fair, is an achievement in and of itself.
Draymond Green, Golden State Warriors (25)
According to my FATS model (based on historical similarities and explained in full here), the Golden State Warriors spent the 2014-15 campaign playing like a 58-win team when Draymond Green was on the floor. When he was on the bench, they declined to a 40.2-win squad, which makes for a rather significant difference.
Though he's positively affected by the presence of so many other talented starters with whom he typically shares the court, it should be telling that the 17.8-win differential was bigger than the ones produced by every player other than Stephen Curry (20). For perspective, Klay Thompson and Harrison Barnes ranked third and fourth on the roster with differentials of 13.9 and 4.4 wins, respectively.
Derrick Favors, Utah Jazz (24)
It's time for Derrick Favors to get the recognition he deserves.
In 2014-15, the Utah Jazz big man averaged 16 points and 8.2 rebounds while shooting 52.5 percent from the field. That's impressive enough, but his defense made him even more valuable to his team's cause. Though he might not post glamorous statistics on that end, he's a solid rim-protector with the versatility necessary to contribute in other areas.
That combination helps make him part of arguably the league's most talented young frontcourt along with...
Rudy Gobert, Utah Jazz (23)
Rudy Gobert burst onto the scene during the tail end of his sophomore season, suffocating defenders with his long arms while inhaling rebounds and providing efficient scoring. He was everything the Utah Jazz could have hoped for as he sparked the league's best second-half defense—and that competition wasn't even close.
The French 7-footer is still developing on the offensive end, and Utah's ceiling may well be determined by his ability to work with Favors and avoid clogging up the lane too often. But even if he refused to shoot and scored zero points during his third NBA campaign, he's such a strong defender—he allowed just 40.4 percent shooting at the hoop last year, per NBA.com's SportVU data—that he'd remain one of the league's best centers.
First Team Guard: John Wall, Washington Wizards
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Age at Start of 2015-16 Season: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 17.6 points, 4.6 rebounds, 10.0 assists, 1.7 steals, 0.6 blocks, 19.9 PER
Other than connect from the outside with much frequency, what can't John Wall do?
He's a blazing force in the open court who is capable of leading transition opportunities and either finishing plays with a flourish around the basket or kicking out to a teammate. No one in the league is better at keeping his head on a swivel and hitting someone between the numbers for an open shot on the break.
In the half-court set, Wall is just as dangerous. That's the only way to average 17.6 points and 10.0 assists, which keeps hope alive that 2015-16 could be the year he finally breaks through and gains access to the ultra-exclusive 20/10 club. It's remained devoid of new members since Deron Williams in 2011 joined Michael Adams, Tiny Archibald, Tim Hardaway, Kevin Johnson, Magic Johnson, Chris Paul, Oscar Robertson and Isiah Thomas.
But we'd be selling Wall short if we didn't mention his fearsome, unorthodox defense. Though he plays far more upright than most point guards, his vaunted athleticism allows him to recover quickly and wreak havoc in all areas of the court.
"One can see heightened levels of effort and engagement from Wall in his defensive work..." Rob Mahoney wrote for Sports Illustrated midway through last season. "Wall legitimately seems to have a better sense of when and how his defensive talents can be applied, which can only be earned by feeling out the game and his role within it."
Now, he has an All-Defensive Second Team tally on his resume as validation.
First Team Guard: Klay Thompson, Golden State Warriors
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Age at Start of 2015-16 Season: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 21.7 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.1 steals, 0.8 blocks, 20.8 PER
Going into the 2014-15 campaign, it was easy to speculate about what Klay Thompson's biggest flaws would be. In the past, he'd struggled to create his own shots with any semblance of confidence. He rarely kept his head up when driving and failed to find open teammates.
Simply put, he was a complementary role player, not a star.
It stood to reason that Thompson would grow, but not to the point that he'd fix all his biggest pitfalls. Except he did exactly that.
Thompson will never be an elite dime-dropper at the 2, but he at least proved himself a willing passer within the Golden State Warriors system. The mere threat of recording an assist after putting the ball on the floor opened up more opportunities for him, as it didn't allow defenses to completely crash around him.
Similarly, he was more proficient than ever when relying on his own shot-creating skills:
| 2011-12 | 62.3 | 92.8 |
| 2012-13 | 75.1 | 94.8 |
| 2013-14 | 62.2 | 94.6 |
| 2014-15 | 55.6 | 90.8 |
Based on those improvements, his continuously excellent defense and his nearly unmatched prowess from beyond the arc, Thompson didn't need a 37-point quarter to establish himself as a bona fide superstar. But he still threw one in, just for good measure.
First Team Forward: Kawhi Leonard, San Antonio Spurs
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Age at Start of 2015-16 Season: 24
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 16.5 points, 7.2 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.3 steals, 0.8 blocks, 22.0 PER
During his final 24 games of last season, Kawhi Leonard averaged 19.3 points, 7.0 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 2.8 steals and 0.8 blocks while shooting 53.7 percent from the field, 40 percent from downtown and 83 percent from the charity stripe. He was incredible on offense, imbuing head coach Gregg Popovich with so much confidence in his game that Pop actually allowed the rising star to work outside the typical boundaries of the San Antonio Spurs' system.
All the while, he was playing such stellar defense that he earned Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts.
As if that weren't enough, Leonard averaged 20.3 points, 7.4 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.1 steals during the playoffs, proving that (1) his conclusion to the regular season was not a fluke, (2) he'd become arguably the best player on the Spurs and (3) he looks like a top-10 player in the Association.
To recap, Leonard has put up dominant numbers during all parts of the NBA schedule, won Defensive Player of the Year, become arguably the best player on a dynastic team (until LaMarcus Aldridge came to town), earned Finals MVP in 2014 and done so without displaying a shred of cockiness.
Maybe now he'll finally make his first All-Star squad.
First Team Forward: Anthony Davis, New Orleans Pelicans
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Age at Start of 2015-16: 22
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 24.4 points, 10.2 rebounds, 2.2 assists, 1.5 steals, 2.9 blocks, 30.8 PER
Still only 22 years old, Anthony Davis was the best player in the NBA during the 2014-15 season. Bar none.
Even though Stephen Curry ended up winning the MVP award, thanks to a combination of his own individual excellence and the success of the Golden State Warriors as a whole, Davis was a one-man wrecking crew for the New Orleans Pelicans. He could did it all, whether he was impacting a game with his offensive ability, rebounding excellence or defensive studliness.
Now, he's going to be even better.
Led by Alvin Gentry and plenty of impressive assistant coaches, Davis has a staff perfectly suited to maximize his many talents. He's added muscle and strength, which New Orleans strength and conditioning coach Jason Sumerlin elaborated upon to Jim Eichenhofer of NBA.com:
"He's going to be stronger, faster, quicker and more explosive this year. He talks about it all the time. He feels it. His trunk stability is a huge thing. Whenever he has been down low with the big guys, he kind of collapses [at his midsection]. He's starting to understand how to use his body more efficiently now.
"
As if that wasn't already scary enough, Davis is putting in a substantial amount of work on his three-point jumper.
Davis is coming off a season in which he posted a player efficiency rating topped by only Wilt Chamberlain, Michael Jordan and LeBron James in NBA history. In four playoff games against the eventual champions, he posted an average game score that trumps the ones compiled by every single player who has ever suited up in a postseason contest—all 2,379 of them, according to my database.
I'd say the sky is the limit, but I don't want to sell Davis short.
First Team Center: DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings
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Age at Start of 2015-16: 25
2014-15 Per-Game Stats: 24.1 points, 12.7 rebounds, 3.6 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.7 blocks, 25.2 PER
Though we don't yet know how the pairing of DeMarcus Cousins and new Sacramento Kings head coach George Karl will fare during the 2015-16 season, we already know that the big man is an unquestioned stud.
After improving on defense and continuing to assert himself as a unique offensive force last season, the 25-year-old center is primed to convince the world he's the best true 5 in the Association. No one else blends size, strength and finesse quite so well. For that matter, no one really has since Shaquille O'Neal was making the NBA his personal plaything during the late 1990s and early 2000s.
Is that to say Cousins is as good as O'Neal was in his prime? Of course not, but he has a chance to terrorize opponents in a similar manner.
Plus, we can't sell his passing short. Averaging 3.6 assists for the Kings last year was quite the feat for a frontcourt player, and that number could rise as the team gets even more talented around Cousins. He has never been a hesitant distributor, which only makes him more dangerous.
Even when his game wasn't complete, this Kentucky product was quite the asset for Sacramento.
Now, he's getting tantalizingly close to completeness.
Look out, NBA.
Note: All stats, unless otherwise indicated, come from Basketball-Reference.com.
Adam Fromal covers the NBA for Bleacher Report. Follow him on Twitter: @fromal09.
