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A lot of teams have made their rosters in a certain way. A few have tasted success with their methods while others have had to remodel and retool their rosters on the fly to achieve any iota of success while they could. In the end, the young core a team is able to capture in the early process of their rebuilding phase determines how good they project to be.
The 2019 NBA Draft gave us a hint at what sort of a young core most teams are targeting in the modern game. In the early 2000s, building around big men that are dominant in the post was very common, until the Warriors drafted Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, which changed the game.
Now teams prefer to have a rim running, floor spacing center, who can shoot the 3 and defend well and surround him with elite 3 and D wings, who can defend all the 5 positions, modeled after the success that the Warriors ended up achieving. With this in mind, let us look at the top young cores in the NBA right now.
#5 Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns, it feels like, have been rebuilding their roster for a really long time. Having drafted Devin Booker in the 2015 NBA Draft and then watching him grow into one of the best shooting guards in the NBA has been amazing, but they have failed to surround him with players of similar talent, though that seems to be at an end.
Booker, at just 22 years old, is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA right now. He can score at will, is an amazing ball handler and can lead this team to a win single-handedly. He is great off the ball as well and make plays for his teammates too.
Booker is now joined by another rising star in DeAndre Ayton at the center position, who had one of the most dominant rookie seasons for a center, after being chosen at No.1. Had there been no Trae Young or Luka Doncic, he could have scooped the Rookie of the Year award almost unanimously.
Ayton is a solid scorer and can run circles around the opposition's defense. He has a great first step and a decent free throw shooter too. His only problem was his defense which he improved each game and is looking like a really good player for the Suns.
Finally, the Suns have a plethora of young stars from the past drafts that are still yet to hit their prime. Josh Jackson has shown flashes of brilliance, which made the Suns take him at No. 4 in the 2017 NBA Draft. They also have sophomore Mikal Bridges, who had a great rookie season.
Cameron Johnson and Ty Jerome are the rookies the Suns drafted in the 2019 NBA Draft and they will be looking to make an instant impact on a team that will look to try and make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2009-10.
#4 Memphis Grizzlies
The Memphis Grizzlies are going to be one of the most exciting young teams in the NBA this coming season. While nobody expects them to be a competitive team, they might cause more than a fair share of upsets and will be led by their new franchise cornerstone, Jaren Jackson Jr.
Jackson Jr., also called "JJJ", is one of the most talented big man in the NBA right now. He showed glimpses of just what he is capable of, a rim running power forward that can defend all 5 positions and can even be a center. He is a good three-point shooter, stretching the floor and his elite defensive game is what sets him apart from most other talents.
He will be complemented by the No. 2 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft, Ja Morant, who is the most explosive player from the draft. He is a really fast player and can go from defense to offense in seconds. He is an elite passer and while he has to improve his 3 point shot, his drives to the basket creates more than enough space for others to make good on it.
While the Grizzlies have a lot of other young players in Bruno Caboclo, Dillion Brooks, Ivan Rabb, none are as impressive as their No. 21 pick from the 2019 draft, Brandon Clarke from Gonzaga.
He is a 6 foot 8 inch forward who is just a massive presence on the floor. He is rim runner and perfectly complements JJJ at the No. 4 spot. He has a good three-point shot and is an amazing athlete, which will be a great fit alongside Ja and Jackson.
#3 Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings surprised everyone last season with an amazing season where they were very close from making their first playoffs since 2005-06. They were buoyed by some amazing performances by their young stars, starting with Buddy Hield.
Hield made a huge leap last season and became an elite three-point shooter, making just under 43% of his three-point attempts, which were at a career high of 651 shots attempted.
He was a solid defender too and made an effort off the ball, proving his critics wrong and enjoying his best season ever.
Another player to make a leap was sophomore DeAaron Fox, who showed everyone just how good he can become.
He improved his three-point shot as well as his passing ability, making everyone around him so much better instantly. He defended well too and was very fast in transition plays, drawing comparisons to Russell Westbrook.
The Kings have a lot of young role players in Harry Giles, Frank Mason III, Yogi Ferrell but their other two essential cogs have been Bogdan Bogdanovic and Marvin Bagley III. Bogdanovic and Bagley both missed chunks of their season due to injuries but showed superb skills when given the chance to play and will be looking to breakout this season and look to end the Kings' playoff drought.
#2 Atlanta Hawks
The Atlanta Hawks made their most blockbuster move in the 2018 NBA Draft when they traded down for Trae Young instead of Luka Doncic and the No. 10 pick in the 2019 NBA Draft which became Cam Reddish, one of the most mutually beneficial deals in a long time.
The start of this young core was from one of the steals of the 2017 NBA Draft, John Collins, who was drafted at No. 19 but has turned out to be one of the best players from that draft class. He is a power forward or center, who can stretch the floor and can score at will too. He is being touted as the next Chris Bosh, given how much he resembles his game.
Trae Young has been touted as the next Stephen Curry and has not disappointed, after a slow start to his rookie season, he has set the court on fire. He has the range to score from anywhere on the court and his passing skills are elite, almost underrated.
Young has a great first step and can score from anywhere on the court, making him the centerpiece of this young core. The Hawks also cleverly drafted Kevin Huerter in the 2018 draft. Huerter is a solid shooting guard who is an accurate shooter and a great defender given his size at the SG spot. He is the Klay Thompson to the Steph Curry of Young.
Finally, the Hawks have drafted Cam Reddish and DeAndre Hunter in the 2019 NBA Draft, players that seem to have applied finishing touches to this rebuild. Hunter is projected to be a superb 3 and D wing along with the ability to defend multiple positions.
Cam Reddish is one of the top prospects coming out of Duke this season and has displayed potential to become one of the best 3 and D wings in the NBA. He is already a top defender coming into the NBA and will be an immediate contributor to this roster.
#1 New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans Pelicans went from a team that nobody to be a part of to one of the most interesting rosters in the NBA. Following the trade of Anthony Davis to the Los Angeles Lakers, the Pelicans landed the No.1 draft pick and picked Zion Williamson to become the new face of the franchise.
Zion is an enigma, that had engulfed the college basketball scene and now is thundering towards the NBA. He is a 6 ft 7in power foward who weighs in at 285 pounds, giving him the unique size advantage to play as a center. He is also one of the most athletic players ever and can guard multiple positions, making him invaluable both on offense as well as defense.
Lonzo Ball, Brandon Ingram and Josh Hart are the newest members of the New Orleans Pelicans, having been traded from the Los Angeles Lakers recently. Lonzo Ball is in his 3rd season and is an intriguing prospect. While his offense needs to be polished, his defense is already top-notch and he can settle in comfortably next to Jrue Holiday.
Brandon Ingram was ready to breakout last season, but injuries, suspensions and bad form hampered his growth. With no LeBron James to preside over him, Ingram can potentially become one of the most potent scorers in the NBA next season, unless his blood clot injury prevails, which seems unlikely.
Josh Hart is a hard-nosed defender that is a great rotation piece in the Pelicans roster. He can score when the team needs him to and has a decent 3 point shot. He gives it his all for his roster and the Pelicans can count on him to only get better.
The Pelicans also drafted Jaxson Hayes with the #8 and Nickeil Alexander-Walker at #17, both of whom are projected to be really solid players. Hayes is a superb rim running center, who is athletic and can block shots with his huge wingspan. Walker is still a work in progress but has improved year on year and has some solid potential.
The Pelicans have the best young core going into the 2019 NBA season, one that can grow into a really solid bunch of players with a great chance of competing for the post-season, due to the seemingly right blend of youth and veteran experience.
