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Over the course of the 2000s and 2010s, we saw the rise of many NBA stars like LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Paul, Kevin Durant, Stephen Curry and James Harden, among others. Most of these players were historically good rookies and went on to become even better pros in the subsequent years.
Given that these aforementioned players are on the wrong side of 30 now and likely to be phased out soon (Wade has already retired), we are in a position to now predict who will fill their boots. Luckily for fans like us, there are many candidates that we can immediately fixate our hopes upon.
The last 4 draft classes have been especially kind to NBA fans. We have seen the rise of tons of promising players, and many really good NBA starters who would be well placed to make almost any playoff team in the league.
The following is a list of players who were just unlucky to miss the cut for our top 5 players of the next decade:
(1) DeAndre Ayton
(2) Jaylen Brown
(3) Ben Simmons
(4) Brandon Ingram
(5) Ja Morant
Top 5 NBA stars of the next decade:
#5 De'Aaron Fox
The #5 pick in the 2017 NBA draft has steadily improved his game every offseason. While De'Aaron Fox looked out of sorts in his first season on quite a few occasions, he's tweaked his game to add a mid-range game. While his 3-point percentage is down from last season, his stroke has shown tons of promise over the last 2 NBA seasons.
Fox is currently averaging 20.4 points and 6.8 assists per game in addition to 1.4 steals, and is the Kings' most dependable piece. If he keeps developing as he has so far in his career, the fleet-footed point guard has the ability to have an impact akin to Russell Westbrook as a scorer and distributor in years to come.
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#4 Trae Young
'Ice Trae' - as Quavo fondly named the Hawks point guard - became a nationwide sensation when he became the first player to lead the NCAA scoring and assists charts as a rookie in college. His shooting range spoke for itself - Trae could bomb it right from the logo.
Comparisons to Stephen Curry are understandably still far-fetched, but Trae Young in his second season has rapidly become a problem for all NBA defenses. His averages of 29.6 points (4th in the NBA) and 9.3 assists (2nd in the NBA) are nothing to scoff at.
Even though he's not a plus defender, Trae Young's offensive excellence is already at a near-MVP level. The expectation is that he will turn the Hawks into an NBA powerhouse, and their decision to trade for him will be looked upon favorably.
#3 Zion Williamson
As far as freaks of nature go, Zion Williamson is one of the most freakish athletes to ever play in the league. Even by NBA standards, there is no other way to describe the 6'7" forward than as 'swole' - the guy weighs close to 285 pounds and looks more like a bodybuilder than anything else.
His swole appearance is what makes his speed and athletic ability even more unbelievable - Zion's vertical leap easily exceeds 40 inches. You only need to take a look at some of his monster dunks this season to realize that this is no ordinary athlete.
His intensity on both ends of the floor led to a resurgence in the New Orleans Pelicans' quest for a playoff berth. They would be hoping for more of the same in years to come.
#2 Jayson Tatum
Danny Ainge's plot to acquire Jayson Tatum may have been the NBA's managerial steal of the decade. The #3 pick in the 2017 NBA draft has come of age in his 3rd season in the league, averaging 23.6 points, 7.1 rebounds, 2.9 assists, 1.4 steals and 0.9 blocks per game and making the All Star game.
Tatum's numbers for February have marked him out as a player to particularly be wary of - 30.7 points, 7.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 1.2 steals and 1.3 blocks per game. In addition to his elite offense (Tatum has connected on over 40% of his 3-point attempts this season) he has developed into a well-rounded NBA defender.
The Celtics like to play small ball, and Tatum fits the bill perfectly as a 6'9" player capable of guarding 4 positions and occasionally slotting in as the 5. The sky is the limit for him.
#1 Luka Doncic
The 20-year-old entered the league with possibly the best credentials of any rookie to ever declare for the NBA draft. And ever since making a rather underwhelming debut in a loss against the Phoenix Suns, Doncic has risen to historically great heights as a young basketball killer.
He became the first rookie after Oscar Robertson and Michael Jordan to average 20 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists in 2018-19. And in this season, his stats of 28.7 points, 9.3 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game are leagues better than LeBron James' numbers in his second NBA season.
Doncic has the clutch gene in a manner that few players in the league have today. He's a scorer and facilitator of the highest order. He's able to create his own shot from all 3 ranges, and his step-back jumper is a joy to watch even for the casual fan. All-in-all, his dominance as an offensive player marks him out as the most watchable youngster in the game today.
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Guess the Lakers players!
