NBA: Reacting to ESPN’s ‘Top 25 players under 25’ list
By Alex Saenz
Closing thoughts on ESPN’s “Top 25 under 25” list
There were a few glaring omissions. It’s clear that the insiders weighed injuries very heavily, as both Jaren Jackson Jr. (#17 last year) and Jonathan Isaac (#21) dropped off the list completely. I would still rather have either of them than several players who made it (Jarrett Allen, Lonzo Ball, John Collins, Collin Sexton) just based on their two-way potential.
Patrick Williams also should have been in the top 25. He’s the second-youngest player in the league who flashes intriguing skills nearly every night, while starting for a team (attempting to) win-now.
Also not sure why Mikal Bridges (#17) was ranked so far ahead of OG Anunoby (didn’t make it), given that the latter is a year younger, has superior physical tools, and isn’t markedly worse today.
Oh, how the mighty have fallen. Tyler Herro, one of the stars of Miami’s unexpected Finals run and inspiration for a legendary Mark Jackson moment, has had a disastrous encore thus far. Maybe his stock was just a bubble (pun intended) this entire time.
Here’s how Herro’s per-36 numbers stack up if you remove the Disney games:
- Rookie season: 17.0 points, 5.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists on 53.5% true shooting
- Sophomore season: 17.7 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.9 assists on 53.1% true shooting
Next. Playoffs or not, the New York Knicks have laid a strong foundation for the future. dark
It’s pretty damning that James Wiseman wasn’t even under consideration for this list. Enthusiasm over the No. 2 pick has gradually tampered down over the year, as it becomes clearer by the game that he’s nowhere close to ready. To me, Wiseman’s feel for the game seems broken, but its still too early to write him off.