25 best NBA players under 25

Dallas Mavericks rookie Luka Doncic won EuroLeague MVP and EuroLeague Final Four MVP before his 20th birthday. Of course he's the favorite to earn NBA Rookie of the Year honors. During an appearance on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan , living legend Dirk Nowitzki said Doncic is better than he was at 19 years old. No pressure, young man. 

The first overall pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Phoenix Suns big man Deandre Ayton may be a disappointment if he doesn't average a double-double. Concerns the 20-year-old won't be able to defend even halfway decent opponents aren't without merit, but the 7-footer will cause fans to forget that aspect of his game if he drains at least 34 percent of his threes while also imposing his will down low. 

Ignore the off-the-court noise and his hideously ugly shooting mechanics. Los Angeles Lakers guard Lonzo Ball is the real deal with elite vision and a knack for making those around him better. The almost-21-year-old could be special if he ever develops anything resembling a jumper. 

As Justin Spears of the Arizona Daily Star wrote in April, forward Lauri Markkanen became the first rookie in 18 years to tally 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a campaign. Per Bleacher Report, the 21-year-old reached 100 career three-pointers faster than anybody in NBA history. It's just a shame Markkanen will feature for a lousy team this season. 

A just-young-enough-to-make-this-list version of Steven Adams, center Jusuf Nurkic has been a revelation since the Denver Nuggets traded him to Portland. The 24-year-old has averaged 14.5 points and 9.7 rebounds per game as a member of the Trail Blazers. Nurkic was on the court for 79 outings last season. 

Yes, Indiana Pacers big man Myles Turner unquestionably regressed following a breakout 2016-17 season, and it's possible he'll never match the hype that hovered over his status last October. The 22-year-old still averaged 12.7 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.8 blocks per game. His potential is too high to keep him off the list this fall. 

Carmelo Anthony is the patron saint of scoring "empty points" in the eyes of those who have criticized the veteran during his career. Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins may claim that throne by the end of the decade unless he takes the next figurative step toward greatness. Minnesota trading Jimmy Butler, if that transaction occurs, could be addition by subtraction for Wiggins, who rarely looked comfortable playing with the four-time All-Star. 

In November 2017, Matt Moore of CBS Sport s called Boston Celtics guard Marcus Smart "the NBA's worst shooter." The 24-year-old is also one of the top defenders among guards in the league. It's too bad he can't score with any regularity or consistency. He averaged 9.4 points per game in his first four NBA seasons. 

Philadelphia 76ers forward Dario Saric is not the first name that comes to mind when one mentions "The Process." In fact, it's practically a guarantee the 24-year-old would be part of a trade package to get Philly an All-Star (cough, Jimmy Butler, cough). Along with averaging 14.6 points per game, Saric drained 39.3 percent of his threes in 2017-18. 

Nobody should think Denver Nuggets guard Gary Harris' breakout 2017-18 campaign was a one-off. After all, the 24-year-old improved his scoring averages in each of the past three years. Harris averaged 17.5 points and 1.8 steals per game in 2017-18. Playing with the league's best passing center does make life on the floor that much easier for Harris and others in the lineup. 

Most players not named Kyrie Irving would welcome the opportunity to play with LeBron James. Unfortunately for Julius Randle, the Lakers signing King James made the 23-year-old surplus. The forward, who averaged 16.1 points and eight rebounds a game last season, landed with the New Orleans Pelicans where he should thrive in an up-tempo offense. 

Recently, Anthony Irwin of Silver Screen and Roll wrote about how Los Angeles Lakers forward Brandon Ingram wants to become an All-Star his third season in the league. The 21-year-old possesses superstar talent, and he became an elite scorer without D'Angelo Russell taking shots from him last year. Playing alongside LeBron James, when the two are on the court together, should only help him elevate his game further.  

Don't look now, but Orlando Magic forward Aaron Gordon is no longer only a dunking machine. His scoring, rebounding and assists numbers improved in each of the past three seasons. Yes, he appeared to hit a wall during the second half of the 2017-18 campaign, but the 23-year-old could be on the verge of an All-Star year unless his three-point shooting betrays him for longer than a few months this time around.  

Center Clint Capela goes unnoticed among casual fans because of bigger stars featuring for the Houston Rockets. But don't ignore that the 24-year-old is the perfect asset for the lineup. The interior force averaged 13.9 points, 10.8 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game, and he shot over 65 percent. Houston will be just fine if his 2017-18 numbers are his ceiling. 

On a different team and/or in a different market, Denver Nuggets guard Jamal Murray going from averaging 9.9 points per game his rookie year to 16.7 points a contest would have made more noise. Widely praised for his pure shooting stroke, the 21-year-old is a candidate to have a breakout season and help the Nuggets return to the playoffs. 

You may have missed it because the Phoenix Suns were unwatchable for much of the campaign, but guard Devin Booker improved his scoring for the second straight season. The 21-year-old averaged 24.9 points per game while shooting 38.3 percent from three-point range. In July, he signed a five-year extension worth $158 million. 

The only positive to come from the horrific injury suffered by Gordon Hayward in the season opener was the development of Boston Celtics forward Jaylen Brown, who flourished when forced to carry the load without both Hayward and Kyrie Irving on the floor. Brown averaged 14.5 points per game and also helped the Celtics become the best defensive team in the league. The secret is out as it pertains to the almost-22-year-old. 

Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum posterizing LeBron James is a highlight that will be replayed every year Tatum is with the franchise. Tatum was more than just a one-moment wonder. As Chris Grenham of Celtics Blog wrote, the 20-year-old led Boston in scoring during the postseason. He also improved defensively during the campaign. 

The only reason Utah Jazz guard Donovan Mitchell didn't win Rookie of the Year was because Ben Simmons produced a historic season. Mitchell averaged 20.5 points per game, shot 43.7 percent from the field and he led the Jazz to a playoff series victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder. The 22-year-old shouldn't have to wait long for an All-Star nod. 

The Minnesota Timberwolves officially making Karl-Anthony Towns the face of the franchise via a super-maximum extension in September was a no-brainer. The 22-year-old improved his three-point shooting from 36.7 percent in 2016-17 to 42.1 percent last season. Perhaps most impressive, Towns didn't miss a single game over the past three years. 

When fully healthy and at his best, New York Knicks unicorn Kristaps Porzingis has the goods to be atop this list. Unfortunately, one cannot discuss the 23-year-old without mentioning the torn ACL he suffered in February. Porzingis sitting for the entire campaign may be the best business decision for all involved. 

Last April, ESPN's Zach Lowe gave reasons for why he believed Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic had the "best passing season ever for a big man." The 23-year-old may be the best mover of the ball for a man his size in NBA history. Jokic's vision and pinpoint passing earn him high praise, and deservedly so, but don't sleep on the fact that he shot 39.6 percent from beyond the arc. 

As Noah Levick of NBC Sports Philadelphia wrote in April, Philadelphia 76ers guard Ben Simmons was repeatedly compared to Magic Johnson throughout his rookie year. Along with shooting 54.5 percent from the field, the 22-year-old averaged 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per contest. If Joel Embiid wasn't his teammate, Simmons could quietly contend for Defensive Player of the Year honors by 2020. 

Ninety-four. That's the amount of regular-season games Joel Embiid has played center for the Philadelphia 76ers. In less than a season-and-a-half's worth of games, the 24-year-old evolved into a Defensive Player of the Year candidate who averaged 22.9 points and 11.0 rebounds in 2017-18. Embiid is still processing, and the best should be to come from the future MVP candidate. 

The Action Network's Matt Moore and Adam McGee of Behind the Buck Pass are only two people mentioning Giannis Antetokounmpo as a real MVP candidate ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. At just 23 years old, the Greek Freak may be the league's most unguardable player, not to mention a star capable of averaging a double-double with ease. Antetokounmpo would be the first pick among most, if not all, general managers building a roster for the next decade.