NBA All-Under 25 Team: USA vs World

By: Wayne

The NBA's Rising Stars game will take place this coming Friday, and the rosters were just announced a couple of days ago. The following are the rosters for the game:

Team USA: Trae Young, Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, Miles Bridges, Wendell Carter Jr., Devonte' Graham, Tyler Herro, Jaren Jackson Jr., Kendrick Nunn, Eric Paschall, P.J. Washington

Team World: Luka Doncic, DeAndre Ayton, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Nickeil Alexander-Walker, R.J. Barrett, Brandon Clarke, Rui Hachimura, Svi Mykhaliuk, Josh Okogie, Moritz Wagner

There's plenty of talent on both of these rosters, and the Charlotte Hornets (an absolutely inept franchise) deserve a quick shoutout for matching the Grizzlies with the most players in this game (3). But there are several names here who might not be future stars in the league but very good role players or bench guys. So what if we expanded the field to all players under 25 years old? I'm going to put together a Team USA and Team World for all under-25 players, including 5 starters and 5 bench guys for each team.

Team USA:

PG - Trae Young (age 21): Was there any doubt Ice Trae would find himself on this team? Young is averaging 29.7 points, 4.4 rebounds, and 9.2 assists to give him some of the most impressive counting stats in the league this year. Trae's defense is awful - and that can't be overstated. However, he does rank inside the top-12 in the NBA in PER. The Hawks score 15.9 more points per 100 possessions with Trae on the floor - that's the difference between a middle-of-the-pack team this year and the 12th-worst offense of all time (per Basketball-Reference). Young is a lethal passer, and even his best highlights don't do justice to how well he reads the floor. Even with John Collins missing several games and a minimal amount of offensive talent surrounding him, Young ranks second in the NBA in assists behind only LeBron James. The first-time all-star starter has a bright future ahead of him, and the trade deadline acquisition of Capela should improve this team's defense immediately. Young's defense will always be a bit of a question mark, but his already-elite offensive game makes him a no-brainer for this spot.

SG - Devin Booker (age 23): Booker is the biggest all-star snub I can ever remember seeing - that's a discussion for another time. Before this season, 6 players in NBA history had averaged over 27 points and 6 assists per game with a 60%+ true shooting percentage - LeBron James, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Steph Curry, James Harden, and Damian Lillard. Booker is on pace to join that elite group this season as one of the best scorers in the NBA. Book leads all players in shooting percentage inside of 8 feet from the basket, and his elite post-up and fadeaway game has made him absolutely lethal. There are only 3 non-big men who rank ahead of Book in true shooting percentage (Khris Middleton, J.J. Redick, Duncan Robinson). Booker's efficiency has jumped way up now finally playing next to a real point guard in Ricky Rubio - and yet, questions over his ability to impact a winning team haven't been put to rest as the Suns sit at 21-33 in another disappointing season for the franchise. No blame should fall on the shoulders of Booker, though, as one of the league's brightest stars continues to toil away in a crappy market with an owner who doesn't really seem to give a shit.

SF - Brandon Ingram (age 22): BI has had a breakout season for the Pelicans and has made his first all-star team. He's averaging career-highs across the board with 24.9 points, 6.4 rebounds, and 4.2 assists per game. Ingram's 3-point shooting has been particularly impressive, as he is shooting 40% on a career-high (by far) 6.3 attempts per game. Ingram ranks inside the top 30 in PER and offensive box plus-minus and barely beats out his teammate Zion Williamson here by virtue of a bigger sample size and more impact for the Pelicans this season. Ingram's 60% true shooting has been particularly impressive - that's typically a mark reserved for big men who take more efficient shots and not 6.3 3-pointers per game. Ingram looks set to sign a max extension to stay in New Orleans this summer and would make more next season than he has to this point in his career. The turnaround from his disappointing lack of impact in Los Angeles to this career-year in New Orleans has been outstanding, and it feels like way more than a year ago that concerns over a blood clot issue clouded the future of Ingram's career - he has arrived.

PF - Jayson Tatum (age 21): If you're looking for a player who has helped his team win games this season, look no further than Tatum who's two-way impact has led him to a breakout season in his third year. He's averaging career-highs across the board - 22.2 points, 6.9 rebounds, 2.9 assists per game - and he has maintained a lethal threat from 3-point range, shooting 38.7% on 6.8 attempts per game. Tatum actually leads the Celtics in usage percentage this season and has arguably been the team's best player. His defensive impact has been the surprising part of his career year - Real Plus-Minus has him rated as the best defensive power forward in the entire NBA. The Celts are one of three teams who rank inside the top-5 in the NBA in both offensive and defensive rating and Tatum has been a huge reason why. His scoring has seen a massive improvement to the tune of 8 30+ point games after 1 such game in his first two seasons. He showed glimpses of the takeover gene early in his career, but now he seems capable of taking over with his shooting whenever he wants - no matter the defensive matchup, situation, or whether or not his shots had been falling that night. Tatum's rebounding has been massive for a team with a limited big-man rotation, and the only nit-picky thing you can look at with him is his assist percentage, which is the lowest among top-30 players in usage rate. All other parts of his game have improved this season, though, and his first all-star nod was well-deserved as he ranks second in the NBA in net rating.

C - Karl Anthony-Towns (age 24): Towns' statistical resume this season is incredibly confusing. On the one hand, his raw numbers are awe-inspiring - 26.5 points (career-high), 10.8 rebounds, and 4.4 assists per game. He also boasts a 41.2% clip from 3 on 7.9 attempts per game - that makes him one of the best volume shooters in the NBA, and the dude is 7 feet tall. That's all-the-more impressive when you consider the fact that the Wolves have employed one of the worst point guard rotations in the NBA this year, although that's about to change with the addition of DLo. Due to their lack of guard depth, KAT has been deployed as a point-center at various points this season and leads the team in assist percentage. He also ranks 7th league-wide in PER and finds himself 5th in the league in box plus-minus. So why the confusion? The Wolves are really, really, really bad - they're 16-36. Don't be fooled, either - Towns has missed 17 games but the team has actually done better when he has missed. The Wolves finally earned a win over the Clippers on Sunday after 13(!!) straight losses - nobody is mistaking this club as a playoff threat. The addition of DLo will help the offense maintain better efficiency, but with KAT on the floor, the Wolves have played like the worst defense in the NBA. Towns is one of the most complete offensive big men that has graced an NBA court of all time, and he still has massive potential having not even really entered his prime yet. In order for the Wolves to win in the future, though, Towns will have to put in work to improve his defensive ability.

Bench:

PG - Fred VanVleet (age 25): Surprised? This was a tough call and it came down to some very talented point guards with De'Aaron Fox, D'Angelo Russell, Ja Morant, Devonte' Graham, and Lonzo Ball all worthy of consideration. VanVleet gets the nod here, though, on the back of a breakout 4th professional season. He is averaging 18 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 6.8 assists per game - and no, those raw numbers don't stand out among that group. What does stand out is VanVleet's 39.6% shooting from 3 on 7 attempts per game. The poor efficiency and shooting of Graham and Ball pretty much ruled them out for me. The atrocious net rating of Fox and Russell is also concerning as they find themselves on losing teams. Morant arguably has the most long-term potential out of this group, but his lack of playoff reps knocks him down a tier. So in comes VanVleet, who after playing a crucial role in the Raptors winning their first title this summer, has come through again with much-needed production of both ends of the floor. He's the only guard in that group with a positive net rating and leads the group in steals by far with 1.9 per game. His 4 deflections per game (3rd in the NBA) shows how much of a pest he is on defense. None of the other players come close to VanVleet's advanced numbers (win shares, box plus-minus, etc.), and he also has the lowest turnover rate in the group. It's extremely difficult to argue that any 25-and-under point guard has contributed more to their team's success over the past two years.

SG - Donovan Mitchell (age 23): There was little doubt that I was picking Spida here - he's another one of my favorite players in the NBA. In his third professional season, Mitchell's scoring has improved to 24.3 points per game on 45.7% from the field and 36.3% from 3 - all career-highs. Zach LaVine was a consideration here - he is scoring more points per game and shooting it better from 3. LaVine's defensive field goal percentage against is also surprisingly good - 5% better than Mitchell. Spida is playing an integral role for the 35-18 Jazz, though, and the first-time all-star would be chosen before LaVine by most general managers around the NBA. Mitchell's efficiency has been an uphill battle, but it's definitely improving in his third season, and his explosive play on both ends gives the Jazz a much-needed edge. Mitchell is surrounded by high-level NBA talent in Rudy Gobert, Mike Conley, Bojan Bogdanovic, and Joe Ingles - and you can make the case that if LaVine was in that offense his numbers would be even better. In terms of the future forecast, LaVine is already in his 6th season somehow and is probably pretty close to his peak. Meanwhile, it feels like Mitchell has another couple of level-ups in him and could become the best two-way 2-guard in the league in a couple of years.

SF - Jaylen Brown (age 23): The two Js have given the Celtics' franchise new life alongside free agency addition Kemba Walker. Jaylen Brown is reaching the potential I saw in him back when he was suiting up for UC Berkeley and playing like the most explosive two-way athlete in the game. Brown's defense was always part of the equation, but his jump in scoring has been really impressive this year. He's averaging 20.2 points per game on career-highs in field goal and free throw percentage. Brown's 3-point shot has been great too, knocking down a 38.1% clip on a career-high 5.4 attempts per game. JB ranks top-5 in net rating and is one of only a handful of players who ranks top-15 in net rating on both offense and defense. Brown allows opponents to shoot just 43.3% on shots he is defending, which is just a tick below Tatum. Brown's career-high 6.4 rebounds have been huge as well for a team that has minimal rebounding threat other than him and Tatum. Brown and Tatum are the perfect two-way wings to build around in the modern NBA, and with both being younger than 23, the Celtics have to be thrilled with Danny Ainge for identifying the talent, drafting these guys, and not trading them for one of the high-priced veterans who have been made available in recent years.

PF - Zion Williamson (age 19): Call this biased, misinformed, whatever you want. Zion is a generational talent who is taking the NBA by storm. Sure, he's only played 10 games. But in 27 minutes a game he has already shown his monstrous upside with averages of 22.1 points, 7.5 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. He is already one of the premier lob threats in the game, reminiscent of an early-career Blake Griffin. Zion's net rating is just absurd, with the Pelicans scoring 7.5 points per 100 possessions more with him in the game and allowing 8.6 points per 100 possessions less on defense - that's a boost of 16.1 points with him in the game. Zion now has the best net rating in the NBA after last night, edging out Giannis for the top slot. No big deal. His rim protection has been outstanding as well, as he finds himself in the top 15 in defensive win shares and in the top 5 for opponent 2nd chance points allowed. Zion leads the NBA in offensive loose balls recovered per game, as well, as he is a magnet in the painted area for the Pelicans' backcourt players. The sky is the limit for Zion long-term, and there is little to complain about his play so far as he set another career-high in points last night with 32.

C - DeAndre Ayton (age 21): This was another incredibly difficult call to make. There were plenty of worthy candidates for the backup center spot, but ultimately I went with the guy who has shown the most potential through his first two seasons in the NBA. Ayton was technically born in the Bahamas, but he played high school and college ball in Arizona so I'm letting it slide as he sneaks into Team USA. Ayton has struggled through an injury-riddled season during which he also missed time with a suspension. However, his numbers are up across the board - 18.7 points, 12.0 rebounds, and 2.2 assists per game. The 6'11" Ayton is a huge presence in the paint on both ends of the floor, as evidenced by his 1.6 blocks per game (tied for 11th). His rebounding is also elite, as his 12 boards a game rank 6th in the NBA. One of the knocks on Ayton is his inability to find an outside shot, something Jaren Jackson Jr. has done incredibly well. I weighed rebounding more heavily, though, which gave Ayton the nod. Adebayo has contributed more to a winning team, and his advanced numbers are all more impressive than Ayton's - but long-term there are very few centers I would like to build around more than the Arizona product.

Honorable mentions: De'Aaron Fox, D'Angelo Russell, Ja Morant, Lonzo Ball, Devonte' Graham, Zach LaVine, John Collins, Aaron Gordon, Julius Randle, Marvin Bagley, Bam Adebayo, Jaren Jackson Jr., Mitchell Robinson

Team World:

PG - Ben Simmons (age 23): This 6'10" Australian point guard is far from your typical NBA player in the modern era. With handles for days and a vicious dribble-drive game, his ability to collapse the defense into the paint and open up space for his teammates is extremely valuable. Simmons ranks 5th in the NBA with his 8.3 assists per game, and no player has assisted on more 3-pointers this season. Speaking of 3-pointers, Simmons still shows no signs of ever developing a semi-respectable outside shot. He has finally made a couple this season, but has only attempted 6 all year and sits at 23 3-point attempts for his career. James Harden could hit that total in two games. Simmons is still scoring 16.8 points per game, almost all of which come in the painted area. Simmons' FG% and FT% have improved, but perhaps not to the degree which 76ers fans expected this year. For all his offensive limitations, though, Simmons has been one of the best defensive players in the league this year. He leads the NBA in steals with 2.2 per game and ranks 4th in the league in defensive win shares. Simmons is one of the most dangerous transition threats in the league with his stifling defense, fast-paced driving ability, and elite court vision. He may not ever be close to a prolific 3-point player, but Simmons undoubtedly helps the Sixers win games and contributes to the team in a variety of other ways.

SG - Luka Doncic (age 20): Was there any doubt Luka would find himself on this list? The 2nd-year player from Slovenia has exceeded even diehard Mavs fans' loftiest expectations for him. He hasn't even turned 21 yet and you can make the case that he's the best player on either of these teams. Doncic is averaging a mind-boggling 28.8 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 8.7 assists per game. As a 20-year-old. Absurd. His shooting percentages are not impressive and paint him as an inefficient scorer, but there's plenty of evidence to contradict that. Doncic ranks outside the top 60 in true shooting percentage, but he is also second in the NBA in PER. Dallas has produced quite literally the best offensive rating of any team in NBA history - even better than the Step, Klay, and Kevin Warriors. Luka has more triple-doubles before turning 21 than every other player in NBA history COMBINED. Doncic is also the third-best offensive player in the NBA this season per FiveThirtyEight's RAPTOR rating (behind only James Harden and Damian Lillard). It feels wrong that Luka is on Team World, impossible that he is just a second-year player. He will also enjoy his first all-star appearance and would have a real shot to win MVP this season if it weren't for this next guy.

SF - Giannis Antetokounmpo (age 25): After losing to the Raptors in the Eastern Conference Finals following his first MVP trophy, Giannis told us he had only tapped into 60% of his potential. I chuckled - how could the league's MVP improve his game by 40%? The Greek Freak buckled down and got to work. The result? The league's best player during last year's regular-season has become even more dangerous. Despite playing 2 fewer minutes per game, Giannis has upped his scoring from 27.7 to 30.0 points per game and is snagging an extra board per game to get him to 13.5 rebounds per game. Giannis knew he had to develop a decent 3-point shot to fully evolve his offensive game, and although his 31.3% from deep isn't stellar, he's averaging 1.5 makes and 4.9 attempts per game (both career-highs). Giannis also leads the NBA in defensive rating as he is averaging over 1 steal and 1 block a game for the 5th straight season. Giannis owns the advanced stats, leading the league in VORP, BPM, PER, and win shares per 48 minutes. He's done all this while playing just 1,482 minutes total - the same as Markelle Fultz and Bruce Brown. Giannis looks to be a heavy favorite to repeat as the MVP and will hope to get his East-leading Bucks over the hump in this year's postseason.

PF - Pascal Siakam (age 25): Spicy P has spiced things up in Toronto this season with his career-highs across the board - 23.7, 7.5 rebounds, and 3.4 assists per game. After losing Kawhi Leonard, the Raptors were not considered a lock for the playoffs by many analysts. Instead, the Raps have won 15 straight games and Siakam has been a huge reason why. The Cameroonian forward earned his first all-star nod, and his ascension over the past two years has been incredibly impressive. It's hard to believe he was a late first-round pick and completely overlooked in the draft - he's the Raptors' franchise player moving forward. Siakam has replaced much of the scoring, rebounding, and defense that Kawhi offered the team last year. His defense has been particularly impressive, as his switchability is incredibly valuable to the Raptors' defensive sets and he has contested more 3-point shots per game than anyone in the NBA. Siakam ranks inside the top ten in the NBA in net rating for players (minimum 10 games played and 26 minutes per game) and is also inside the top 20 in usage rating. Siakam was a star in the playoffs this summer for the Raptors as they won their first title, and punctuated an excellent season in Game 1 of the Finals when he put up 32 points on 14-17 from the field. He will be asked to shoulder a heavier burden this year as the Raptors look to defend their title, but Siakam is ready to take the next step towards becoming an MVP-caliber superstar.

C - Nikola Jokic (age 24): If you have had a conversation with me sometime over the past two years about basketball, the viability of Jokic's MVP candidacy has likely come up. The Joker is possibly my favorite player in the NBA right now, particularly because of how unique his game is. Jokic might be the best passing big man in NBA history - he's averaging 6.9 assists per game this year, his third-straight season over 6 assists per game. No center had accomplished that feat since Wilt Chamberlain in the late 1960s. The Joker also ranks 14th in the league in assist percentage (34.8%), which is typical territory for point guards not centers. The next-highest center in that category is Karl Anthony-Towns with 23.2%, good for 44th in the league. The way Jokic anchors the Nuggets offense is unlike any other big man I've personally seen, and it shows with his 11 triple-doubles which is just 1 behind Doncic for the league-lead. Jokic fares incredibly well with almost every advanced stat - 6th in win shares and 8th in PER stand out. After a tough start to the year with shooting, he has been red-hot since the start of 2020 - he averaged 23.4 points per game in January and has been at 28 points per game in his 5 February games. His 3-point percentage has fluctuated all season, but it sits at 32.4% now which is pretty solid for his size. Jokic's Nuggets have performed 5.4 points per 100 possessions with him in the game, with his impact particularly felt on the offensive end as he ranks 14th in FiveThirtyEight's RAPTOR offensive rating. Jokic earned his second all-star nod this season and is somehow still underrated as his highlight reels are full of circus passes he consistently makes look easy.

Bench:

PG - Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (age 21): Speaking of my favorite players in the league - I've been convinced since the minute he took the floor for my Clippers that the Canadian-born SGA is a future all-star. He damn near made it this season. A clear frontrunner for most improved player, Shai is averaging 19.5 points, 6.1 rebounds, and 3.1 assists per game as 32-22, 6th-seeded Thunder. He has maintained a solid shooting line across the board as his volume has increased - he's averaging almost twice as many shot attempts per game this year. Shai's positional versatility as a 6'5" point guard makes him incredibly valuable to Oklahoma City's defensive schemes - he can switch onto and guard most players, from point guards to power forwards. That has allowed the Thunder to run closing lineups featuring Chris Paul, SGA, and Dennis Schroder on the floor together, a trio that has outscored opponents by 29.4 points per 100 possessions in 364 minutes played per game. Watching Shai go as collateral damage in the Paul George - Kawhi Leonard blockbuster really hurt as a Clips fan, but seeing him reach some of the potentials I thought he had last year has been incredibly exciting. The sky is the limit as Shai's intangibles in his second season make him seem like a 10-year veteran.

SG - Jamal Murray (age 22): It's hard to believe that Murray is still only 22. In his 4th professional season, the Canadian guard has played in far more playoff games and big moments than most players his age. The Blue Arrow is scoring 18.6 points per game on a good-not-great shooting split of 45.2%/34.3%/89.8%. He's also contributing with 4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game as the secondary playmaker next to Jokic. Murray leads all Nuggets in net rating and ranks inside the top-20 in the league in that category (minimum 10 games played and 26 minutes per game). His defense has been surprisingly solid, as Denver has held teams to 2.6 points fewer per 100 possessions this season with him on the floor and FiveThirtyEight has him rated as a positive on that end this season. The continued development of Jokic and Murray into top-level talent is integral to the Nuggets' future championship hopes, and the playoff reps Murray has already earned and will surely get again this season will be integral to his progression.

PF - Domantas Sabonis (age 23): Alright, so this is technically cheating, as the 6'11" Domas would pretty much never line up at the 3. But the international team has a real lack of wing talent (outside of "Mathief" Thybulle, who is the best rookie perimeter defender I've ever seen). So in comes Sabonis at the 3 spot, leaving Luka, Shai, and Siakam with all of the out-of-position minutes they can handle. Sabo has had a breakout season, earning his first all-star nod in his 4th professional campaign. He has suddenly become the Pacers' best player in the absence of Victor Oladipo for the majority of the season - he is averaging 18.3 points, 12.5 rebounds, and 4.8 assists per game. Domas has been one of the best pick-and-roll big men in the league, ranking second in screen assists and points off screens per game. His passing has also become a major asset as his assist numbers have increased over the course of the season to now 6+ per game since the start of 2020. Sabonis has 4 triple-doubles this season which puts him at 6th in the NBA, tied with Giannis. Those triple-doubles have all come since mid-January as Domas has transformed his game over the course of the season, a breakout that has earned him his first all-star nod. Sabonis ranks 33rd in PER, 15th in win shares, and 22nd in box plus-minus, making him one of the most valuable players in the league this season.

PF - Kristaps Porzingis (age 24): It's been a predictably rocky transition for Porzingis into the Dallas lineup after not playing for a year. Sharing the court with a dominant guard in Doncic should have helped his efficiency, but he is shooting a career-low clip from the field (40.9%). The Unicorn is shaking off his PTSD from the Knicks experience, though, as his shooting has been trending up, punctuated by 41% from 3-point territory in his 4 February contests. Porzingis doesn't pass, which is a problem for a player who has a near-30% usage rate - he is only averaging 1.4 assists per game. It makes him a much more predictable offensive threat than fellow young big men like Sabonis and Adebayo, although at his peak he can be one of the best sharpshooting bigs in the NBA. The Mavericks have actually played a bit better with Kristaps off the court, which supports the idea that his ball-stopping tendencies hurt the offense (he has just a 7% assist rate and has the 12th-worst assist to turnover ratio in the league). On the bright side, Porzingis finds himself in the top 12 in defensive FG% against and he also has a top-five block rate (minimum 10 games played, 26 minutes per game). Over time, Porzingis's floor-stretching and rim protection abilities will make him a valuable piece next to Luka, and he still has the potential to become a top-5 big man in the NBA.

C - Joel Embiid (age 25): Embiid turns 26 this season, which feels wrong after he only played 31 games throughout his first 3 seasons. He didn't play a single game in the first two years after being drafted. There isn't a great precedent for players going on to have hall-of-fame NBA careers after not playing a single game in their first two seasons, but Embiid's talent is undeniable when he's on the floor. Embiid ranks 11th in the NBA in PER and his raw numbers have been pretty impressive - 22.9 points, 11.9 rebounds, 3.2 assists, and 1.4 blocks per game. Embiid does rank 7th in defensive rating, but a lot of that has to do with how good the 76ers are defensively all-around and his FG% against isn't particularly impressive. With Embiid on the floor, though, the 76ers jumped from the 13th-best defensive rating to the 2nd-best. He does rank 8th in the NBA in usage rating, which is problematic for a player whose assist-turnover ratio barely reaches over 1. To be fair to Embiid, when he is at his best there are few players who can match up with him in the paint, but his outside shooting is fairly mediocre at around 34% when he shoots from outside of 16 feet from the basket. The long-term fit of Embiid and Simmons together in Philly remains a giant question mark, but there is no questioning the elite individual talent of either player.

Honorable mentions: Lauri Markkanen, Jusuf Nurkic, Clint Capela, Steven Adams