The 14 Best NBA Players Under the Age of 24

Image via Complex Original

There’s no player on the Knicks roster right now that the organization needs more than Kristaps Porzingis. If Phil Jackson and the Knickerbockers guessed wrong in the 2015 NBA Draft, and went with a Mario Hezonja or Willie Cauley-Stein, the team would remain in a place of hopelessness; the dark hole it’s been in since the Stephon Marbury days (i.e. the Dark Ages). The Unicorn brings hope and a certain magic to Madison Square Garden on a nightly basis. He is, in the best of ways, a freak of nature: 7'3", but plays like he’s a foot smaller. He can knock it down from 25, attack the basket with the grace and effectiveness of a preeminent slasher, and swat shots with ease. He’s the most extreme example, given his mammoth height and versatile skill set, of the NBA’s new post up/3-and-D center. And, as an added bonus, he somehow always says the right thing to the ruthless, unforgiving New York media. This is a dude whose first language is Latvian.

With “Snap-Gate” and a tempestuous rookie campaign very much a distant memory, D’Angelo Russell is reminding everyone what he can do on the court. The second overall pick in last year’s NBA draft, Russell is averaging 15.0 points, 4.5 assists, and 3.4 rebounds on 38.2 percent shooting from three in limited action this season. Russell has proven to be a consistent 3-point shooter and selfless (if not, sometimes erratic) ball-handler, elevating himself and the baby Lakers around him when necessary. He’s even got a nice floater and post-up game in his offensive arsenal. 

In about two or three years, Karl-Anthony Towns will be an elite NBA superstar. Like Porzingis, he represents the league’s new wave of centers, as a big who can score near the rim and beyond the arc. This year, he’s averaging 22.3 points and 11.4 rebounds, both of which surpass his averages from a season ago. And on November 30, KAT exploded for a ridiculous 47 points and 18 rebounds against fellow budding star KP. He’s only 21 years old.

People say ball movement is key for any team to be successful, and that’s true. But player movement is also crucial. Guys like Steph Curry, Klay Thompson, Reggie Miller, and Rip Hamilton make (or made) their living weaving around screens, shaking their defenders, and knocking down jumpers off the catch. Add Phoenix Suns’ shooting guard Devin Booker to this list. The 20-year-old out of Kentucky has proven that he can shoot with the best of them, canning 3s at a career 34 percent clip. But what makes Stitch (as I like to call him) so dangerous is that he scores in a variety of ways: off the dribble, spotting up, in transition, and slashing to the rim. Not to mention, he’s a phenomenal cutter, either towards the basket or off high screens. To put Booker’s scoring ability into perspective, he is averaging nearly the same amount of points per game as 20-year-old Kobe Bryant (19.1 vs. 19.9). As Adam Sandler would say, not too shabby.

The most developed and complete player on this list, Anthony Davis (at the tender age of 23) is a special talent. He's already an elite two-way, whose stats consistently jump off the page. In fact, he opened the season with 50 points, 16 rebounds, 5 assists, 7 steals, and 4 blocks against the Nuggets. He leads the league in blocked shots per game (2.7), is second in points per game (29.8) and is ninth in rebounding per game (11.2). Meanwhile, his offensive game is as dynamic as any. His mid-range game (whether off the catch or dribble) is fabulous, 3-point percentage steadily increasing, and ability to finish around the rim impeccable. If we wanted to knit-pick, Davis could work on his post-up game, but really Davis has little to no weaknesses. And he's still improving year in and year out! 

Add Myles Turner to the list of young, agile centers who can knock down jumpers anywhere from 10 to 23 feet away from the basket. While Turner’s numbers are less flashy than, say, a Karl-Anthony Towns or Kristaps Porzingis, Turner (still only 20) is a better defender than either one. He’s third in the league in blocked shots per game (2.4), and is always an active presence around the rim. His post-up game is strong, and shoots at about 80 percent from the free-throw line, which is terrific for someone his height. Where Turner can improve is on the glass. He grabs 7.3 rebounds per game, a number certainly any basketball player would take, but given Turner’s athleticism and size, he should be among the league leaders in that category. 

Andrew Wiggins had a unique (to say the least) start to his NBA career, as he became just the third player in NBA history to be drafted with the 1st overall pick and get traded before ever taking the court. Some might even call it an inauspicious beginning since he was dealt from the Cavs—who just resigned LeBron—to the Timberwolves, who haven’t had a winning season since 2004-05. Despite this and the Wolves’ continued struggles, Wiggins has shown tremendous promise, with his points, rebounds, and assists per game numbers, as well as 3-point percentage increase from a season ago. He’s one of three 20 ppg scorers on the Wolves this season, dropping at least 25 points in a game 13 times thus far and averaging 28.9 points per game in his team’s wins (too bad they’ve only chalked up nine victories to this point). He even went off for 47 against the Lakers on November 13. 

Embiid is proving just why he was selected third overall in the 2014 NBA Draft. The 7-footer leads all rookies in points (17.9), rebounds (7.4), and blocks (2.4) per game, as well as double-doubles (6) by large margins. He’s even second in 3-point field goal percentage, shooting at an absurd 51 percent clip! Not to mention, he’s one of the funniest dudes on Twitter. The do-it-all, Cameroonian big man belongs to that neo center class with KAT, Porzingis, and Davis.

Like Davis, the major concern with Embiid has nothing to do with his talent, but his ability to stay healthy. Sixers’ fans hold their collective breaths every time he takes the court because he is that special of a player. One more injury could set The Process back years. 

One-half of the "Bounce Brothers," Zach LaVine is known for his ridiculous Slam Dunk Contest performances. Most recently, he and Aaron Gordon put on one of the most entertaining displays in the contest’s history. But this season, it's not just LaVine's dunks that are popping off of highlight reels. The third-year man out of UCLA is quietly putting up the best numbers (by far) of his young career, including 20.7 points, 3.1 assists, and 3.1 rebounds on 47 percent shooting from the floor and 39 percent from three. 

While Beal has dealt with his share of bumps and bruises over his four-year career, he hasn’t let it define who he is as a player. After starting the 2016-17 season slow, Beal has really picked it up in December, averaging 24 points per contest to go along with 4 assists. He currently sits at 22.7 ppg, raising his average from a season ago by 5 points. He and John Wall, when they’re able to see the court together, form one of the most potent offensive backcourt duos in the NBA. And although his team has only made the playoffs twice in his four years, Beal’s playoff numbers skyrocket from his regular season output—a testament to his ability to perform at the highest level when it matters most. 

Andre Drummond is a rebounding menace. In the past four seasons, including this one, he has posted at least 13 boards per game, topping out last year at a Chamberlain-esque 14.8. While Drummond is perhaps the best rebounder in the NBA, he’s also a terrific rim protector. Drummond’s presence alone is enough to alter shots, limiting opponents’ from getting easy buckets. Offensively, Drummond is most effective (again) on the offensive glass, but he’s also nearly unstoppable in the pick-and-roll game. His chemistry with Reggie Jackson, who just returned from injury, is off the charts, so expect Drummond’s production to increase even more. 

Clearly, the Hawks believe that Schroder is their point guard of the future since they dealt away Teague—an all-star—over the summer. Schroder has responded with a solid start to the 2016-17 campaign. He’s posting career marks in points (17.2), assists (6.3), and rebounds (3.0), but that’s expected given that his minutes played per game have soared from 20.3 to 30.8. Still, those are good numbers from the point guard position. His field goal (46.4), free throw (81.5), and 3-point (35.8) percentages have all also increased from a season ago, demonstrating that Schroder is indeed getting better. One problem with Schroder is his inconsistency. While he’s dropped at least 30 points in multiple games this season, he had a span of a couple weeks from November 15 through November 28 where this was his scoring output: 18, 12, 11, 1, 14, 9, 16, 11, 24. Schroder has all the tools to become one of the league’s best point guards, but he must find some consistency in order to do so. 

The media has made it easy for us to overlook Jabari Parker who stands in the long, limby shadow of Giannis Antetokounmpo (a.k.a. the Greek Freak). But Parker, the third year man out of Duke, has demonstrated why the Bucks boast more than one notable attraction. He’s averaging 20.1 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, to go along with 38.4 percent shooting from behind the arc (all career-highs). Parker’s combination of size (6’8’’, 250 lbs—the same height and weight as LeBron), strength, leaping ability, and speed make him a tough one-on-one matchup for any defender. Plus, now that he can knock down the mid- and long-range jumper with more consistency, guys can’t lay off him like they used to. Or at least, they have to pick their poison. 

Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Greek Freak, whose raw athleticism and talent that we’ve been hearing about for years is molding into something special. Giannis gallops and Euro-steps his way for easy buckets in transition, looking more like a horse or some other wild, majestic creature than a human being. He just moves differently than everyone else and appears to be a college player among high schoolers. Attribute that to his slender, 6’11’’ frame (with a 7’3’’ wingspan, we can’t forget), and his incredible speed, court vision, and ball handling abilities. He’s quite the sight to behold, almost like a skinnier and taller LeBron James. His stat line is ridiculous: 22.9 points, 9.1 rebounds, 5.8 assists, 2.1 steals, 2.0 blocks per game on 52.0 percent shooting.