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March 27, 2008
Davis Sports Deli.com's
NBA Top 25 Under Age 25
Eighth Edition: D-Will Rides Into the Top 5
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 Sixth Edition of the world famous Davis Sports Deli 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 Seventh Edition.
Rank |
Player |
Prev. Rank |
Age |
Movement |
Comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1. |
(1) |
23 |
-- |
Barring injury (or a Space Jam-like drain of talent), LeBron will headline this list for years to come. As the 2008 playoffs approach, we're looking forward to whatever Bron-Bron has in store for us. | |
2. |
(2) |
22 |
-- |
Right now, CP3 is neck-and-neck with Steve Nash for the 2008 assists title. He's also running away with the 2008 steals title (2.71/game, no one else is even close). And let's not forget the Hornets are the best team in the West. MVP, anyone? | |
3. |
(3) |
22 |
-- |
Dwight's only blemish in March was a 3 point, 1-6 FG debacle in an Orlando home loss to the Wizards (3/19). Other than that, Dwight remains beastly. | |
4. |
(6) |
23 |
+2 |
D-Will has posted double-digit assists in 11 of Utah's 13 games in March. The Jazz have responded with a 10-3 record. That's what you call taking care of business. | |
5. |
(4) |
23 |
-1 |
In March, Anthony is playing fewer minutes and scoring fewer points. But he has worked to limit his turnovers this month and continues to shoot lights-out from deep. | |
6. |
(5) |
23 |
-1 |
Bosh has only played a handful of games in March, but one of them was a near triple-double against Denver on 3/23. It would've been the first of his career. | |
7. |
(7) |
23 |
-- |
On 3/22, Jefferson was limited to 8 points against the Knicks. Then on 3/26 he was outrebounded by Luis Scola (Luis Scola!). Chalk it up to fatigue. | |
8. |
(10) |
22 |
+2 |
Ellis is evoking comparisons to D-Wade (from Bill Simmons) and Stephen Curry (from message board hypers). Can't we just let Monta be Monta? | |
9. |
(8) |
23 |
-1 |
Roy will miss the next 2 weeks with a groin injury. No wonder he's hurting now. For a few months the weight of the entire franchise rested squarely on his shoulders. | |
10. |
(9) |
22 |
-1 |
Adding Bibby's scoring presence has allowed J Smoove to do more of what he does best: defend and rebound. Smith's March reb total was his highest of the season. | |
11. |
(11) |
24 |
-- |
With Iggy leading the way, the Sixers continue to light up better opponents. Recent wins over Boston, Denver and San Antonio show that Philly is a legit playoff team. | |
12. |
(14) |
24 |
+2 |
I'm not big on what-ifs, but had the Hawks taken Granger rather than Marv Williams in the '05 draft they'd have a much stronger team right now. Granger would give them better defense than Marv and more reliable outside shooting. Just sayin'... | |
13. |
(16) |
22 |
+3 |
Aldridge has been a beast in late March. He has scored 20+ points on 50% shooting or higher in the past six consecutive games. It's hard to argue with numbers like that. | |
14. |
(13) |
19 |
-1 |
Hard to believe that Durant would fall a spot after producing his best month of the season (21.1 pts, 4 reb, 53.2% FG). Durant fans, you can thank terrific months by Aldridge and Granger for this recent movement. | |
15. |
(12) |
21 |
-3 |
As Memphis closes out another horrible season, Gay seems to be taking the remaining games as a vacation. In March, he regressed in ppg, FG% and FTA. | |
16. |
(15) |
20 |
-1 |
Guess that presumed early-April return was nothing but smoke and mirrors. The team remains vague about Bynum's fitness, so I'm guessing he won't be effective. | |
17. |
(21) |
17 |
-- |
Big Al's rebounding numbers fell a bit in March, but he's passing the ball better (1.6-to-1 A/T). If the Hawks get the Celtics in the first round, Horford shouldn't be too fazed (he's averaging 15 pts/9 reb against them this season). | |
18. |
(20) |
24 |
+2 |
Mr. Gordon has been amazing off the bench in March. If you're a fan of efficiency (who isn't?), you have to love 27 pts in 29 min on 3/9 and 31 pts in 33 min on 3/17. | |
19. |
(18) |
22 |
-1 |
Deng's stock has been in free-fall since mid-November. Do you realize he's only had one 30-point game this season? | |
20. |
(22) |
23 |
+2 |
In March, Bogut was an absolute force of nature inside (11.4 reb, 2.1 blk). Unfortunately, he also unleashed this stinker (1pt, 2reb, 27min) on 3/9 vs. Philly. | |
21. |
(21) |
23 |
-- |
Props to Felton for improving his assist-to-turnover ratio in the month of March. Now for the constructive criticism: his shot still needs much improvement. | |
22. |
(23) |
21 |
+1 |
Marv's scoring had been on a steady decline since the second week of January, but he's (somewhat) back on track now (46.7% FG in March). Bibby's arrival significantly cut down the number of shots available for him. | |
23. |
(NR) |
24 |
Debut |
Foye makes a strong debut on the Top 25, leaping from not ranked to 23rd. The justification? Strong rebounding numbers (for a guard), good defense and the ability to create opportunities for his teammates. | |
24. |
(26) |
22 |
+2 |
J.R. got hot in February and he's stayed that way ever since. In March he shot a blistering 49.3% from beyond the arc, including 7-12 vs. Memphis on 3/24. His play has been invaluable to the Nugs as they make their late-season playoff push. | |
25. |
(30) |
23 |
+5 |
Rashad was an extremely efficient scorer in March, averaging 16.4 points on 46.5% from the field and 44.6% from three point range. |
On the Cusp: Rajon Rondo (Boston), Ronnie Brewer (Utah), David Lee (New York), Nate Robinson (New York), Thaddeus Young (Philadelphia)
Graduated: None