10 Player comparisons for up-and-coming NBA stars

As it seems inevitable that a cultural shift in the NBA is pushing toward the next generation of young talent, that can be a good thing. The league is loaded with plenty of young players that will keep the entertainment of the league at a high level.

Having said that, here are ten players that are younger than 25 years old and have yet to be an NBA All-Star with some intriguing comparisons to players that either made an all-star or all-league team in the past.

Paolo Banchero = Chris Webber

Most people before draft night considered the most recent first-overall pick to plenty of bully-ball players such as Zach Randolph and Julius Randle.

However, the more one observes Banchero, they can recognize a few unique traits. While he still has yet to develop his jump shot in the NBA, his ball handling and versatility are impressive for a player of his age and size.

Chris Webber could not only initiate the offense for those Sacramento Kings teams back in the day but also was capable of pushing the ball up the floor as well. With both players listed at the same height and only differing by five pounds, it’s safe to say that Banchero has the potential to perform much like the 2021 Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Famer.

Devin Vassell = Sam Jones

This is a very different comparison from most other ones on this list. Sam Jones, who retired more than 50 years before Vassell ever laced it up on an NBA court, was someone known for his nobility in shooting. Additionally, he was also a bit of an undersized player for his position that could shoot the ball off the pass and utilized his defensive potential en route to winning 10 NBA championships.

While Vassell is still fairly young and has yet to replicate similar success on the defensive end, the potential is there. After all, he measured at nearly a seven-foot-long wingspan.

At just 22 years old, Vassell this season is averaging more points per game than Sam Jones did for his career. If he can continue to build off this season for the next decade, he can potentially achieve the same individual status as Jones.

Tyrese Maxey = Tony Parker

It probably feels illegal to have a great player like Tyrese Maxey on this list. It also probably feels even weirder to see him compared to a player not named Donovan Mitchell.

However, when you consider how Maxey does not possess the same athletic ability as Mitchell, it’s best to compare him to somebody that plays below the rim. So why Tony Parker?

Parker was a player who showed signs of life on the defensive end, but by no means was a lockdown defender. Maxey has all the tools to replicate a role like this on the defensive end to provide some stability for his Tim Duncan and Joel Embiid.

Another frequent shot utilization from Tyrese Maxey is his floater shot. One could make the argument that Tony Parker is not only one of the fastest players in league history, but also has one of the best floaters the game has ever seen. Maxey being proficient in both of these categories can warrant him a spot in the same stratosphere as Parker.