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NBA: Ranking The Young Stars

By Eric Spyropoulos

Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports
Mandatory Credit: Jennifer Stewart-USA TODAY Sports /

Honorable mentions

Before we get down to the top five, we have to recognize some honorable mentions that missed the list. Since these are rankings, let’s start at number ten and move down.

10) Devin Booker

Statistics: 19.2 ppg, 3.1 apg, 2.9 rpg (shooting 40.9 percent from the field, 33.5 percent on threes)

After becoming NBA Twitter’s darling last season after being handed the reigns to the Phoenix Suns‘ offense post All-Star break, Booker has struggled to maintain and build on that momentum.

Expected to be a good shooter coming out of college, Booker has only shot 34 percent on three-pointers so far in his short career.

Another concern with Booker is his lack of contributions across the board. Only averaging 3.1 assists per game shows his limited play-making, and his defense has continued to be a major concern, as Booker has a 113 defensive rating, and -2.4 defensive box plus-minus.

However, Booker has shown great potential as a pick-and-roll guard that can drive to the rim when his shot isn’t falling. If he can improve his shooting and defensive awareness, Booker will be one of the premier guards in the NBA in a few seasons.

9) D’Angelo Russell

Statistics: 15.4 ppg, 4.7 apg, 3.8 rpg (shooting 40.2 percent from the field, 35.4 percent on threes)

Russell has had an up-and-down career so far for the L.A. Lakers, showing both great potential and promise as a scoring machine but also limited play-making and defensive contributions.

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    • Russell’s minus-1.3 DBPM and 16.6 PER prove he has a ways to go before becoming the true number one option on the Lakers, but he has improved his game in other areas.

    His assist percentage has jumped to 28.1, and he has improved his three-point shooting to 35.4 percent.

    8) Andrew Wiggins

    Statistics: 21.9 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.3 apg (shooting 44.2 percent from the field, 34.6 percent on threes)

    Andrew Wiggins’ potential is one of the most divisive topics in the NBA world. You’ve got the steadfast supporters confident he will develop in to one of the best players in the league versus the doubters (like myself) who believe he has already been passed by two of his teammates, Zach LaVine and Karl Anthony-Towns.

    Wiggins has shown flashes of dominance this season, that’s for sure. When he gets hot, Wiggins is nearly unstoppable, scoring 40 or more points multiple times this season. He has even added limited range from behind the arc, shooting a career high 34.6 percent on three-pointers this season.

    However, dig in to the advanced numbers and that’s where you’ll come across some concerns. Wiggins has posted a 15.2 PER for his career, which is barely above league average.

    Wiggins is also posting a career low box plus-minus of minus-3.1 this season, and a 52.5 true shooting percentage, a key metric that analyzes efficiency.

    Wiggins certainly has time to continue to work on his game to become more efficient and effective, but so far, there are underlying concerns that overshadow his scoring prowess.