Sir Charles in Charge
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23 and younger: The top of the NBA’s bright future

By Trey Flynn

BEIJING - AUGUST 4: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers plays basketball with young Chinese players during the Nike 2005 Battlegrounds event August 4, 2005 in Beijing, China. James is on a two-day visit to Beijing as part of his 2005 Asia tour, which will make stops in Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong, as a cross-cultural exchange between LeBron and young kids in Asia. (Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images)
BEIJING - AUGUST 4: LeBron James of the Cleveland Cavaliers plays basketball with young Chinese players during the Nike 2005 Battlegrounds event August 4, 2005 in Beijing, China. James is on a two-day visit to Beijing as part of his 2005 Asia tour, which will make stops in Tokyo, Beijing and Hong Kong, as a cross-cultural exchange between LeBron and young kids in Asia. (Photo by Cancan Chu/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 17: Lauri Markkanen #24 of the Chicago Bulls competes in the 2018 Taco Bell Skills Challenge at Staples Center on February 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – FEBRUARY 17: Lauri Markkanen #24 of the Chicago Bulls competes in the 2018 Taco Bell Skills Challenge at Staples Center on February 17, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

13. Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls

This guy and Donovan Mitchell prove that almost no one can predict the draft, except Danny Ainge. I would’ve really loved to see a Chicago Bulls Jimmy Butler and Lauri Markkanen highlight tape, but this will have to do.

The obvious Dirk comps have been all over the internet for Markkanen over the past year. I don’t disagree with those comps at all, but I do think there is a really good player comp for the floor of Lauri that naysayers of his game will probably agree too.

Brook Lopez.

Lauri is actually turning into a freak athlete, but Brook Lopez has had an up and down career of playing the low-post and realizing he has a perimeter game.

Some could argue that prime Brook Lopez would be Lauri right now, which I think its overdoing it. Although, if that were true, a really athletic Dirk Nowitziki comp makes a lot of sense.

A LOT like Kristaps. This Finland star is making waves.

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