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The NBA is entering a new generation with new stars paving the way for the future. Currently served by talented players such as Luka Doncic, Jayson Tatum and Trae Young, to name a few, the NBA will see up-and-coming talent emerge with each season that passes.
While some of the young players have already established their position as future superstars and generational players, there is one question that needs to be asked. What is their ceiling?
With talent and success coming at such a young age, the excitement of watching these players is only transcended by the potential they have. As the NBA season progresses, teams look to their stars to perform on the big stage and lead the team to championships. There is no room for stagnation.
Keeping in mind the room for development, we take a look at the five young NBA players who can become unstoppable by adding one skill.
#1 Luka Doncic - Free Throw Shooting
Luka Doncic plays for the Dallas Mavericks and is already a bonafide superstar. At the young age of 22, Doncic just completed his third campaign in the NBA. With two All-Star selections already under his belt, Doncic has produced some of the most memorable moments in the past few years in the league.
Doncic's offensive prowess can only put him in the category of a genius. His understanding of spacing and how a defender will react to certain movements makes up for his lack of explosive athleticism that the league is used to.
While it is difficult to fault his style of play, one skill that would make him the complete offensive package is the ability to shoot free throws. Doncic, for his career, shoots 73.5% from the charity stripe.
By adding a consistent free-throw shooting stroke to his game, sending Luka to the line also becomes a pressure point for NBA defenses.
For the 2021-22 NBA season, Doncic put up 27.7 points, eight rebounds and 8.6 assists. While Luka does enter the conversation to be near unguardable, a free throw package would completely round out his game offensively.
#2 Zion Williamson - Midrange Shooting
Drafted by the New Orleans Pelicans in the 2019 NBA Draft, Zion Williamson has emerged as an absolute phenomenon in the NBA. Having tasted fame early in life due to the viral nature of his highlight videos, Zion burst onto the stage with his freakish athleticism and brute strength.
Zion's style of play is best described as "bully ball." He gets the ball in the low post and muscles his way towards the basket. If it isn't for the Barkley-esque backdown, he just rips it through the defenses in a flash.
With a healthy shoulder bump waiting for a defender who tries to get in the way, Zion's overwhelming strength clears out entire lanes on his drive to the rim.
The method works for Zion. It earned him his first All-Star team selection in the 2020-21 season, and also saw him average 27 points for the season while shooting 61.1% from the field.
One skill, however, that will truly put Zion in the category of unstoppable is the ability to score effectively from the midrange. While it is not as glamorous as the three-point shot or as exciting as a dunk, the midrange gives Zion the ability to space the floor just enough for defenders to leave the lane open.
With the Pelicans potentially looking at developing Zion as a point-forward, Zion having a midrange game also improves the chances of defenders committing to his jumpshots which opens up the passing lanes for players cutting to the basket.
Considering the load his joints have to bear with every drive he takes to the basket, a midrange game also adds some level of longevity to his game.
#3 Karl-Anthony Towns - Defensive Ability
Drafted by the Minnesota Timberwolves as the first overall pick of the 2015 NBA Draft, Karl-Anthony Towns entered the league as one of the most talented prospects with genuine superstar potential. In his rookie season, Towns averaged 18.3 points and 10.5 rebounds, winning the NBA's Rookie of the Year Award.
Towns fits the prototype for the stretch big man. Towns' game style featured a smooth stroke from behind the arc as well as a polished post game, befitting the traditional big man. For the 2020-21 season, Towns averaged 24.8 points and 10.6 rebounds. He also shot 38.7% from beyond the arc for the season.
While Karl-Anthony Towns has shown himself to be a potent offensive threat, the real department which could define Town's potential as a superstar is his defensive ability.
While Towns has the agility to move his feet and lateral quickness to get to the spot, his mentality for defense and his ability to read offensive players is quite lacking. His presence of mind on defense puts a big question mark on how engaged he is.
Towns adding some skill to his defensive repertoire would be beneficial to both the Timberwolves as well as Towns' value in the NBA.
#4 De'Aaron Fox - Three-point Shooting
De'Aaron Fox is the starting point guard for the Sacramento Kings. Currently the face of the franchise, Fox was drafted by the Kings in the 2017 NBA Draft.
After producing an average rookie season, Fox went to work and burst onto the scene in the following years. He averaged 25.2 points and 7.2 assists for the 2020-21 season.
De'Aaron Fox's game features blistering speed and quickness along with the vicious ability to stop and change directions. Fox is currently rated as the fastest player in the league. His speed is only complimented by his ability to spot trailing players on the fastbreak for a quick dime.
However, to truly become unstoppable, the next step for the Kings' guard is to improve upon his three-point shooting. As the league continues on the trend of attempting more shots from downtown, Fox needs to learn how to pull up from distance too.
Fox averaged 32.2% from beyond the arc for the 2020-21 season. With NBA defenses giving him space to shoot the long ball knowing he's more likely to miss, Fox is becoming relatively easier to contain.
De'Aaron Fox becoming a threat from three-point territory adds variety to his game. It also opens up the option to switch to his natural driving game when defenders converge on him early.
#5 Dejounte Murray - Three-point Shooting
Entering his fifth season in the NBA, Dejounte Murray is emerging as the future face of the San Antonio Spurs franchise. Murray averaged 15.7 points, 7.1 rebounds and 5.4 assists for the 2020-21 NBA season.
Murray has shown great talent driving to the basket and finishing through contact against larger defenders. Shooting 45.3% from the field he is also capable of drawing defenses and creating scoring opportunities for teammates.
Murray is also a tough on-ball defender. With his lateral quickness and long wingspan he is able to cover distances and make crucial reads against offensive players to get steals.
Developing as a talented two-way player, if there is any skill that Murray could add to his game, it would be a three-point shot. After shooting 31.7% from downtown last season, Murray adding a shot from deep opens up options for him to attack the rim or distribute as well.
If Murray is going to elevate his game and become a star for the Spurs, adding a three-point shot is key. Potentially becoming the primary focus on offense for the team, we may see a breakout season from Murray.
