This will be the second annual appearance of this blog, taking a look at some of the up-and-coming stars in the NBA, and the situations at which they find themselves in at this point in their careers. A lot of the main guys from last year's list (LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Evan Mobley), have aged out, so I thought it was only appropriate to take another swing at it.
The Roster:
“Starters”
Point Guard- Cade Cunningham - G- Detroit Pistons - 22y.o
2023-24 Stats: 22.7ppg, 4.3rpg, 7.5apg, 44.9%FG
I’m quite frankly not sure why I didn’t give this slot to Cade last year, and instead to LaMelo Ball, but as their careers continue to progress, Cade has been able to stay on the court for longer compared to his predecessor on this list. That’s worth more than nothing. You can also make the argument that as well-rounded as LaMelo is, Cunningham brings all of that and more. He’s a three-level scorer and great playmaker for others playing the point guard at the size of a small forward. The Pistons aren’t in great shape, but they’re in better shape than the Hornets. They’ve drafted different versions of the same archetype the past couple years (Jaden Ivey, Ausar Thompson, Ron Holland), but there’s never been a question about whether Cade will move, only who his running mate will be in the backcourt in Detroit. Cunningham is on my short list of guys who will make their first All-Star team this year, and honestly, I thought he made the team last year.
Shooting Guard - Jalen Green - G - Houston Rockets - 22y.o
2023-24 Stats: 19.6ppg, 5.2rpg, 3.5apg, 42.3%FG
One of the league’s premier high-flyers, Green gets overlooked as a whole player, and not to spoil the entire rest of the list, he is absolutely not going to be the only member of the Houston Rockets to make this 13 man roster, and is another on my short list of soon-to-be future All-Stars. As Fred VanVleet approaches the back half of his career, Green has added playmaking pieces to his game that are making him apparent as a potential future floor general. When you pair that aspect of his game with his regularly improving three-point shooting and his freaky athleticism, we could be talking about one of the best offensive wing players in the entire league. As I alluded to, Houston has a few people that will make appearances on this list, so I think the next step for Ime Udoka and Co. is to figure out who the offensive centerpiece is, and how to utilize them correctly. There’s no reason to think that a fully unleashed and mature Jalen Green couldn’t be borderline unguardable from the wing, but it will be a matter of how he’s utilized by his team, and how he chooses to use his offseason training time and what holes he chooses to plug. Very excited to see the year he’s about to have.
Small Forward - Paolo Banchero - F - Orlando Magic - 21y.o
2023-24 Stats: 22.6ppg, 6.9rpg, 5.4apg, 45.5%FG
I’ve really had to eat my words when it comes to Paolo Banchero the past couple years. His perceived lack of fit in Orlando was the entire impetus of my “top ten player-team fits” blog being created. Yeah I look kinda dumb right now. He’s one of the few players in the league with minimal real flaws in his game. He just kind of does everything well, and even as a former number one pick, he’s somehow become underrated to some because he doesn’t get talked about much. Without exceeding all expectations people had of him, he’s met pretty much all of them and is now one of the most well-rounded players in the league, regardless of age. Some of my favorite videos are the side-by-side of some of his basketball moves compared to LeBron, and since Paolo is decidedly taller than King James, that should make everyone at least a little nervous. If he makes himself more of a three-point threat and defensive stopper, he is less than three years removed from being a top-five player in the league.
Power Forward - Chet Holmgren - F/C - Oklahoma City Thunder - 22y.o
2023-24 Stats: 16.5ppg, 7.9rpg, 2.4apg, 2.3bpg, 53.0%FG
After taking the Ben Simmons/Joel Embiid route to a Rookie of the Year finalist spot (missing their first actual year because of injury and then being a “rookie” the next year), OKC’s Holmgren has emerged as one of the premier secondary stars in the league already. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the reins of one of the best young teams in the league, Holmgren is a pick-and-pop threat, can make plays for himself off the bounce, is a defensive weapon all over the floor, and requires a tremendous amount of attention. With that last part specifically, what he attracts from his opponent both as a weapon on defense and offense allows some of the Thunder’s other young stars to show their full skillsets. While Shai was already on a star trajectory, and Jalen Williams’ emergence was welcome (maybe more so than expected), at least some of the success that the Thunder enjoyed last year was due to Holmgren’s unlocking of the offense.
Center - Victor Wembanyama - C/F - San Antonio Spurs - 20y.o
2023-24 Stats: 21.4ppg, 10.6rpg, 3.9apg, 3.6bpg, 46.5%FG
So this one feels sort of obvious, right? This twenty-year-old Frenchman is the future face of the league (and on a global scale, he’s probably already on a short list of players almost universally recognizable). There are pretty much no flaws to his game, only things that are already at “good” for his age and ridiculous frame, with the clear potential to be great. He can shoot, attack the basket, rebound, post up, defend multiple positions, and he’s one of the most ungodly-looking human beings we’ve seen since Yao Ming. His ceiling is hard to even comprehend from a basketball perspective. There’s really a good chance that we see him set a new standard for greatness within the sport, and hopefully, that comes in tandem with success for the San Antonio Spurs. It seems as though there are a lot of players around Wembanyama that are well equipped to help him achieve his potential as a player, from cagey defensive stoppers like Jeremy Sochan to wing-scoring threats like Keldon Johnson and Devin Vasell, to floor generals like the young Stephon Castle or the less-young Chris Paul.
“Bench”
Point Guard - Amen Thompson - G - Houston Rockets - 21y.o
2023-24 Stats: 9.5ppg, 6.6rpg, 2.6apg, 1.3spg, 53.6%FG
While perhaps not the most statistically impressive member of this list, the upside of Thompson as the future floor general (we’ll see how the Reed Sheppard thing goes) and as a hyper-athletic guard and wing defender is enough to make him relevant for this group. Since his and his twin brother Ausar’s arrival in the NBA, there have been a decent number of eyes on them specifically due to nothing except their sending program, the Overtime Elite. The G League Ignite’s emergence (and subsequent folding within its first five years of existence) and more and more prospects choosing to stay in college past their freshman year puts any “alternative” sending program under that much more scrutiny. So far, the Thompson twins (and Amen specifically, Ausar has dealt with more injuries and less team success) have been as advertised, high-flyers with game-changing defensive instincts and some of the most attractive molds for a player development staff that you’ll ever see. Amen gets the nod for this team due to his playmaking potential and apparent willingness to play the “1”, and as he continues to become more comfortable as a pro, he could be someone easily in the “starter” category of this list next year, as a 22 year-old.
Shooting Guard - Shaedon Sharpe - G - Portland Trail Blazers - 21y.o
2023-24 Stats: 15.9ppg, 5.0rpg, 2.9apg, 40.6%FG
Sharpe only appeared in 32 games for the Trail Blazers last year but showed flashes of the potential he was clearly teeming with during his rookie campaign (that I was lucky enough to see up close). He’s remarkably shifty both with the ball in his hands, and navigating around screens to get himself open. The Blazers employ a lot of ball-dominant players (and added Deni Avdija this off-season), so what they choose to do with Sharpe is going to be under close scrutiny, surely. To move on from a young talent like his this early in his career would be a fools’ errand, according to just about everyone with an opinion on an NBA roster. There are rumblings of his dissatisfaction in the locker room and his disengagement from his teammates, so even though their marquee player has gone on to the sunny, warm shores of Milwaukee, Wisconsin, and even though the Blazers might have gotten one national TV game per year before Dame left anyway, they will be a team to keep a close eye on. I have little belief that the combination of Scoot Henderson/Anfernee Simons/Shaedon Sharpe/Jerami Grant/Deni Avdija will all remain together by this time next season, and potentially even by the All-Star break. Sharpe is a ridiculously high-flyer who’s shown signs of a rounded-off game that could potentially put him at an Anthony Edwards level should he choose to commit to it.
Small Forward - Brandon Miller - F/G - Charlotte Hornets - 21y.o
2023-24 Stats: 17.3ppg, 4.3rpg, 2.4apg, 37.3%3FG
Miller gets my nod for the Hornets’ representation for this year (knowing the Hornets, they’re always going to have a highly-touted prospect and pick near the top of the draft). While the team themselves might not be much to look at since his arrival (obviously not his fault), there was a lot to like during his rookie campaign that makes you think there’s half a glimmer of hope. He’s a lights-out shooter, and at his height, that will only become more of a premium. He’s a long and smooth athlete who you’re just as likely to see coming off a screen to shoot a three as you are watching him flash to the rim to catch a LaMelo lob from the dunker’s spot. He’s got pretty exceptional footwork for someone of his age, and he’s still slender in that way that’s easily excusable for young players, knowing that they’re going to put on weight as they grow into their bodies in the first couple years of their careers. The biggest questions at this point are going to be about what he can offer from a defensive standpoint, but you cannot teach size and athleticism, and he certainly has those in spades. As the Hornets continue to develop an identity (of some kind), Miller will undoubtedly be an offensive centerpiece of the squad alongside LaMelo Ball. Should Mark Williams step into his own as one of the more feared bigs in the NBA, and should the Hornets add one more regularly-contributing piece (ideally not someone who’s best years were spent in Boston or Utah), we could be talking about an Eastern Conference Play-In contender sooner rather than later.
Power Forward - Alperen Sengun - C/F - Houston Rockets - 22y.o
2023-24 Stats: 21.1ppg, 9.3rpg, 5.0apg, 1.2spg, 53.7%FG
The combination of Chet and Wemby proved too attractive even for this blogger, even if you could make a (really strong) argument that Sengun deserves to be the “starting” four man on the under 23 roster. The third member of the Rockets to appear on this list, “Baby Jokic” is starting to cement himself as the future of the pivot position(s) both in Houston, and alongside guys like the aforementioned Holmgren/Wembanyama. While he can be similarly floor-bound like Jokic, he’s able to score in seemingly any way he wants, and at a highly efficient rate. He’s not the most physically imposing when you think about some of the other seriously tall prospects even in his own conference (I’m not going to mention them a third time by name in just this paragraph), but he’s already off to a very elite start. As much of a Jalen Green fan as I am (and I am), any basketball “fanalyst” worth their salt knows that Sengun is the future of the Rockets’ roster and any potential success they will have will go through him. If the Rockets choose to cement themselves in mediocrity, Sengun will be worth a lot on the trade block, but as long as he doesn’t walk in free agency, there’s hope in Houston yet.
Center - Dereck Lively II - C - Dallas Mavericks - 20y.o
2023-24 Stats: 8.8ppg, 6.9rpg, 1.1apg, 1.4bpg, 74.7%FG
There are surely a handful of people that will balk at Lively’s stats and their earning him his spot, but I would argue that his impact on the Dallas Mavericks’ championship run last year makes him a shoe-in. His field goal percentage, highlighted by him making 16 straight shots in the Western Conference Finals (most ever in a playoff series) make him a key piece of a Dallas team primed to make another run. He always requires attention from a low man defender as a lob threat and offensive rebounding menace, and his placement in the offensive schemes allow further space for Luka Doncic and/or Kyrie Irving to break people down one-on-one. With Klay Thompson joining the ranks, Lively’s attention-grabbing nature will only further allow the Dallas offense to spread themselves all over the floor, and by extension spread their opponents’ defenders as thin as possible. The former #1 high school recruit in his class has shown flashes of a three-point shot at moments, and his frame allows him to be equally game-changing on the defensive side of the ball as the offensive.
“Reserves”
Guard - Scoot Henderson - G - Portland Trail Blazers - 20y.o
2023-24 Stats: 14.0ppg, 3.1rpg, 5.4apg, 38.5%FG
I’m not sure if enough time has passed to be able to call Scoot Henderson “underrated”, but for a guy that (for a while anyway) was mentioned as a 1B to Victor Wembanyama’s 1A for nearly the entire pre-draft cycle, he isn’t getting many props due to a “slow” start. Statistically, there’s a lot he’s been able to do at just twenty that should make Blazer fans hopeful, even if he missed twenty games in his first campaign. The scoring hasn’t come in the most efficient ways, no doubt, but the 82% free throw shooting should give hope that his jump shot will follow the rest of his game. Guards that are more of a “project” seem to be less common than their seven-foot-plus counterparts, so I’m of the opinion that players like Henderson are quicker to be written off than someone who seems more “raw” and just happens to be almost a foot taller than him. As I’ve alluded to, the state of the Blazers’ backcourt seems very unsure at the moment, and part of the reason for that is the fact that this season, Henderson, Anfernee Simons, and Shaedon Sharpe are all going to be making rightful cases for starting spots, and whomever is left on the bench should the Blazers decide not to make an “extra small” lineup their default is going to be irked at minimum. If I was Joe Cronin, I’d take calls on Simons while his value is still high, and put my stock in the duo of Henderson and Shaedon Sharpe, especially with the newest rookie addition of Donovan Clingan seeming to be the future of the middle of the paint.
Forward - Jabari Smith, Jr. - F - Houston Rockets - 21y.o
2023-24 Stats: 13.7ppg, 8.1rpg, 1.6apg, 45.4%FG
It’s easy to forget now, but until basically the morning of the 2022 NBA Draft, Jabari Smith Jr. was more or less the consensus #1 pick, though that may have been inside baseball from the Magic to prevent people from taking interest in Paolo Banchero. While Smith Jr. hasn’t been Banchero in terms of his statistical output, he hasn’t had to be. The situation in Orlando called for someone to step in and be “the guy” right away, while in Houston, Smith Jr. has had the opportunity to slowly step into his role, and be a very solid number two (even number three) option alongside Alperen Sengun, Jalen Green, and others. His numbers and percentages increased across the board from his freshman to sophomore years with the Rockets, and his increased three-point percentage and free-throw percentage should give hope that he’s going to become a real threat as a stretch four who can shoot both from deep and put the ball on the deck to get to the line. The two of them were compared a lot coming into the league, but their situations are requiring much different things from them, and Smith Jr. is still well on his way to becoming a potential All-Star.
Center - Jalen Duren - C - Detroit Pistons - 20y.o
2023-24 Stats: 13.8ppg, 11.6rpg, 2.4apg, 61.9%FG
Rest assured, Detroit fans (all six of you), I didn’t forget about your guy. I’m sorry I didn’t put him in the spot where Lively is, but there’s only so much that I can ignore in terms of being able to come in as a rookie and make an impact on a team that won the entire Western Conference last year. Would Duren have made the same impact had he had Luka/Kyrie/half a chance of going to the playoffs? Maybe, but we both won’t know because he isn’t, and he’s also not a rookie, even if he’s stupid young for his class. The elephant in the room when it comes to the Pistons frontcourt is the fact that, on differing levels, Jalen Duren and Isaiah Stewart offer similar things, and yet they are both still employed by the Pistons. Trajan Langdon (new GM) will likely have his eye on the phone lines when it comes to be trade deadline season, and depending on how serious he is about accelerating the Cade Cunningham timeline, and trying to push for a Play-In spot, Duren could be one that could fetch tremendous value in terms of finding Cunningham a co-star; and should he get moved to a playoff team or a team that’s knocking on the door, he could make a Dereck Lively-esque impact.
Full Rosters
G - Cade Cunningham (DET)
G - Jalen Green (HOU)
F - Paolo Banchero (ORL)
F - Chet Holmgren (OKC)
C - Victor Wembanyama (SAS)
G - Amen Thompson (HOU)
G - Shaedon Sharpe (POR)
F - Brandon Miller (CHA)
F - Alperen Sengun (HOU)
C - Dereck Lively (DAL)
G - Scoot Henderson (POR)
F - Jabari Smith, Jr. (HOU)
C - Jalen Duren (DET)
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