Projecting Who the Top 30 NBA Players Will Be in 2015

Despite the uncertainty about the state of the current NBA, the game will be back...one day. This is an exciting time, as their are several exciting young stars in the NBA and more on the way.

With Derrick Rose, only 23 years old, coming off his MVP season, it is a given that he is included in the projected NBA elite.

But who else will be considered the cream of the NBA crop in the year 2015?

Check it out.

30. Austin Rivers

The son of NBA coach Glenn "Doc" Rivers, Austin is a premier athlete and scorer who will put the ball in the hole from Day 1. He has good size for either guard spot, but Austin is a pure scorer.

Guys like this have an impact quickly, especially with the basketball IQ and pedigree he brings to the table.

29. Paul George

Expect George to have made at least one All-Defensive team by 2015. His scoring is coming along, and by this time, he should be a 16-18 points-a-night guy.

Combine those numbers with the defensive prowess, and he’ll be a top 30 player.

28. Myck Kabongo

Kabongo is one of the best young PG prospects projected in the 2012 NBA Draft. He has good size, great handle and tons of flash.

Kabongo gets teammates the shots they cannot get on their own. He is a pure point guard and will make an impact early in the NBA.

Click here to see Kabongo in action.

27. Kemba Walker

Kemba is the guy scouts and others doubted, but he is a prime-time player. He can score, he makes free throws and he is going to surprise some folks as a point guard.

As long as he is a Bobcat, it'll be tough to garner much team success, but Walker will be a top seven point guard by this time.

26. DeMarcus Cousins

After he kicked the attitude, Cousins proved to be a load on the block in his rookie season.

Hopefully, his commitment to the game continues.

If it does, Cousins will be a top three center in the NBA. He scores, rebounds and passes well for a big man. That combination of skills in a man his size is rare, and he showed his potential from the middle of last season on; Cousins had 17 double-doubles in the last two months of the season.

25. Tyreke Evans

Evans is one of three keys to the Kings returning to Western Conference contention. If he becomes the type of player it looked like he would be during his rookie season, he, Jimmer Fredette and Cousins could be a nice three-piece.

Coaching will determine how far this trio can carry the Kings.

24. James McAdoo

The nephew of NBA great Bob McAdoo is headed to North Carolina this year. James is a natural scorer, he has long arms, and is graceful and crafty near the basket. If you watch him play, he does resemble a young James Worthy.

Add to that array of weapons a nice jump shot from distance, and he is a ready-made NBA scorer at either forward position.

Click here to see James McAdoo in action.

23. Derrick Williams

The most NBA-ready of all the 2011-2012 rookies.

Williams will score efficiently and rebound well, but his future is a bit uncertain since the Wolves seem a bit unsettled.

Still, I see him with 17 points and nine boards a game. That is top 25 in my opinion.

22. Monta Ellis

Ellis can get buckets, and he plays the passing lanes very well. He probably won't be in Golden State by 2015, but no matter where he is, he'll be scoring upwards of 20 points a game with two or more steals.

Joining a contender could vault him even higher among the ranks of NBA players by mid-decade.

21. Quincy Miller

Miller is coming off a major knee injury, but word is he is fully recovered and still explosive. He and Perry Jones should make the Baylor Bears a national power this year.

By 2015, Miller will probably be in his second year in the NBA. This kid can handle, score and defend in a 6'9", built-for-basketball frame.

Click here to see Quincy Miller in action.

20. Kyrie Irving

The first pick in this past draft has a hell of a road ahead of him, tasked with being the first piece in the Cleveland rebuilding project.

Irving is a pure point guard with great work ethic and good defensive principles. He's also a good shooter.

Irving will shine, but I don't think the Cavaliers will make much noise during this span.

19. Harrison Barnes

Barnes could have come out of school this year and gone in the top three picks.

But he stayed in school, and it further strengthened the perception that Barnes is a high-character kid.

He has an excellent stroke on his jump shot, and his game is NBA-ready now. Barnes will be a very good swing man in the NBA since he can score and defend against legitimate small forwards.

18. Stephen Curry

The more Curry improves his point guard skills, the better all-around player he becomes. He is already one of, if not the best pure shooter in the NBA today.

Curry has done much better at the point than many expected. As his development continues under the tutelage of Mark Jackson, Curry will be one of the league's top 20 players.

17. Anthony Davis

You may have heard of Davis; he is the Chicago kid who had a ridiculous seven-inch growth spurt in a year.

So, he is a 2-guard in a wiry 6'11" frame.

Davis has great vision and feel for the game. He is on his way to Kentucky, so we all know he'll be one-and-done. He'll have his name called in the top five of the 2012 NBA Draft, as his ceiling may be the highest of any player who will likely be available.

16. Josh Smith

When Josh Smith's rebound and block-shot numbers are looked at in the year 2015, it'll validate his place here.

If he can control his shot selection, Smith will be a truly elite power forward in the NBA. He is really the Hawks' best player, not Joe Johnson.

15. Amare Stoudemire

Amar'e's reconstructed knee seems to be holding up fine. He is one of the best scoring frontcourt players in the NBA.

Pencil in three more years of numbers that resemble 23 points and nine rebounds per game, and he will still be a top 15 player mid-decade.

14. Rajon Rondo

I have him in the top 14, but when the "Boston Three Party" are gone, Rondo will have to be a better scorer. He will still be a ball-hawk and a good passer, but the lack of offense keeps him lower than the top 10.

13. Blake Griffin

The "Gingerbread Manchild's" career seems headed for Shawn Kemp-like production.

Griffin was the clear choice for Rookie of the Year this past season. He is a dependable jump shot and improved defensive game away from being arguably the best power forward in the NBA.

Griffin needs a point guard who is a distributor first to help the Clippers return to the postseason.

12. Kevin Love

It is unlikely Love will still be in Minnesota at this time. Ricky Rubio's impact will likely have a lot to say about whether or not Love will want to bolt.

No matter where he is though, Love will be scoring 18 points and pulling down 12-plus boards a night. That is top 15 for sure in my book.

11. Shabazz Muhammad

Shabazz is the best-looking prep prospect in the nation, in my opinion. He can flat-out fill it up, and his game is so refined for his age. His lone year in college is going to be something to see.

Pure-scoring 2-guards with size, athleticism, arm length and attitude like this don't come along often. On top of all that, he is a lefty. Muhammad will be heard from big time in his rookie season.

Click here to see Shabazz Muhammad in action

10. LaMarcus Aldridge

Possibly the most underrated power forward in the NBA, Aldridge is a big-time post scorer and a decent shot-blocker. He had a breakout in 2010-2011.

I expect that to continue and grow over the next three seasons. Aldridge will still probably be underrated in 2015, but not by me.

9. Russell Westbrook

Westbrook probably won't be in Oklahoma City anymore by this time. He really is a shooting guard, and if the Thunder realize that and get a real point guard, they'll be even better than they already are.

Westbrook is a scorer and, potentially, a big-time defender, but he needs to be put in his proper position.

8. Andre Drummond

The man-child who seemed to be somewhat stuck between high school and college finally committed to UConn.

This kid is the real deal. I finally got a chance to watch almost a full game of Drummond; accompany that with the YouTube footage, and I came away very impressed.

Drummond will need time to grow accustomed to the NBA game, but his athleticism and feel for the game can only be derailed by intangibles. He will be the first pick overall this June in the NBA Draft.

Click here to see Andre Drummond in action.

7. Carmelo Anthony

'Melo and Amar'e will need help to thump the Heat and Bulls in the Eastern Conference; I'm not sure how long they can depend on Chauncey Billups.

The scoring and rebounding numbers Anthony will deliver will keep him in the NBA's top seven players.

6. John Wall

When the "Great Wall" gets a great jump shot, he's going to be near unguardable. Wall is already further along as a pure point guard than Derrick Rose, though he'll never be as explosive a scorer.

The 2011-2012 season is going to be a breakout year for him; by 2015, Wall will be elite.

5. Chris Paul

The game's best pure point guard will be 30 in 2015.

He will still be formidable, but he will be 30.

If Paul is a New York Knick in 2015, he'll have an outside shot at a title, but Mike D'Antoni's defenseless approach will cause the "Big Apple Three" (Paul, Anthony and Stoudemire) to fall short.

4. Dwight Howard

It is unclear where Dwight Howard will be in 2015.

Wherever he is, that team will be a serious contender for the NBA title.

Howard is the one player who could seriously threaten what seems to be an inevitable series of Heat championship runs.

If Howard teams with another major talent, like Derrick Rose, the top-heavy East will be a national television mainstay.

3. Kevin Durant

Two-time scoring champion and all-around offensive beast Kevin Durant will continue his crazy scoring pace.

Add in the fact that his Thunder will have likely competed in one NBA Finals against the Heat or the Bulls by this time, and KD's elite status will be further cemented by the team's success.

2. Derrick Rose

The reigning MVP's ascension won't stop, but the "Big Three" in Miami may block him and the Bulls from reaching the NBA Finals.

Still, Rose will continue to improve since he will only be 27 in 2015. That is a scary thought for everyone else in the NBA.

1. LeBron James

Say what you want about LeBron, but "The King" will have captured at least one ring by this time; two or three would surprise no one, though it would infuriate millions.

By 2015, James will have officially validated his inclusion in the G.O.A.T conversation.