Top 25 Under 25: Ranking the NBA's best young players, including rookies
Part 2: Trae Young and Evan Mobley lead players ranked 6-15
On Tuesday we began our ranking of the top NBA players under the age of 25 with players 16 to 25. Today we look at players 6 to 15. Eight of the 10 players here are NBA All-Stars or have played near that level, and the other two are one sophomore and one rookie who are expected to reach that level in the next five years.
A few things to keep in mind:
Players need to be in the NBA and under the age of 25 at the start of the NBA regular season on October 19.
(If I were to include players currently not in the NBA, France’s Victor Wembanyama, the projected No. 1 pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, would be ranked high on this list.)
To get an accurate rating, I combined three sources of information:
First, I used two highly regarded analytics models (DARKO and LEBRON) to rate each player. You can see each player’s score next to their name with a “D” for DARKO and an “L” for LEBRON. Second, for NBA rookies, I used the 2021 NBA Draft Tier system I employed just before the draft to rate NBA rookies. Finally, I asked a handful of NBA GMs and scouts to rate each player under 25.
In the case of NBA rookies and sophomores, I asked GMs and scouts to rate them based on the impact they would have in the league by the time they are 24. This is especially important to understand for younger players like LaMelo Ball and Evan Mobley. I am not saying that those players are currently better than some of the 23- and 24-year-old players on the list. They might not be for three or even four years. What I am saying is that they are projected to be better than those players by the time they turn 24.
On Thursday we will reveal players 1 to 5.
15. Deandre Ayton
Phoenix Suns | 23 | T2 | L: 1.16 D: 2.1
Analysis: Chris Paul helped Ayton take his game to a whole new level last season, muffling critics who still lambast the Suns for passing on Luka Dončić in 2018. Ayton has begun making the case that he too is going to become an NBA All-Star. He looked his best in the playoffs, averaging 16 points and 12 rebounds while shooting an impressive 66% from the field. There’s nothing flashy about his game and NBA teams place less value on big men these days, but Ayton’s progress to become a double-double machine and solid defender shouldn’t be overlooked.
14. ???
Note to readers: The first 11 players on our Top 25 Under 25 is free for all readers. Players 1-14 will be for subscribers only. For full access to the full Top 25 Under 25 and to Mock Drafts, Big Boards, scouting reports on all of the top players in the 2022 draft as well as the ability to comment on articles and special discussion boards, Zoom calls and more interaction with me in the coming weeks please join our community as a full subscriber.