The 25-under-25 is a celebration of the best young players in the NBA, but 25 is never enough. Here are the best players who just missed the cut. For the fourth year in a row, The Step Back is honoring the best young players in the NBA with our 25-under-25. The list is exactly that
25-under-25
Jayson Tatum has taken the league by storm in his first three seasons. Now, the Boston Celtics will rely on him even more. Coming up in basketball, Jayson Tatum was always the headliner of each team he played for. By the time he made it to Duke, it was clear that he would one day
Trae Young has set the NBA world on fire in his first two seasons. Last year he finished in the top five for both points per game and assists per game. What’s next? In high school, Trae Young was a dynamic, high-scoring guard that was a McDonald’s All-American, but his size left scouts puzzled about
John Collins was one of only two players to average at least 20 points, 10 rebounds, and shoot 40 percent on 3-pointers last year. So why aren’t more people talking about him? Since being drafted 19th overall in the 2017 NBA Draft, John Collins has done two things at an elite level: score and rebound.
Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz has shown us what makes him special right from the start. There’s something about playing basketball with the Utah Jazz that allows for a sense of flying under the radar and that’s what Donovan Mitchell has kind of done. But wasn’t he on the All-Rookie team, second in the
OG Anunoby is already one of the NBA’s preeminent defenders. Can he become more than that and help the Toronto Raptors stay in the league’s upper tier? As the prevalence of supersized, ball-dominant offensive creators rises, so too does the importance of versatile defenders who can slow them and offensive role players who complement them.
The Sacramento Kings just gave De’Aaron Fox a max contract extension and he’s earned every penny. This season is his chance to make the leap to a superstar. The Sacramento Kings have not been a successful NBA franchise for quite some time now. Despite routinely finding themselves in the lottery, they have yet to really
The “role player” label is too good for Mikal Bridges, who’s on the verge of breaking out into a special two-way player with the Phoenix Suns. The Phoenix Suns are finally relevant again, and all eyes are turning to their foundational stars: Devin Booker, who’s toiled away for years with lackluster teammates, deprived of the
Heading into his third season, with heightened expectations for the Phoenix Suns and Chris Paul alongside him, it’s gut-check time for Deandre Ayton. The Phoenix Suns‘ 8-0 run in the NBA bubble gets more and more remarkable with each passing day, not only because it helped make the organization look more attractive to established, talented
Domantas Sabonis is quickly becoming one of the best offensive big men in the game. Domantas Sabonis has had quite the evolution during his four-year stint in the NBA. In the first year of his career, which was spent with the Oklahoma City Thunder, the former Gonzaga star looked like a bust, as his 39
D’Angelo Russell is playing for his fourth team in five seasons, looking for an opportunity to finally establish himself as a championship building block. It’s not unusual for NBA players to hop around the league a lot. Most players are expendable, archetypes slotted in and out of line-ups in the hopes that they can provide
Whether or not Tyler Herro is in the starting lineup, he’s proven essential to the Miami Heat’s present and future. The murmur at the AmericanAirlines Arena was reserved for Tyler Herro and him alone. During what was the longest rookie season in NBA history, there were moments — before the Finals, before every new shot
Karl-Anthony Towns is undeniably great, but there are still two big questions about his future with the Minnesota Timberwolves. Karl-Anthony Towns is unquestionably very good. He’s a 23-year-old seven-footer who can score from anywhere on the floor and do anything he’s asked to do on that end. That includes 3-point shooting, where three seasons’ worth
Nikola Jokic entered the NBA a year after being drafted out of Europe and has since become a force. At his age, is he a legitimate MVP candidate? It starts with his passing. This is by design, of course. Once he finishes his loping, seemingly disinterested jog to the top of the key, someone, usually
We haven’t seen Kristaps Porzingis play since 2018, but the expectations for him are at an all-time high. When the Dallas Mavericks traded for Kristaps Porzingis in February, the transaction was met with surprise, shock, excitement and then tempered anxiety. He hasn’t played in over a year, will he return to All-Star form? Will he
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