The top 5 Up and Coming NBA Superstars

Photo by JC Gellidon on Unsplash

The 2024 NBA playoffs have been as exciting as any in recent memory and have shown true parity around the league. Maybe the most important lesson they’ve taught fans is the NBA might be ready for a changing of the guard. 

What do Lebron James, Kevin Durant, Joel Embiid, Steph Curry, Anthony Davis, and Giannis Antetokounmpo all have in common besides being generational superstars in the NBA? None of them made the second round of this year’s playoffs.  

Without those familiar faces, fans can now see it could be time for a new group of superstars to dominate the league for the next 10 years.

From youngest to oldest here are those 5 players… 

 

Anthony Edwards – 22 years old 

Recency bias has never been more warranted. Ant can straight-up ball. Not only is he a human highlight reel whose athleticism is unparalleled, but he has all the talent and footwork to go along with it. In this postseason he’s averaging 32.3 points per game (ppg) and shooting nearly 55% from the field. He’s also a takeaway artist. His 1.4 steals per game, over his career, go under the radar because of his offensive output. He’s only 22 years old and this is his first postseason. How much better will he get after three or four more trips to the playoffs? That is something the rest of the NBA should be seriously worried about. He’s improved every year in the NBA and played every game the last two years. He can score at all three levels and defend against the best players. His winning attitude and electric playstyle have revolutionized basketball in Minnesota. He is going to be around for a long time and continue to dominate the league. 

 

Luka Dončić – 24 years old  

The talent in basketball seems to be at an all-time high and the continued improvement of European players is a huge part of that. Luka is a testament to that growth and is one of the most well-rounded players the league has today. He has finished in the top 8 for MVP voting the last four years and is a finalist for the award this year. He won the scoring title this year by averaging 33.9 ppg while playing the most minutes in his career. He also averaged the most assists of his entire career. He’s becoming a more effective scorer and making his teammates better in the process. He may not be the best athlete and blow by defenders with his speed, but he can use his size and vision to pick apart a defense with the very best of them. He’s been a leader ever since he arrived in the NBA, he might just be the most mature 24-year-old in the NBA. His next 10 years will be special.  

 

Ja Morant – 24 years old 

With all the excitement about this year’s playoffs and the new superstars making their marks, everyone seems to have forgotten about Ja. As much as people forgot about Ja, Ja will want to forget about this year. After a suspension for off-the-court activities, Ja played nine games before suffering a shoulder injury that would ultimately end his season. This won’t prohibit the young superstar from being great. Every talented athlete faces adversity and most become great because of it. When Ja is on the court there is no denying his ability. The Rookie of the Year in 2019/20 and the Most Improved Player in 2021/22 Ja has shown the ability to score the basketball. He is arguably the most prolific finisher at the rim in today’s NBA and with an improvement from the three-point line and maturity Ja could light the on fire for the next ten years. 

 

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander – 25 years old 

Shai is the player on this list who has improved the most over his NBA career. It’s crazy to think he only scored 10.8 ppg as a rookie and this year over 30 ppg this year. His growth has been remarkable. Shai is the leader of one of the most impressive young NBA teams the league has ever seen. The entire Thunder squad has an average age of 25. He is a crafty player who uses his length to his advantage on both sides of the floor. On offense, he is silky smooth and attacks the rim but can also pull up from mid-range. Defensively, he gets in the passing and shooting lanes and disrupts offenses like no other. He was third in the NBA for deflections per game with 3.5. His Thunder team led the league in contested shots per game. He is the heart and soul of a talented team that has exceeded all expectations. He will have a long and exciting career. 

 

 

Jayson Tatum – 26 years old  

The oldest player on this list and the only one to make the All-NBA first team twice. Tatum is a proven superstar who continues to lead one of the best teams in the NBA. Tatum has always been incredible. As one of the top prospects out of high school, he went to Duke, a premiere basketball university in America, and then was a top-three draft pick after a single year in college. But, it’s Tatum’s leadership in the league is to be marveled at. He continues to be calm under pressure, and never loses his cool or looks nervous in big games. At 26, he already seems to have the wisdom of a 15-year veteran. Tatum is a true superstar by every definition of the word, and he has already led the Celtics to four conference championships series in his short career, with the possibility of another this year, if he can find that elusive championship he will jump to the forefront of NBA stars.  

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