In the aftermath of Minnesota’s overtime upset over the Golden State Warriors—in Oakland, no less— one prevailing takeaway ruled above all: Holy sh*t how good is this team going to be a few years down the line?
Anybody who’s followed the League this year knows it’s hardly news that these Timberwolves boast as promising a nucleus as there is in basketball. Building your team around a duo like Karl-Anthony Towns and Andrew Wiggins will earn you that distinction (not to mention the improved play from Zach LaVine and Ricky Rubio of late). Towns has been flat out incredible all season, surpassing expectations (and keep in mind he was the first overall pick) and cementing his status as one of the leaders of the New Age big man, capable of stretching the floor, handling the ball, and guarding multiple positions. Here he is locking up Steph Curry during OT Tuesday night:
Wiggins, too, has opened eyes in his second season, progressing extremely well in Year Two as he adjusts to the pro game and learns the parameters of his own. He’s years away from reaching his peak, but, like Towns, it’s certainly not hard to envision an NBA in which he is firmly in the Top 3 at his position.
But how do the Timberwolves core stack up with the rest of the leagues stable of standout prospects? Let’s take a partially biased and wholly unscientific look.
The following ranking of the NBA’s Top 25 Under 25 is based on a combination of current and past production, as well as projected growth and potential. So without further ado:
1. Kawhi Leonard, SF, San Antonio Spurs
Age: 24
Leonard is so far ahead of everyone else on this list it’s hardly worth joking about. With a Defensive Player award already on his mantle it wouldn’t be a shock to see an MVP trophy follow as he’s emerged as—by far—the best player on both ends of the floor for a historically good Spurs team. While this list isn’t purely based on stats, it’s hard to ignore that his Win Shares is nearly double that of any other U25 player. Plus, he routinely does this when matched up with the best the NBA has to offer:
2. Anthony Davis, PF, New Orleans Pelicans
Age: 22
The Pelicans have been pathetic all season long and despite limited roster flexibility going forward there’s still a strange sense of calm surrounding the franchise. That’s because in Davis they have a player who could already be the best big man in the NBA. He’s had a down year but the stats are still solid and his performance at the All-Star Game reminded the Toronto crowd of just how good he is. Health may always be a lingering concern for the ‘Brow, but it’s wild to think where he’ll be in five years.
3. Karl-Anthony Towns, C, Minnesota Timberwolves
Age: 20
Earlier today Sportsnet’s Michael Grange said he’s a future Hall of Famer, and I don’t think he was joking in the least. The upside is that high for Towns who, perilously close to sweeping the West’s Rookie of the Month awards, is proving he has no concept of a rookie wall. That he’s not #1 on this list only speaks to the quality of the two names above him.
4. Giannis Antetokounmpo, F, Milwaukee Bucks
Age: 21
21!?!? In his third season, more specifically the second half, Antetokounmpo seems to have realized his potential as a do-it-all forward in the mould of LeBron James. Which is exactly how Bucks coach Jason Kidd has been and will continue to utilize his best player next season and beyond. Since February, when he took over primary ball-handling duties, The Alphabet’s stat line looks like this: 18.8/8.2/6.5/1.5/1.7 on 51% shooting from the field. Just stunning. A truly elite building block.
5. Kristaps Porzingis, F, New York Knicks
Age: 20
His potential is what earns him a spot above the names below, but that’s because said potential is nearly unthinkable. A 7’3” player who doesn’t shy from contact, can comfortably stretch the floor beyond the three-point line, and has handled the unique pressures of being an emerging superstar in a market like Manhattan as well as anyone could’ve dreamed, Porzingis is very much the real deal, despite some minor regression toward the end of the season.
6. Andrew Wiggins, G/F, Minnesota Timberwolves
Age: 20
While his six steals Tuesday night against the Warriors were particularly nice, his peripheral stats don’t stand out compared to his scoring numbers. What’s more, advanced stats like Player Efficiency Rating and Win Shares place Wiggins firmly middle-of-the-pack among players who qualify for this list. But given how raw Wiggins was coming out of his lone year at Kansas, and how much damage a two-way wing player can be in the NBA (see: Leonard, Kawhi) the GTA product isn’t far from reaching perennial all-star status. When you combine the athleticsm shown in the video below with an NBA skill-set, the prospect is just scary:
7. Andre Drummond, C, Detroit Pistons
Age: 22
There’s a very real argument to be made that Drummond, a virtually unstopabble low-post force currently averaging nearly 17 points and 15 rebounds per game should be way higher up on this list. But is Drummond’s ceiling that much greater than what we’ve already seen from him this season? I’m not so sure. What’s more, given his free throw, um, issues (the issue being that he can’t make them, currently shooting 35%!) there’s a case to be made that he shouldn’t even be on the floor in crunch time. To put that FT rate in perspective: In his age-22 season, Shaquille O’Neal shot just 53% from the stripe. And Drummond is no Shaq. (Hey, I said this would be unscientific).
8. Kyrie Irving, PG, Cleveland Cavaliers
Age: 23
Nobody is trending downwards on this list quite like Irving, a phenomenal offensive force who still struggles to run an offence and might be a terrible teammate.
9. CJ McCollum, SG, Portland Trail-Blazers
Age: 24
Just barely getting in below the threshold, McCollum is probably the NBA’s Most Improved Player this season and has used his starter’s role this season to solidify a lot of what scouts said about him before his draft year in 2014: He’s a natural-if-unconventional scorer with elite shot-making ability. He seemed destined to be a top-notch scorer off the bench for a solid team but has shattered that notion. Averaging more than 20 points a night, there’s nothing to suggest that he can’t keep it up—or improve—year to year for the foreseeable future.
10. Jonas Valanciunas, C, Toronto Raptors
Age: 23
Valanciunas has quietly made some mammoth strides this season, improving considerably on the defensive end and continuing to establish himself as an effective and at times unguardable scorer down low. On a Raptors team chalk full of ball-dominant guards, there will always the questions of usage (what would JV look like on a team where he was more of an offensive focal point?), but the advanced metrics love Valanciunas, who sits comfortably in the top 5 of PER and top 10 in Win Shares. It can be easy to forget a)how long Valanciunas has already been in the NBA given his age, and b)how much better he could get.
Here’s how the rest of the list shakes out:
11. Rudy Gobert, C, Utah Jazz
Age: 23
12. Nikola Jokic, F/C, Denver Nuggets
Age: 20
13. Derrick Favors, PF, Utah Jazz
Age: 24
16. Victor Oladipo, SG, Orlando Magic
Age: 23
17. Zach LaVine, G, Minnesota Timberwolves
18. Bismack Biyombo, C, Toronto Raptors
Age: 23
19. Brandon Knight, G, Phoenix Suns
Age: 24
20. Myles Turner, C, Indiana Pacers
Age: 19
21. Bradley Beal, SG, Washington Wizards
Age: 22
22. Khris Middleton, SG, Milwaukee Bucks
Age: 24
23. Nikola Mirotic, F, Chicago Bulls
Age: 24
24. Willie Cauley-Stein, C, Sacramento Kings
Age: 22
25. Norm Powell, obviously.