Nearly one month into the 2016-17 season and it’s become abundantly clear that we are witnessing the birth of the next great generation of NBA superstars. With a boatload of promising talent across the league, four players 22 years of age or younger have seperated from the pack. But which rising star would you rather build a team around?
GIANNIS ANTETOKOUNMPO
The Greek Freak aka The Alphabet was always pegged as a potential future star. Though the mystery around him on draft night meant he fell all the way to 15th in the 2013 draft, his combination of speed, athleticism, size (6-foot-11, 222 pounds with one of the longest wingspans in the NBA), court vision, and power make him one of the most intriguing prospects of the last half-decade.
Last season, when Bucks head coach Jason Kidd experimented with playing the oversized Antetokounmpo at point guard we got a glimpse of just how high his ceiling truly is. It wasn’t just that it became immediately clear how a 6-foot-11 uber-athlete who can cover the length of the court in less than five strides could wreak havoc as the lead ball-handler, but the 21-year old’s numbers down the stretch last year were absolutely mind-numbing. In the second half of the 2015-16 campaign, Antetokounmpo averaged 18.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 5.7 assists, 1.3 steals and 1.7 blocks per game. Read that again.
And then watch all the ways he can dominate a single game:
Sure, there are knocks on his game— like an absolute lack of a reliable jumper or three-point shot— but his ability to impact the game on both ends is already near-elite, and, as mentioned, he’s still just 21 years old with plenty of time to work on his shooting. This season, he’s taken his game to another level and is the only player in basketball currently averaging more than 21 points, 8 rebounds, 5 assists, 2 blocks, and 2 blocks per game.
What’s more impressive? He happens to be the only player in NBA history to average those numbers (Kareem Abdul-Jabaar matched it twice, if you don’t include the steals). To think of where Antetokounmpo will be in five—or ten—years is genuinely terrifying. You know, kind of like the notion of a player being able to do this at any given moment:
KARL-ANTHONY TOWNS
The living prototype of the modern-day big man, Towns’ all-around game is already virtually unmatched. He moves incredibly well for a 7-foot 244-lb player, quick and agile enough to manoeuvre around other big men with ease, yet posses the raw power that allows him to dominate any defender around the hoop. Factor in his deft shooting touch—which now extends beyond the three-point line (he averages four 3-point attempts per game, and is hitting 43 per cent from deep)— and it’s clear why many have already projected Towns as a future MVP-type player and hall-of-fame calibre athlete.
His rookie season last year was eye-opening, showing an assertiveness and advanced skill-set that’s virtually unheard of for a 19 year-old big man:
Perhaps the best argument for Towns, as unquantifiable as it may be, is his mental approach and potential as a leader. In the wake of Kevin Garnett’s retirement last summer Towns took it upon himself to pick up the mantle from KG and take ownership in turning the franchise into a perennial winner. It may not happen this season, but with Towns manning the middle Minnesota boasts as good a building block as you can imagine in basketball.
ANDREW WIGGINS
Coming into the NBA as the first overall pick in 2013, Wiggins was already being compared to some of the all-time great wing players. It was a heavy load for a still-raw player who leaned on his other-worldly athleticism in college and high school, and for his first couple of seasons it looked like “Maple Jordan” would be a very solid player who could never live up to the hype.
This season? Wiggins appears to be every bit of the future superstar he was sold as, showing a consistent ability to take over games and developing into a lethal scorer. The 21-year old is averaging 24.8 points per game and getting to the line eight times per game. He’s also made dramatic leaps from behind the arc, improving his three-point percentage from 30 per cent in his sophomore year last season to a very impressive 44 per cent thus far this season. To put Wiggins’ hot start into context: the only other player to score more than 24 points, get to the line at least eight times, register at least a half a block and shoot more than 46 per cent from the floor? Anthony Davis. Pretty good company to keep.
Of course, one of the best features of Wiggins’ evolving game is his ability to guard other wings, making him one of the most promising two-way players in the NBA and far more than just a scorer. Yet it’s his ability to put the ball in the hoop that should have Timberwolves fans most excited this season— just last week he scored a career-high 47 points on 14-21 shooting in a win over the Los Angeles Lakers. Two nights later he dropped 29 on the Hornets, and followed that up with 35 points against the 76ers. Needless to say, it is rare for a 21 year-old to average 37 points per game in one week. He still has so much room to grow, but the future may have already arrived when it comes to Canada’s most talented basketball export.
JOEL EMBIID
Heading into this season, if I had asked you to build the perfect NBA centre from scratch you would have probably wound up with a player with an awfully close resemblance to Karl-Anthony Towns. But that’s just because we weren’t yet aware of what Joel Embiid brings to the table.
The first thing that becomes readily apparent when watching Embiid on an NBA court is his sheer size. He’s a ‘big’ 7-feet tall and 250-lb, able to physically match up against any big in today’s game and, more importantly, acutely aware of how to use his massive frame to his advantage near the basket on both ends of the floor. He can also shoot, with range that reaches the 3-point line but is particularly deadly from the mid-range. Throw in an extremely-advanced set of moves and unfathomable athleticism for a player of his size and it’s clear why the NBA can’t stop gushing about the 22-year old rookie.
The biggest knock on Embiid is, obviously, his health. It took him two full seasons after being drafted in 2013 before he was able to even step onto an NBA court. 76ers fans will tell you it was worth the wait— they now lay claim to arguably the most promising prospect in the game today— but the injury concerns are valid and could linger throughout his career. Frankly, it’s the only thing stopping him from being the most dominant low post force of his era.