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Ayton is averaging 1.08 points per possession on 60.0 percent shooting on post-ups, and he's putting up 1.11 points per possession in isolation. His blossoming skills are what point to future NBA All-Star appearances, though. He's been dominant offensively inside, shooting 72.1 percent at the basket with 29 putbacks through 26 games. But at 7'1" and 250 pounds with a 7'5 ½" wingspan, Ayton is longer and far more chiseled than Towns was at the same age. Physically, he mirrors Karl-Anthony Towns (7'0", 248 pounds). But his skill level has continuously evolved, and he's now averaging 19.5 points on 60.4 percent shooting as a freshman at Arizona, scoring in translatable ways that have helped create a case for Ayton as college basketball's No. If that's the case, we'll start talking about historical rankings rather than just his place atop the Association's present-day hierarchy.Ĭurrent Per-Game Stats: 19.5 points, 10.7 rebounds, 1.4 assists, 0.5 steals, 1.8 blocksĭeandre Ayton's size, length, power and athleticism have registered under the NBA's scouting lens for years. But what if he does? What if five years is enough time for him to start knocking down triples and spacing out the opposition even more? 5, trailing only James Harden, Stephen Curry, Kevin Durant and LeBron James.Įven if Antetokounmpo doesn't develop a consistent jumper, he'll continue producing some of the NBA's most well-rounded lines with his Euro-stepping proclivities, basket-attacking mentality and fearsome defense. In fact, Basketball Reference's NBA MVP Award Tracker already lists him at No. That lofty goal is well within the realm of reasonable and realistic possibilities for the Milwaukee Bucks superstar, who's already representing his squad in the midseason classic's starting lineup and is on the verge of bursting into MVP contention. The question isn't whether Giannis Antetokounmmpo will be an All-Star when he's 28 years old, so much as whether he'll be the NBA's best player. After all, we're not exactly wanting for All-Star snubs in the present.Ĭurrent Per-Game Stats: 27.9 points, 10.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists, 1.5 steals, 1.3 blocks Plenty more players likely will be deserving of inclusion. Conference affiliation and positions are wholly irrelevant as we quest toward finding the league's premier talents in terms of popularity and production.īefore we begin, keep in mind that this is an inherently subjective exercise. With Bleacher Report's Jonathan Wasserman serving as the prospect guru, selecting and writing about the non-NBAers who'll represent their squads in 2023's All-Star festivities, we've gone through and picked out 24 representatives. Meanwhile, Dirk Nowitzki still might be knocking down triples. Giannis Antetokounmpo and Karl-Anthony Towns will be in the midst of their athletic primes. 1 selection will be leading the charge for their respective organizations. Teams won't be gearing up for shots at the top pick in a potentially star-studded 2018 NBA draft, and many of the prospects in contention for this year's No. Five years into the future, the NBA will be entirely different.īen Simmons and Donovan Mitchell will no longer be competing for Rookie of the Year.
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