According to a poll Of the 15 NBA executives, the Dallas Mavericks’ Luka Doncic is clearly the best young player to build around. The poll, a regular exercise by HoopsHype, asked executives about their top 5 under-25 players.
Unsurprisingly, the 23-year-old Dallas winger is the concurred top choice after a season in which he averaged 28.4 points, 9.1 rebounds and 8.7 assists when lead the Mavs to the Western Conference Finals. Doncic was named the NBA’s Team of the Year for the third time in a row and placed fifth in the MVP vote, his third time in the top six in a row.
Doncic is a 6-foot-7 goal-scoring machine who’s defense went from terrible to acceptable last season, when Dallas gave up the second-lowest score in the NBA.
Second choice, Jayson Tatum, led the Celtics to the NBA Finals a few months after his 24th birthday. He was also the first team of the All-NBA.
Rounding out the group of young stars is Memphis keeper Ja Morant, who averaged 27.4 points and 6.7 assists, started the game at the All-Star and won the Most Improved Player award. at the age of 22.
Next up is Cleveland Cavaliers grandpa Evan Mobley, the 3rd pick in the 2021 NBA Draft. A third of executives polled think he’s third, which means they think he’s the third. A better bet than a number of young players who started All-Star.
Mobley, an excellent defender, finished fifth in saves as a rookie. He has the flexibility to secure the wings at the perimeter.
There is a bumper crop of young talent in the NBA. But as this poll clearly shows, there is still only one Luka Doncic.
