Another day, another new list, and a new set of rankings! If there is any possible way to break down, evaluate, and rank NBA players and/or teams, you can bet your bottom dollar that someone in the basketball media world is going to do it.
We’ve seen all kinds of power rankings, rankings of best duos, rankings of best trios, future rankings, front office rankings, and on and on and on. In the latest batch of rankings that are going viral, ESPN created their ‘NBA 25 Under 25 - Top Young Stars, ranked by future potential’.
ESPN NBA Insiders Tim Bontemps, Bobby Marks, Kevin Pelton, and Jeremy Woo did just what the article title implies; they ranked the best 25 players under the age of 25. Although the rankings obviously factor in current performance, they are designed to forecast ahead, ranking players on their potential for the future.
Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic had topped this annual list for three straight years, but since he has turned 25, that torch has been passed to Victor Wembanyama. The top 5 were rounded out with Anthony Edwards, Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner, and Chet Holmgren.
Zero Nuggets crack ESPN’s top 25 under 25 rankings
But what was notable for Nuggets fans, was their absence from these rankings. The list went 29 players deep (counting honorable mention) and there was not a Denver player in sight. This isn’t necessarily surprising, in fact, it’s hard to make a strong case that anyone was snubbed.
It is instructive and important though. This is a reminder that the Nuggets’ championship window is right now. All of their key players are in their late 20s and about to enter the home stretch of their respective careers.
The young players on the team like Christian Bruan, Peyton Watson, and Julian Strawther have been playing well, but that’s in very small, well-defined roles. As of now, it doesn’t appear that anyone under the age of 25 will take any kind of leap toward stardom.
Other top teams in the Western Conference have players all over this list; the Thunder have 2 in the top 10, the Rockets have 4 players on the list, the T-Wolves have the #2 player, and the Spurs have #1. The West is very good and only getting better.
Some of these other teams can afford to be patient, but Denver cannot. This is just another example of why the Nuggets need to strike while the iron is hot; they can’t waste a second of Nikola Jokic’s prime. Hopefully, that is at least a few more seasons, but time is precious and everyone else is catching up.