NBA’s Top 24 Under 24 Players

The NBA’s Top 24 Under 24 Players list is out, and there are some surprises. See who made the cut and who didn’t.

Kyrie Irving

Kyrie Irving is an American professional basketball player for the Brooklyn Nets of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He was named Rookie of the Year after being selected by the Cleveland Cavaliers with the first overall pick in the 2011 NBA draft A six-time NBA All-Star and two-time member of the All-NBA team he won an NBA Championship with the Cavaliers in 2016. He has also played for Team USA in the 2014 and 2016 FIBA World Cup winning gold medals both times.

Bradley Beal

Bradley Beal 23, comes in at #9 on the list of the NBA’s Top 24 Under 24 Players. The Washington shooting guard is in his sixth season and is averaging 22.6 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 2.9 assists per game

Anthony Davis

Coming off of his rookie season, Davis was simply dominant at the Power Forward Position He averaged 13.5 points, 8.2 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game while shooting 51% from the field and 79% from the Free Throw Line His PER of 21.8 was good for fourth in the entire league, and his WS/48 mark of .159 was sixth. Davis was also a key cog in one of the best defenses in the league, as the Pelicans allowed 6.4 fewer points per 100 possessions with him on the floor.

Damian Lillard

Damian Lillard is one of the NBA’s best young players At just 24 years old, he’s already made a name for himself as one of the league’s top scorers and most dynamic players.

A native of Oakland, California, Lillard was drafted by the Portland Trail Blazers in 2012 with the sixth overall pick. He quickly established himself as a star in the league, averaging 19.0 points and 6.5 assists per game in his rookie season. He was named the NBA Rookie of the Year, becoming just the third player in Trail Blazers history to win the award.

Lillard has only continued to get better in his three seasons since then. He’s averaged at least 21.0 points and 6.0 assists per game in each of those seasons, and he was named an All-Star for the first time in 2016. He’s also developed into one of the league’s best three-point shooters, connecting on 39 percent of his three-point attempts over his career.

There’s no doubt that Lillard is one of the NBA’s top young players and he figures to only get better as he enters his prime years

Andre Drummond

Andre Drummond who just turned 23 in August, is one of the most physically imposing players in the NBA. Standing 6’11” and weighing 279 pounds, he is a massive human being. His 7’6″ wingspan is the longest in the NBA, and his 12’1″ standing reach is second only to Rudy Gobert He’s so big and so long that he makes other big men look like small forwards

Rudy Gobert

Rudy Gobert is a 7’0” center from France who was drafted by the Nuggets with the 27th pick in the 2013 NBA Draft He was then traded to the Utah Jazz where he has played his entire career. Gobert is a two-Ime Nba All-Star and a two-time NBA Defensive Player of the Year. He is also a two-time member of the NBA All-Defensive First Team. In 2017, he was named to the All-NBA Second Team

Karl-Anthony Towns

Karl-Anthony Towns who turned 22 in November, is the latest example of a new breed of center. He’s not just a big guy who can score near the basket; he’s a 7-footer with 3-point range and the agility to defend pick-and-rolls. He’s also a willing passer with good Court Vision All of those skills were on display last season, when Towns averaged 25.1 points, 12.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 54 percent from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range.

Kristaps Porzingis

Kristaps Porzingis who plays for the New York Knicks is the fourth best player in the NBA’s Top 24 Under 24 list. He is a 7-foot-3 forward/center who was born in Latvia and played professionally there before being drafted by the Knicks in 2015. He averaged 18.1 points, 7.2 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game last season.

Joel Embiid

Joel Hans Embiid is a Cameroonian professional basketball player for the Philadelphia 76ers of the National Basketball Association (NBA). After one year of college basketball with the Kansas Jayhawks he was drafted with the third overall pick in the 2014 NBA Draft by the 76ers.Multiple foot and Knee injuries delayed his debut until the 2016–17 season, when he was named to the NBA All-Rookie First Team. He played his first professional game on October 4, 2016. In just his second season, he was selected as an All-Star and led the Sixers to their first playoff appearance since 2012. He has been nicknamed “The Process” due to former Sixers General Manager Sam Hinkie’s “Process” tanking strategy.

Ben Simmons

At only 22 years old, Ben Simmons of the Philadelphia
76ers is one of the NBA’s top 24 players under the age of 24. Among his many accolades, he was named the NBA Rookie of the Year in 2018 and is a two-time NBA All-Star He is also one of only four players in NBA history to average at least 16 points, 8 assists, 8 rebounds, and 1 steal per game in a single season. As Simmons continues to develop his skills and rack up accomplishments, it’s safe to say that he has a very bright future ahead of him.

Devin Booker

At just 22 years old, Devin Booker is the NBA’s youngest player to top 2,000 points in a season. The sixth overall pick in the 2015 draft has already dipped below the 30-point mark just four times in his career, and he’s coming off a campaign in which he averaged 24.9 points, 4.5 assists and 4.7 rebounds while shooting 38.3 percent from three-point range

Donovan Mitchell

Mitchell was the 13th overall pick in last year’s stacked NBA draft and he proceeded to put up one of the best rookie seasons in recent memory. The 21-year-old scored 20.5 points per game while shooting 34.0 percent from three-point range, and he did all of that while leading the Jazz to a 48-win season and a playoff berth. Mitchell was also one of the best Defensive Players among rookies, averaging 1.5 steals per game.

Jayson Tatum

At just 20 years old, Jayson Tatum is already one of the best players in the NBA. The third-year forward out of Duke was named to the All-Star team in 2019, and he was a key player on the Boston Celtics team that made it to the Eastern Conference Finals.

Tatum is an incredible scorer, averaging over 20 points per game in his career so far. He’s also a gifted shooter, making over 40% of his three-point attempts. But what sets Tatum apart from other great scorers is his willingness to play defense He’s already one of the best perimeter defenders in the league, and he’s only going to get better as he continues to develop his skills.

There’s no doubt that Tatum has a bright future ahead of him. He’s already one of the best players in the NBA, and he’s still got plenty of room to grow. It won’t be long before he’s considered one of the best players in the league, period.

Zion Williamson

#1: Zion Williamson New Orleans Pelicans
Even before Zion Williamson was drafted first overall in the 2019 NBA draft he was one of the most highly anticipated prospects in recent memory. The 6’6″, 285-pound forward did not disappoint during his rookie season, averaging 22.5 points and 6.3 rebounds in 24 games while shooting 58.3% from the field and 34.4% from three-point range. Williamson has the size and strength to bully opposing defenses in the post, but he also has the agility and touch to finish above the rim with ease. With his unique combination of size, strength, and athleticism, Williamson has the potential to be one of the best players in the NBA for years to come.

Luka Doncic

20-year-old Dallas Mavericks superstar Luka Doncic is the reigning NBA Rookie of the Year, and he’s already one of the best players in the league. He’s a 6’7″ forward who can do it all on the court, and he’s only getting better. Doncic is a huge part of the future of the NBA, and he’s sure to be one of the Top Players for years to come.

Trae Young

Trae Young 21, is already one of the best point guards in the NBA. The 5-foot-11 playmaker entered the league with high expectations after a spectacular freshman season at Oklahoma, and he’s more than lived up to the hype.

Young is averaging 29.6 points and 9.3 assists per game for the Hawks, who are off to a surprising 12-10 start. He’s also shooting an impressive 39.5 percent from 3-point range.

Not only is Young one of the best players under 24 years old, he’s also one of the best players period. He’s been especially great lately, averaging 32.5 points and 10 assists over his last 10 games.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Oklahoma City Thunder (23)

SGA’s game has always been a bit ahead of his years, and that was magnified when he took yet another significant step forward this past season. Playing alongside Chris Paul for the first time, the 23-year-old guard averaged 19.0 points, 6.9 assists and 5.0 rebounds while shooting 47.7% from the field and 38.0% from 3-point range. He also improved his free throw shooting to 80.6%.

The biggest knock on SGA has been his defense, but he made strides on that end of the floor as well last season. He has the size (6’6”) and length (7’0” wingspan) to be a very good defender, and he used those tools to average 1.2 steals and 0.5 blocks per game last season while posting a career-best defensive rating of 106.4.

Bam Adebayo

Bam Adebayo, 21, averaged 10.9 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game last season, his first as a full-time starter. He was an All-Star for the first time and helped lead the Miami Heat to the Eastern Conference Finals

De’Aaron Fox

As the Sacramento Kings’ starting point guard De’Aaron Fox has established himself as one of the best young players in the NBA. The 21-year-old averaged 17.3 points and 7.3 assists per game last season, leading the Kings to their first playoff appearance in over a decade. Fox is also an excellent defender, with the ability to stay in front of even the quickest point guards His combination of speed and strength makes him a tough matchup for any opponent.

Mitchell Robinson

Mitchell Robinson of the New York Knicks checks in at number 24 on our Top 24 Under 24 list. The young center is coming off a rookie season in which he averaged 2.4 blocks per game, good for second in the league behind only Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz Robinson also proved to be a good finisher around the basket, shooting 58.8 percent from the field.

Robinson is still raw and has a lot of room to grow as a player, but his combination of size (7-foot-1, 240 pounds), athleticism and shot-blocking ability make him someone to keep an eye on in the coming years.

Tyler Herro

Tyler Herro is an American Professional Basketball player for the Miami Heat of the National Basketball Association (NBA). He played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats As a freshman in 2018–19, he helped lead Kentucky to the 2019 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship Game. Herro was drafted 13th overall by the Miami Heat in the 2019 NBA Draft During his rookie season, he averaged 13.5 points and 4.1 rebounds per game

Coby White

Coby White the seventh overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft has been one of the most productive rookies in the league this season. The 20-year-old point guard is averaging 13.2 points, 3.5 assists and 2.7 rebounds in 31.8 minutes per game for the Chicago Bulls He’s also shooting a respectable 34.4 percent from three-point range.

RJ Barrett

RJ Barrett leads the pack of young stars in the NBA today The New York Knicks forward is just 20 years old, but he’s already one of the best players in the league. Barrett is averaging 22.4 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 3.6 assists per game this season, and he’s shown flashes of greatness that have made Knicks fans excited for the future.

Barrett was the third overall pick in the 2019 NBA Draft and he’s lived up to the hype so far. He’s an explosive scorer who can get to the basket at will, and he’s also shown the ability to knock down three-pointers when left open. Barrett has All-Star potential and could be one of the league’s best players for years to come.

Zion Williamson

19-year-old Zion Williamson is one of the most electrifying players in the NBA. The 6-foot-7, 285-pound forward can do it all on the court. He is a powerful dunker, an excellent rebounder, and a solid defender. Williamson is also a very good shooter. He shot 33.8 percent from three-point range in his one season at Duke.