虎扑体育网

Top 20 NBA players under 25 years old: Luka Doncic, Ja Morant and Anthony Edwards lead star-studded list

The league is in good hands with these young (and emerging) stars

By Jasmyn Wimbish 10 hrs ago

原文地址：https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/top-20-nba-players-under-25-years-old-luka-doncic-ja-morant-and-anthony-edwards-lead-star-studded-list/

原文如下：

In the world of sports we're always looking for the next big thing. Whose going to be the next MVP, whose going to get drafted No. 1 overall. It's why in every sport players are scouted from such a young age. And it's especially true for pro basketball prospects, considering that top teenage talents are evaluated as early as they reach junior high. The same holds true for current NBA players. Yes, guys like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Stephen Curry are still the face of the league, but we also have to keep track of the younger talent to see who has the potential to fill their shoes once those future Hall of Famers are done playing.

It's why lists like "top players under 25" exist. While it may seem like an arbitrary number, when you're under the age of 25 in the NBA you have yet to really hit your prime. If you look at the youngest players to win league MVP, most guys didn't get those awards until their mid-20s, save for a few outliers like Derrick Rose (22), Wilt Chamberlain (23) and Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (23). Though some guys already appear to be hitting their primes by earning multiple All-Star and All-NBA nods, all of the guys listed below still have room for significant growth and development as their best playing days are still ahead of them.

Here are the Top 20 under 25 players in the NBA, according to the panel of writers that collectively produced CBS Sports' 2023-24 top 100 player rankings:

20. Nicolas Claxton

BKN • C • #33

PPG

12.6

RPG

9.2

BPG

2.49

One of 2022-23's breakout players, Claxton was a legitimate Defensive Player of the Year candidate for the Nets. Few bigs are as comfortable switching onto the perimeter and, now that he's bulked up a bit, few can bully him on the interior anymore. Claxton's free-throw shooting (54.1%) still needs to improve, but his finishing (78% at the rim, per Cleaning the Glass) is otherworldly and he's crafty with dribble-handoffs and in the short roll. -- James Herbert

19. Tyler Herro

MIA • PG • #14

PPG

20.1

APG

4.2

SPG

.76

3P/G

3.03

Despite taking small hits in efficiency from his breakout 2021-22 campaign, Herro once again averaged over 20 points per game while shooting 38% from 3-point range. He also notched career highs in rebounds (5.4) and assists per game (4.2), while leading the league with a 93.4% free throw percentage. Herro's defensive shortcomings tend to rear their ugly head in the playoffs, but the Heat certainly missed his scoring and shot creation at various times throughout their Finals run. -- Colin Ward-Henninger

18. Chet Holmgren

OKC • C • #7

PPG

0

RPG

0

BPG

0

If you watched Holmgren in Summer League, you understand the hype around him. He's already an elite shot-blocker who can stretch the floor as a legitimate 3-point shooter. With Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being arguably the best driver in the league, Holmgren is going to feast on pick-and-pops and kick out jumpers. -- Brad Botkin

17. Jalen Williams

OKC • SF • #8

PPG

14.1

APG

3.3

SPG

1.37

3P/G

.973

Williams scored 27-plus points four times after the All-Star break, but the most encouraging part of his rookie season is how well he projects to fit alongside Oklahoma City's other young talent. A big, strong wing who can guard multiple positions, create for himself and play off the ball, he has the potential to be the type of star who makes other stars better. -- Herbert

16. Scottie Barnes

TOR • SF • #4

PPG

15.3

APG

4.8

SPG

1.08

3P/G

.818

Barnes' sophomore season certainly wasn't "bad," but it was a good reminder that development is not always linear in the NBA. After a stellar Rookie of the Year campaign, Barnes plateaued, and even regressed in some areas, at least statistically. Still, he remains a highly versatile forward and one of the league's most interesting players. Fred VanVleet's departure and new head coach Darko Rajakovic's arrival should provide more opportunities for Barnes to act as a decision-maker and show off his passing ability. But in order for him to become a star, he's going to have to improve as a scorer; last season he shot 237 of 670 (35.4%) outside of the restricted area. -- Jack Maloney

15. Josh Giddey

OKC • PG • #3

PPG

16.6

APG

6.2

SPG

.75

3P/G

1

Giddey has already become an important part of the Thunder's impressive young core. The Australian guard is one of the league's most creative passers and made a big leap as a scorer last year. Giddey's biggest weakness is his jump shot, but he converted 48.1% of his field goals last season after shooting under 42% from the field as a rookie. His outside shot is a work in progress, but his rebounding and playmaking on the break make him one of the NBA's best under-the-radar creators. -- Ameer Tyree

14. Tyrese Maxey

PHI • PG

PPG

20.3

APG

3.5

SPG

.82

3P/G

2.667

A speed demon who has developed into a 43% 3-point shooter, Maxey has proven to be a dangerous third option on a championship-contending team. Can he handle more playmaking responsibility? Can he continue to improve as a point-of-attack defender? He doesn't turn 23 until November, so there's plenty of upside here, but at the moment Maxey must be ranked behind the pretty lengthy list of guards who don't have these question marks. -- Herbert

13. Victor Wembanyama

SA • C

PPG

0

RPG

0

BPG

0

Ranking Wembanyama before his debut is an extraordinarily difficult task not because we haven't seen him play in the NBA yet, but because we've never seen anyone like him play in the NBA before. The basketball world has never seen a 7-foot-3 isolation scorer with 3-point range as both a shooter and a shot-blocker. The range of outcomes here is so wide that Wembanyama might be No. 1 on this list before long. His combination of physical tools and tangible skills is unparalleled in basketball history. The only question is how long it will take for him to figure out how to use them on the NBA stage. -- Sam Quinn

12. Paolo Banchero

ORL • PF • #5

PPG

20

RPG

6.9

BPG

.54

Last season's No. 1 pick proved in his first year as a pro that his talent is eons ahead of his actual age. When you watch Banchero play, he just moves around the court with the knowledge of a seasoned veteran not a 20-year-old sophomore. He broke several league and Magic franchise records en route to being named Rookie of the Year, and he followed that up by becoming a standout player for Team USA in the FIBA World Cup. Banchero is a 6-foot-10 forward with the handle of a guard, the strength of a big and the scoring capability to make him an All-Star in the very near future. He needs to work on his 3-point efficiency, but that was one of very few weaknesses he displayed last season. He's in line for another big year in Orlando, and between him and Franz Wagner, it's clear the Magic have a promising young tandem to build around going forward. -- Jasmyn Wimbish

11. Franz Wagner

ORL • SG • #22

PPG

18.6

APG

3.5

SPG

.96

3P/G

1.625

The versatile German swingman is fresh off a successful sophomore campaign for the Magic in which he averaged 18.6 points, 4.1 rebounds, and 3.5 assists. Wagner hardly ever misses games and consistently brings effort as an on-ball scorer and slasher. His fluidity on defense makes him especially impressive, as he's mobile enough to stay with guards and bigs to make the jobs of players around him easier. Wagner has the potential to blossom into one of the NBA's best two-way wings in time. -- Tyree

10. Cade Cunningham

DET • SG • #2

PPG

19.9

APG

6

SPG

.83

3P/G

1.417

Cunningham became a forgotten man after a leg fracture brought an early end to his sophomore season. The 2021 No. 1 overall pick logged just 12 games with the Pistons before the injury, but was no slouch in that limited sample, with averages of 19.9 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 6.0 assists. All three of those stats were improvements from his rookie season. Cunningham impressed as a member of the Select team ahead of the 2023 FIBA World Cup and will look to assert himself as one of the NBA's best young guards going into his third season. -- Tyree

9. Evan Mobley

CLE • PF • #4

PPG

16.2

RPG

9

BPG

1.51

Besides instant champions like Tim Duncan and Bill Russell, you'd be hard-pressed to find a big man who entered the NBA as polished defensively as Evan Mobley did in 2021. The do-it-all forward snuck the Cavaliers into the top five defensively as a rookie and then carried them to the No. 1 ranking in his second season. No other 21st-century big man has matched that feat so quickly, and no other 21-year-old big man has ever been named first-team All-Defense, either. Mobley still has room to improve, as his first-round bullying at the hands of the Knicks proved. But big men simply aren't this good at this young of an age. He is already perfectly capable of switching onto any perimeter player and even guarding elite wings for full games. Once he beefs up a bit, he'll have a chance to become one of the best defenders of his generation. -- Quinn

8. LaMelo Ball

CHA • PG • #1

PPG

23.3

APG

8.4

SPG

1.28

3P/G

4

Ball's health issues were one of the many problems that plagued the Hornets last season. When he was healthy, he reached new highs in points and assists per game in his third NBA season, but only managed to suit up for 36 games. Ball undoubtedly has the talent to live up to the max extension he signed, but he's yet to play meaningful playoff basketball as his team's leader. He lacks discipline on the defensive end but makes up for his shortcomings by scoring, rebounding, and playmaking at such a high level. Ball simply has to stay on the court and contribute more to winning. -- Tyree

7. Darius Garland

CLE • PG • #10

PPG

21.6

APG

7.8

SPG

1.23

3P/G

2.449

Garland got off to a slow start last season and fell short of making a second straight All-Star game last season following the arrival of Donovan Mitchell in Cleveland. However, he continued to showcase elite playmaking and efficient shotmaking while sharing the backcourt with a high-volume shooter. He nearly matched his 2021-22 scoring average with 21.6 points per game and shot a career-high 41.2% from beyond the arc. Whether he has enough room to grow with the Cavs' current personnel remains to be seen. Evan Mobley is looking to get more involved on offense and the Cavs added some much-needed wing scoring over the offseason. -- Tyree

6. Jaren Jackson Jr.

MEM • PF • #13

PPG

18.6

RPG

6.8

BPG

3

One of the NBA's premier young stars, Jackson broke out on both ends of the floor last season. He led the league with three blocks per game and took home Defensive Player of the Year honors, all while averaging career highs in points, rebounds and field goal percentage with 50.6%. His 28.4 minutes per game were a talking point, and he still gets into too much foul trouble, but his impact is undeniable -- the Grizzlies' net rating improved over 10 points per 100 possessions with him on the floor. The absolute prototype of a modern NBA defensive big, Jackson protects the rim, is capable of switching onto guards, and poses a menacing threat when closing out on 3-point shooters. -- Ward-Henninger

5. Zion Williamson

NO • PF • #1

PPG

26

RPG

7

BPG

.55

On Dec. 7, the Pelicans defeated the Pistons to become the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. They followed that up with two quick wins over the Phoenix Suns. During this time, Williamson was getting serious MVP buzz. From that point on, he would play only eight more games the rest of the season. That's the dilemma that comes with ranking him. The NBA's best interior scorer would compete for those accolades every year if he could ever stay on the floor long enough to do so. This is the floor for a player with his gifts. The upside of having potentially the best player in the NBA is worth the reality that he may never stay healthy enough to see a postseason game. -- Quinn

4. Tyrese Haliburton

IND • PG

PPG

15.3

APG

8.2

SPG

1.74

3P/G

2.091

One player averaged at least 20 points and 10 assists per game on 40% 3-point shooting last year: Haliburton. He's already an All-Star and will likely be a perennial All-NBA candidate every healthy season moving forward. He's that good. Before Haliburton went down in mid-January with an injury, he had the Pacers as a top-six seed. I have a feeling this is a guy who will forever struggle to get the actual amount of superstar respect he deserves -- think Jalen Brunson type -- but we'll look up at the end of his career and find that his teams were always consistent winners and the players around him will have had some of the best years of their careers. -- Botkin

3. Anthony Edwards

MIN • SG • #1

PPG

24.6

APG

4.4

SPG

1.58

3P/G

2.696

It wasn't especially surprising to hear Bruce Brown call the Timberwolves the hardest opponent Denver faced en route to their first championship. He had to spend most of that series guarding Anthony Edwards, who averaged 35 points in the final four games of that series, all decided by single digits. Edwards carried that momentum into a stellar run for Team USA, one of the NBA's great star-creation vehicles. Athletically gifted, increasingly reliable from deep, steadily improving as a playmaker and even committed to playing hard-nosed defense, Edwards was built in a lab to be a flawless NBA shooting guard. With a new max contract to his name, this will be the season Edwards ascends to the upper echelon of NBA stardom. -- Quinn

2. Ja Morant

MEM • PG • #12

PPG

26.2

APG

8.1

SPG

1.08

3P/G

1.508

Morant is among the most electrifying players to watch in the league, and while his efficiency took a step back last season, his impact was still crucial to Memphis' success. He gets to the rim practically at will, ranking in the 93rd percentile among guards by using his quick first step and freakish athleticism to get by even the best defender. He's an absolute terror in transition, something that happens often with the Grizzlies ranking third in transition frequency. But it's not just his on-ball presence that makes him a headache to guard. If you're not careful, you might just be the next person to get posterized by Morant as he's cutting toward the rim to catch a lob pass. The All-Star guard will miss the first 25 games of the season due to a league suspension, but when he returns, he's sure to make an immediate impact on a Grizzlies team with championship aspirations. -- Wimbish

1. Luka Doncic

DAL • PG • #77

PPG

32.4

APG

8

SPG

1.36

3P/G

2.803

At just 24 years old, Doncic already has as many first-team All-NBA selections as Stephen Curry, Chris Paul and recent Hall of Fame inductee Dirk Nowitzki. And while the Mavericks missed the playoffs altogether last season, it wasn't due to a lack of effort from Doncic. Amidst roster turnover, the Slovenian guard once again carried the weight of Dallas' offense on his shoulders, averaging a career-high in points while shooting the ball at a 49.6% clip, also the best of his career. With offseason improvements geared towards supplying Doncic with more help, we should get an even more efficient version of the All-Star guard who hopefully won't be asked to do it all again. -- Wimbish

翻译如下：25岁以下NBA球员前20名：卢卡·东契奇、贾·莫兰特和安东尼·爱德华兹领衔众星云集

联盟由这些年轻（和新兴）球星精心管理

作者：Jasmyn Wimbish 10 小时前

在体育界，我们总是在寻找下一件大事。谁将成为下一个MVP，谁将在第一顺位被选中。这就是为什么每一项运动的运动员都从很小的时候就被发掘。对于职业篮球前景来说尤其如此，因为顶尖的青少年天才在进入初中时就受到了评估。对于现在的NBA球员来说也是如此。是的，像勒布朗·詹姆斯、凯文·杜兰特和斯蒂芬·库里这样的球员仍然是联盟的代言人，但我们也必须跟踪年轻的天才球员，看看一旦这些未来的名人堂成员完成后，谁有潜力填补他们的空缺。

这就是为什么存在“25岁以下顶尖球员”这样的名单。虽然这看起来像是一个随意的数字，但当你在 NBA 中还不到 25 岁时，你还没有真正达到自己的巅峰期。如果你看看赢得联盟 MVP 的最年轻球员，大多数人直到 20 多岁才获得这些奖项，除了德里克·罗斯（22 岁）、威尔特·张伯伦（23 岁）和卡里姆·阿卜杜勒-贾巴尔（23 岁）等少数例外。 ）。尽管有些球员似乎已经通过多次入选全明星和NBA最佳阵容而达到了巅峰，但下面列出的所有球员仍然有显着的成长和发展空间，因为他们最好的比赛日子仍在前方。 以下是 NBA 20 岁以下 25 岁以下球员中排名前 20 的球员，根据共同制作 CBS Sports 2023-24 年 100 名球员排名的作家小组的数据：

20.尼古拉斯·克拉克斯顿BKN • C • #33 PPG 12.6 RPG 9.2 BPG 2.49

作为 2022-23 赛季突破性球员之一，克拉克斯顿是网队年度最佳防守球员的合法候选人。很少有大个子能够像他一样轻松地转入外线，而且现在他的体型有所增强，很少有人能再在内线欺负他了。克拉克斯顿的罚球命中率（54.1%）仍然需要提高，但他的终结能力（根据《Cleaning the Glass》，篮筐命中率为 78%）超凡脱俗，而且他在运球手递手和短距离投篮方面也很狡猾。 ——詹姆斯·赫伯特

19.泰勒·赫罗MIA·PG·#14 PPG 20.1 APG 4.2 SPG .76 3P/G 3.03

尽管希罗在 2021-22 赛季的突破中效率有所下降，但他再次场均得分超过 20 分，三分球命中率达到 38%。他的场均篮板数（5.4）和助攻数（4.2）均创职业生涯新高，同时以 93.4% 的罚球命中率领先联盟。希罗的防守缺陷往往会在季后赛中暴露出来，但热火队在总决赛的不同时期肯定错过了他的得分和投篮机会。 ——科林·沃德-亨宁格

18.切特·霍姆格伦雷霆队 • C • #7 PPG 0 RPG 0 BPG 0

如果你看过夏季联赛中霍姆格伦的比赛，你就会明白围绕他的炒作。他已经是一名优秀的盖帽手，可以作为一名合法的三分射手扩大进攻范围。谢伊·吉尔杰斯·亚历山大可以说是联盟中最好的车手，霍姆格伦将享受挡拆和跳投的乐趣。 ——布拉德·博特金

17.杰伦·威廉姆斯雷霆队•小前锋•#8 PPG 14.1 APG 3.3 SPG 1.37 3P/G .973

威廉姆斯在全明星赛后四次得分超过 27 分，但他新秀赛季最令人鼓舞的部分是他与俄克拉荷马城其他年轻天才的配合。作为一名高大、强壮的侧翼球员，他可以防守多个位置，为自己创造机会并打无球，他有潜力成为那种让其他球星变得更好的球星。 ——赫伯特

16.斯科蒂·巴恩斯TOR • SF • #4 PPG 15.3 APG 4.8 SPG 1.08 3P/G .818

巴恩斯的第二个赛季当然并不“糟糕”，但这很好地提醒了我们，在NBA，发展并不总是线性的。在经历了出色的年度新秀赛季后，巴恩斯的表现趋于稳定，甚至在某些方面出现了倒退，至少在统计上是这样。尽管如此，他仍然是一名多才多艺的前锋，也是联盟最有趣的球员之一。弗雷德·范弗利特的离开和新任主教练达科·拉贾科维奇的到来应该会为巴恩斯提供更多机会担任决策者并展示他的传球能力。但为了让他成为明星，他必须提高得分手的水平；上赛季他在禁区外670投237中（35.4%）。 ——杰克·马洛尼

15.乔什·吉迪雷霆队 • 控球后卫 • #3 PPG 16.6 APG 6.2 SPG .75 3P/G 1

吉迪已经成为雷霆年轻核心的重要组成部分。这位澳大利亚后卫是联盟中最具创造力的传球手之一，去年在得分手方面取得了巨大飞跃。吉迪最大的弱点是跳投，但上赛季他的投篮命中率达到了48.1%，而新秀时的投篮命中率还低于42%。他的外线投篮能力还有待提高，但他的篮板能力和突破能力使他成为 NBA 最好的低调创造者之一。 ——阿米尔·泰里

14.泰瑞斯·马克西PHI • PG PPG 20.3 APG 3.5 SPG .82 3P/G 2.667

马克西是一名速度恶魔，现已成长为 43% 的三分球命中率，事实证明他是冠军争夺队中危险的第三选择。他能承担更多的组织责任吗？作为一名进攻点防守者，他能继续进步吗？他要到 11 月才满 23 岁，所以这里有很多上升空间，但目前马克西肯定排在一长串没有这些问号的后卫名单后面。 ——赫伯特

13. 维克多·文班亚马SA•C PPG 0 RPG 0 BPG 0

在温班亚马首次亮相之前对他进行排名是一项极其困难的任务，不是因为我们还没有看到他在 NBA 打球，而是因为我们以前从未见过像他这样的人在 NBA 打球。篮球界还从未见过一位身高 7 英尺 3 英寸、三分球命中率兼具的投手和盖帽手。这里的结果范围如此之广，以至于不久之后 Wembanyama 可能会成为该列表中的第一名。他的身体素质和实际技能的结合在篮球史上是无与伦比的。唯一的问题是他需要多长时间才能弄清楚如何在NBA舞台上使用它们。 ——萨姆·奎因

12. 保罗·班切罗ORL • PF • #5 PPG 20 RPG 6.9 BPG .54

上赛季的状元秀在他成为职业球员的第一年就证明了他的天赋远远超出了他的实际年龄。当你观看 Banchero 比赛时，你会发现他只是在球场上走来走去，他的知识就像经验丰富的老将，而不是 20 岁的二年级生。在被评为年度最佳新秀的过程中，他打破了多项联盟和魔术队的记录，随后他又成为美国队在国际篮联世界杯上的杰出球员。班切罗是一名身高 6 英尺 10 英寸的前锋，拥有后卫般的控球能力、大个子的力量和得分能力，这使他在不久的将来成为全明星。他需要提高三分效率，但这是他上赛季表现出的极少数弱点之一。他将在奥兰多度过又一个重要的一年，在他和弗朗茨·瓦格纳之间，很明显魔术队有一个有前途的年轻组合可以围绕着未来进行建设。 ——贾斯敏·温比什

11.弗朗茨·瓦格纳ORL • SG • #22 PPG 18.6 APG 3.5 SPG .96 3P/G 1.625

这位多才多艺的德国摇摆人刚刚在魔术队度过了成功的二年级赛季，场均贡献 18.6 分、4.1 个篮板和 3.5 次助攻。瓦格纳几乎从不缺席比赛，并且作为一名持球得分手和杀手，始终如一地付出努力。他在防守上的流动性让他尤其令人印象深刻，因为他的机动性足以与后卫和大个子呆在一起，让他周围的球员的工作变得更容易。瓦格纳有潜力成长为 NBA 最好的双向侧翼之一。 ——泰里

10.凯德·坎宁安DET • SG • #2 PPG 19.9 APG 6 SPG .83 3P/G 1.417

坎宁安因腿部骨折提前结束了大二赛季，因此成为了一个被遗忘的人。这位2021年的状元秀在受伤之前只为活塞队打了12场比赛，但在有限的样本中他的表现并不逊色，场均贡献19.9分、6.2个篮板和6.0次助攻。所有这三项数据都比他的新秀赛季有所进步。坎宁安在 2023 年国际篮联世界杯之前作为精选队的一员给人留下了深刻的印象，他将在进入第三个赛季时努力证明自己是 NBA 最好的年轻后卫之一。 ——泰里

9.埃文·莫布里CLE • PF • #4 PPG 16.2 RPG 9 BPG 1.51

除了蒂姆·邓肯和比尔·拉塞尔这样的即时冠军球员之外，你很难找到一个像埃文·莫布里在 2021 年进入 NBA 那样防守出色的大个子。这位全能前锋带领骑士队跻身前五作为新秀，他在防守上表现出色，并在第二个赛季将球队带到了排名第一的位置。没有其他 21 世纪的大个子能够如此快地完成这一壮举，也没有其他 21 岁的大个子入选最佳防守阵容第一队。莫布里仍然有进步的空间，他在第一轮被尼克斯队欺凌的经历就证明了这一点。但大个子在这么年轻的时候根本就没有这么好。他已经完全有能力换防任何外线球员，甚至可以在整场比赛中防守精英侧翼球员。一旦他变得更强，他将有机会成为他这一代最好的防守者之一。 ——奎因

8.拉梅洛·鲍尔CHA • PG • #1 PPG 23.3 APG 8.4 SPG 1.28 3P/G 4

鲍尔的健康问题是上赛季困扰黄蜂队的众多问题之一。当他健康时，他在自己的第三个NBA赛季中创下了场均得分和助攻的新高，但只打了36场比赛。鲍尔无疑有能力履行他所签下的最大续约合同，但他还没有作为球队的领袖打出有意义的季后赛。他在防守端缺乏纪律性，但通过高水平的得分、篮板和组织进攻弥补了自己的缺陷。鲍尔只需要留在场上并为胜利做出更多贡献即可。 ——泰里

7.达流斯·加兰CLE • PG • #10 PPG 21.6 APG 7.8 SPG 1.23 3P/G 2.449

加兰上赛季开局缓慢，在多诺万·米切尔抵达克利夫兰后，他未能连续第二次入选全明星赛。然而，他继续展示了精英的组织能力和高效的投篮能力，同时与高射量的射手共享后场。他场均得分 21.6 分，接近追平 2021-22 赛季的场均得分，三分线外命中率达到职业生涯最高的 41.2%。他是否有足够的空间与骑士队现有的人员一起成长还有待观察。埃文·莫布里希望更多地参与进攻，骑士队在休赛期增加了一些急需的侧翼得分。 ——泰里

6. 小贾伦·杰克逊MEM • PF • #13 PPG 18.6 RPG 6.8 BPG 3

作为NBA最优秀的年轻球星之一，杰克逊上赛季在攻防两端都有爆发。他以场均 3 个盖帽领跑联盟，并获得了年度最佳防守球员的荣誉，同时他的场均得分、篮板和投篮命中率达到了职业生涯新高（50.6%）。他场均 28.4 分钟的上场时间是一个话题，而且他仍然陷入太多的犯规麻烦，但他的影响是不可否认的——当他在场时，灰熊队的净效率每 100 回合提高 10 分以上。杰克逊是现代 NBA 防守大个子的绝对原型，他可以保护篮筐，能够换防后卫，并在逼抢三分射手时构成威胁。 ——沃德·亨宁格

5.锡安·威廉姆森否 • PF • #1 PPG 26 RPG 7 BPG .55

12月7日，鹈鹕队击败活塞队，成为西部第一种子队。随后他们又快速战胜了菲尼克斯太阳队。在此期间，威廉姆森获得了 MVP。从那时起，他在本赛季余下的比赛中只打了八场比赛。这就是对他进行排名所带来的困境。如果这位 NBA 最好的内线得分手能够在场上停留足够长的时间，他每年都会争夺这些荣誉。这是一个拥有天赋的球员的地板。拥有 NBA 中最好的潜在球员的好处是值得的，因为他可能永远无法保持足够的健康来观看季后赛。 ——奎因

4.泰瑞斯·哈利伯顿IND • PG PPG 15.3 APG 8.2 SPG 1.74 3P/G 2.091

去年，有一位球员以 40% 的三分命中率场均贡献至少 20 分和 10 次助攻：哈利伯顿。他已经是一名全明星球员，并且很可能在每个健康的赛季中成为常年入选 NBA 最佳阵容的候选人。他就是那么好。在哈利伯顿在一月中旬因伤缺阵之前，他带领的步行者队是前六名的种子球队。我有一种感觉，这个人将永远努力获得他应得的真正的超级巨星尊重——想想杰伦·布伦森类型——但我们会在他职业生涯结束时发现他的球队总是稳定的胜利者和他周围的球员将度过他们职业生涯中最好的几年。 ——博特金

3.安东尼·爱德华兹MIN • SG • #1 PPG 24.6 APG 4.4 SPG 1.58 3P/G 2.696

听到布鲁斯·布朗称森林狼队是丹佛在获得第一个总冠军的过程中遇到的最难对付的对手，这并不特别令人惊讶。系列赛的大部分时间他都在防守安东尼·爱德华兹，而后者在系列赛的最后四场比赛中场均得到 35 分，且比分都是个位数。爱德华兹将这一势头带入了美国队的辉煌战绩，美国队是NBA最伟大的造星工具之一。爱德华兹拥有运动天赋，在后场越来越可靠，作为组织核心的能力稳步提高，甚至致力于打出顽强的防守，爱德华兹在实验室里被培养成一名完美的 NBA 得分后卫。凭借一份新的顶薪合同，爱德华兹将在本赛季跻身 NBA 球星的上层。 ——奎因

2.贾·莫兰特MEM • PG • #12 PPG 26.2 APG 8.1 SPG 1.08 3P/G 1.508

莫兰特是联盟中最令人兴奋的球员之一，虽然上赛季他的效率有所下降，但他的影响力仍然对孟菲斯的成功至关重要。他几乎可以随心所欲地冲击篮筐，在后卫中排名第 93%，他凭借快速的第一步和怪异的运动能力甚至可以过掉最好的防守者。他在攻防转换中绝对是个恐怖分子，这种情况在灰熊队攻防转换频率排名第三的球队中经常发生。但让他成为防卫头疼的不仅仅是他的持球表现。如果你不小心，你可能就是下一个被莫兰特切入篮筐接高球传球的人。这位全明星后卫将因联盟停赛而缺席本赛季的前 25 场比赛，但当他回归时，他肯定会对渴望冠军的灰熊队产生立竿见影的影响。 ——温比什

1.卢卡·东契奇DAL·PG·#77 PPG 32.4 APG 8 SPG 1.36 3P/G 2.803

年仅 24 岁的东契奇已经与斯蒂芬·库里、克里斯·保罗和最近入选名人堂的德克·诺维茨基一样入选 NBA 最佳阵容一线队。虽然小牛上赛季完全无缘季后赛，但这并不是因为东契奇缺乏努力。在阵容更替的情况下，这位斯洛文尼亚后卫再次肩负起达拉斯进攻的重担，场均得分创下职业生涯新高，投篮命中率达到49.6%，这也是他职业生涯的最高命中率。随着休赛期的改进旨在为东契奇提供更多帮助，我们应该得到一个更高效的全明星后卫，希望他不会被要求再次做这一切。 ——温比什

----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------