NBA young guns

There is so much excitement surrounding the resumption of the 2019-2020 NBA season via the NBA bubble in Florida, and one reason I’m personally quite excited is that there are so many young players in the league who can potentially disrupt the expected power structure of the league.

By young, I mean players who are under 23 years old, or players who were born in 1997 or after.

There is a big number of these kids who are eager to prove themselves, especially given the “special format” in the NBA resumption regarding how teams can crash the playoffs.

Here are my picks for ten young guns with the best chances to make a huge splash in the bubble:

Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)

You got to love Luka Magic, right?

His trick shots have lit social media and have really raised expectations, whether well deserved or otherwise, for the Mavericks going into the bubble.

They are at 40-27 right now, and if Luka catches fire along with a rejuvenated Kristaps Porzingis, look out for Mark Cuban’s boys, kids.

DeAndre Ayton (Phoenix Suns)

At 26-39, the Suns are unlikely to do much as a team in the bubble, but I would like to think that Ayton can use this opportunity to remind everyone why so many pundits are high on his upside.

We are talking about a 21-year-old double-double machine that is among the leaders in rebounding and blocked shots.

He is a big time big man coming up.

Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat)

Adebayo isn’t as physically imposing as Ayton, but the 23-year-old center just finds so many ways to dominate in the paint.

Like Ayton, Adebayo is among the best rebounders and rim protectors in the league, and how the former Kentucky Wildcat plays will have a huge impact on how far the Heat will go in the bubble.

Brandon Ingram (New Orleans Pelicans)

Ingram has become one of the most explosive scorers in the league this season, and I don’t see why he will slow down in the bubble. He has the length and size that is comparable to Kevin Durant, and he has steadily improved his perimeter game, too. If the 28-36 Pelicans make a run in the bubble, it will certainly be built on the back of Ingram’s offense.

Jayson Tatum (Boston Celtics)

Boston is all about Kemba Walker’s leadership, but the team won’t go anywhere in the bubble without Tatum. The 22-year-old has become a bona fide star in the league, and though he will need to round out his game a bit more, especially on defense, right now the Celtics really need him to up his offense in the bubble as they hope to make a deep run in the postseason.

Zion Williamson (New Orleans Pelicans)

I don’t think Zion will win Rookie of the Year, but I do think he will seize almost everyone’s imagination when the season resumes.

He is ready to make a big statement, and it will be very interesting to see just how much growth we will see in the former Duke Blue Devil’s game.

Is he going to be among the most productive players in the bubble? I wouldn’t be surprised.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (Oklahoma City Thunder)

Sitting at the fifth seed in the West, Oklahoma City is in a pretty good position to make the playoffs, and much of their fortunes will be dictated by Shai’s production.

The youngster leads Oklahoma City in scoring and is their secondbest rebounder.

We have a star-in-the-making right here.

De’Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings)

Fox is going to run from end of the floor to the other in a flash, and that’s going to make for hella entertaining basketball. Will that translate to enough wins for the Kings, who are tied for 10th spot in the West?

I doubt, but he will create more than a few highlights, for sure.

Jarrett Allen (Brooklyn Nets)

Allen is a big reason the Brooklyn Nets are expected to make the playoffs this year, and though he is no Shaquille O’Neal or Hakeem Olajuwon, he is certainly a solid slotman who will clean the glass and send shots back to the third row.

Also, look at his field goal percentage of 64.6. It’s ridiculous, right? He’s giving me some Marcus Camby vibes, and that is a good thing.

Ja Morant (Memphis Grizzlies)

He is my bet for Rookie of the Year.

Morant may not be as YouTube-worthy as Zion or some of the other cats on this list, but he gets the job done for the Grizzlies.

He leads all rookies in assists and leads his team in scoring, and while it’s almost sure that Memphis will tussle with at least one other team in a play-in for the playoffs, we cannot discount the impact Morant has made for this franchise.

Honorable Mentions:

Jamal Murray (Denver Nuggets) Lonzo Ball (New Orleans Pelicans) Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards)