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February 1, 2007
Davis Sports Deli.com's
NBA Top 25 Under Age 25
Fifth Edition: Scramble in the Top 10
By: Patrick Crawley, Aaron Fischman & Joshua Fischman
In watching the NBA this season, Aaron, Joshua and I couldn't help but get excited by all the young talent in the league. From the size and athleticism of LeBron James to the inside dominance of Dwight Howard to the innovative ball movement and court vision of Chris Paul, the young players of the league are factoring prominently in the success of their respective teams. For evidence, just look at the recent improvement of Dwight's Magic or Chris' Hornets and the poor performance of the Cavs without LeBron.
Seeing as the players under 25 are some of the most exciting to watch, our crack team of analysts wanted a forum to measure the success of these players against one another. As such, we decided to create the Davis Sports Deli's Top 25 Under 25 list (the best 25 players in the NBA under age 25).
The Top 25 Under 25 list is a compilation of the efforts of Aaron, Joshua and myself. After a great deal of research and analysis, each of us develops a list of the Top 30 players in the league under age 25. In determining our individual lists, each of us uses a subjective rating system based on current statistics, future potential and the ability of a given player to reach that potential. For instance, a player like Gerald Green would score high on the potential scale but, with poor numbers the past few seasons, he doesn't do well in terms of the other two criteria. As such, you won't see Gerald Green on our list anytime soon.
After each of us has built his individual list, we compile the data and average the rankings for each player listed. If two players are tied with the same average ranking (say Player A and Player B), we take whichever player is ranked higher on the majority of the individual lists. So, let's say Player A is ranked 12th on my list, 11th on Aaron's and 11th on Joshua's (whereas Player B is 13th, 9th and 12th respectively). Both have the same average ranking, but Player A is higher on more lists, and therefore gets the nod over Player B.
With the average rankings determined, our team pares down the list to the Top 25 and lists them here on the site along with age, previous ranking and a few comments about his skill and potential. We update the Top 25 list on the Friday of every other week (so...every two weeks). We take recent play and injuries into account as well an increase or decrease in numbers. Player movement is documented in the "Movement" section along with + or - indicators. Once a player has his 25th birthday, he will graduate from our list. Graduates and runners-up will be posted directly after the Top 25 list.
Without further ado, here it is: the Fourth Edition of the world famous Top 25 Under 25 list. We hope you enjoy it.
If you'd like a reference for comparison, feel free to take a look back at our Top 25 Fourth Edition. Don't worry, it's free.
Rank |
Player |
Prev. Rank |
Age |
Movement |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. |
(1) |
23 |
-- |
LeBron has become an assassin in the fourth quarter, replacing Kobe Bryant as the best go-to player in the league. This new mean streak suits him well. | |
2. |
(2) |
22 |
-- |
It's official. CP3 is an All-Star for the first time in his career. Like Steve Nash, Paul has the gift of elevating those around him (witness David West's All-Star bid). | |
3. |
(3) |
22 |
-- |
With Howard, I feel like I'm beating the double-double drum over and over and over again. But he added 12 more (in only 14 games) in January. This man is a BEAST. | |
4. |
(6) |
23 |
+2 |
Bosh has gone for 30 or more points in six of his last ten games. His ascension into the Top 5 should satisfy the blood-thirsty Toronto fans. | |
5. |
(7) |
23 |
+2 |
Two days after stumbling against Kevin Garnett, Jefferson lit up the hopeless New Jersey Nets for 40 points, 19 reb. Can you say "statement game"? | |
6. |
(4) |
23 |
-2 |
It seems unfair to drop Melo after his recent appointment as an All-Star starter. But hey, Bosh & Al Jeff made strong cases for Top 5 spots. You can't deny the big men. | |
7. |
(5) |
23 |
-2 |
D-Will has been particularly good at distributing the ball recently. In January he reached double-digit assists in all but three games. | |
8. |
(9) |
23 |
+1 |
Guess the i-Roy campaign worked out ok. Roy is headed to his first All-Star game. Now for his next trick: getting Blazer fans to shut up when LeBron comes to town. | |
9. |
(8) |
22 |
-1 |
Smith acheived his first career triple-double on 1/23 against the Nuggets then immediately fell apart against the Sonics, Blazers & Suns. | |
10. |
(10) |
21 |
-- |
Hi, this is Rudy Gay. Instead of sending me new dunk ideas, why don't you just teach me how to pass to my teammates and dribble correctly... | |
11. |
(11) |
24 |
-- |
What's the over/under for All-Star appearances that Iguodala will make in his career? 2? 3? Three seems a little high, I'm going with the under... | |
12. |
(15) |
20 |
+3 |
Without Bynum, the Lakers have been a trainwreck (that's why he moves up). But they have Gasol now, which means less shots for The Kid. (Look for a future drop). | |
13. |
(14) |
19 |
+1 |
Two nights after engineering an upset of the Spurs at home, Durant helped take down the LeBron-less Cavs (on 10-16 shooting). Now this is the Durant we've waited for. | |
14. |
(17) |
22 |
+3 |
Monta is sleek (like a greyhound) and scrappy (like a wolverine). Therefore, if Monta was an animal, he'd be a Golden State Wolvhound. Has a nice ring, doesn't it? | |
15. |
(16) |
22 |
+1 |
Aldridge's high release point seems eerily reminscent of Chris Webber. Now all we need is for LaMarcus to start hogging the ball in crunch time and calling spent TOs. | |
16. |
(13) |
22 |
- 3 |
Not quite sure what to say about Luol. He's something of a paradox. When he's not injured, he's pretty damn good. Problem is...he's usually injured. | |
17. |
(18) |
21 |
+1 |
Marv scored a career-high 33 points against the Sonics on 1/25. Of Atlanta's last eight games, that game was the only victory. | |
18. |
(19) |
24 |
+1 |
For whatever reason, Granger and Marv Williams are inextricably linked in our Top 25. It's like one of those package deals from Comcast. You can't get one w/out the other. | |
19. |
(22) |
24 |
+3 |
Bogut's improved play is obviously a power move intended to steer the Aussie press away from Vanderbilt's A.J. Ogilvy. Am I wrong? | |
20. |
(20) |
24 |
-- |
Before the injury to his wrist, Gordo was dominating. On 1/18 he dropped 29 pts on G.S. The day after that he put 33 on the Pistons. Come back soon, B.G.! | |
21. |
(23) |
23 |
+2 |
Of all of the candidates for our Top 25, Outlaw is the best from outside (at 44% 3PT). No wonder the Nets are allegedly pursuing him in a deal for Jason Kidd. | |
22. |
(21) |
24 |
-1 |
Speaking of trade talks, if you're Dallas do you give up Harris to get Kidd? Apparently, ESPN's John Hollinger wouldn't. | |
23. |
(27) |
23 |
+4 |
With the injuries piling up and whispers of underacheivement floating around, Denver deserves a "feel good" story. Ladies and gentlemen, the debut of Linas Kleiza! | |
24. |
(25) |
21 |
+1 |
Will the addition of Chris Webber help Biedrins? In terms of playing time, no. But you also have to consider C-Webb's ability to tutor A.B. on offense. | |
25. |
(26) |
21 |
+1 |
Mini-Mart's graduation clears a spot for Big Al. We're excited about watching Al in the Rookie-Sophomore game. |
On the Cusp: Raymond Felton (Charlotte), Rashad McCants (Minnesota), Sebastian Telfair (Minnesota), Nate Robinson (New York) and Rajon Rondo (Boston).
Graduated: Kevin Martin. It's sad to see Mini-Mart graduate our Top 25 list. Like LeBron, he has morphed into a legitimate 4th quarter threat this season. Thanks to a mid-season groin injury, Martin peaked at #10 on this list.