Young NBA Cores

[sillent]

Believe it or not there are 21 teams out of 30 who will be depending on their young cores (26 & under) now or in the very near future.

The Pacers just missed the list because most of their core are in their primes or just over. Heat would've made the list if it wasn't for this offseason.

The Raptors although looking like a vet team are younger than the Pacers core and just made the list. This is a team that could go one way or the other. It will be interesting to see if the Raptors bounce back from their disastrous season away from home or if Kawhi and Lowry really mean/meant that much.

The Bulls have added vets but overall are still a pretty young team and should be in the fight for atleast a play in spot. I know people are expecting them to definitely be a playoff team but we have to see if on paper translates to on the court. 

Teams like the Warriors and Knicks made the cut because although their vets will carry them in the Warriors case it won't be long and the Knicks have alot of surprisingly young pieces 26 & under including Julius Randle.

The Pelicans young core might be short lived if they can't get it together quickly.

The Mavericks young trio may be in the same boat. Tim Hardaway Jr. might be there but one of the other two might be on the way out.

The Thunder, Magic, Pistons, Kings, Cavs, Rockets, Spurs and T'Wolves are all young squads projected to continue rebuilding but I would not be surprised if one or two of them significantly surprise/improve. 

 

The best/deepest young cores are our Hawks, Nuggets, Suns, Grizzlies, 76ers (yes they were the start of this decades youth movements & still there), Celtics (hanging in there), Hornets (up and coming). 

The league is younger than we'd think and we are at the top of the list in the best youth department.

The Pacers and Heat just missed the list. The Lakers can hold on as long as LeBron does. The same can be said for the Nets and their big 3. The Bucks have a small 3yr window as constructed and the Clippers could be in this boat as well. The Jazz are a pretty good mixed bag but their window may also close sooner than expected. Blazers and Wizards may be able to hold on for as long as Lillard and Bradley Beal can but how long can they take mediocrity?

All of the older teams may have 3yrs -5yrs max before it's time for their rebuild.

The Future really looks bright and has been changing right in front of our very eyes.

The best part about it is we're at the top of the future movement and setup to be good for a long time. The way Travis has set us up and the way he drafts and trades we can continue to stay ahead of our competition. We are so deep that we're starting to be forced to give good young players away (Knight, Bruno, Goodwin) and still keep the best of the best. 

That's a great position to be in as the league continues to get younger.

 

 

 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

 

 

The Core: Trae Young, John Collins, De'Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson

Are we putting too much stock in Atlanta's run to the Eastern Conference Finals? Some might say that. But it's hard not to get excited about what's in front of this core after such a magical season.

If Young had any doubters before the campaign tipped, they didn't survive the season. He finished 14th in scoring (25.3) and second in assists (9.4), then found nearly an extra four points per outing in the playoffs (28.8). For a third-year player in his postseason debut, it was the kind of performance that made superstardom feel inevitable.

"He is an amazing player," Giannis Antetokounmpo said of Young, per ESPN's Malika Andrews. "What he can do for his size ... it's unbelievable. What he's done in a three-year span is unbelievable. He's got to keep getting better, keep believing in himself and the sky is the limit for him."

Beyond Young, the Hawks have a near-All-Star in Collins, a 23-year-old averaging 19.3 points and 9.0 rebounds since the start of 2018-19. Hunter was busy turning heads before right knee injuries derailed his season, but he still hinted at a leap from a three-and-D wing to a three-level scorer who defends multiple spots. Huerter is a three-point sniper who also functions as a secondary playmaker and capable team defender.

That quartet alone might get the Hawks this spot, but their chance for core expansion cements it.

Reddish had his sophomore season thrown off course by injuries but remains an interesting source of defensive versatility and support scoring. Okongwu can defend from the paint to the perimeter and gets interesting in a hurry if he finds a three-ball. Johnson stampeded through Summer League and already proved he fell too far as the 20th pick.

Atlanta can thank this young core for delivering both its impressive present and blindingly bright future.

[sillent]

When we realize the true shift in the league that has happened right in front of our eyes. We'll realize we should definitely be in the topic of a big part of the new elite teams.

[REHawksFan]

11 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

The Core: Trae Young, John Collins, De'Andre Hunter, Kevin Huerter, Cam Reddish, Onyeka Okongwu, Jalen Johnson

Are we putting too much stock in Atlanta's run to the Eastern Conference Finals? Some might say that. But it's hard not to get excited about what's in front of this core after such a magical season.

If Young had any doubters before the campaign tipped, they didn't survive the season. He finished 14th in scoring (25.3) and second in assists (9.4), then found nearly an extra four points per outing in the playoffs (28.8). For a third-year player in his postseason debut, it was the kind of performance that made superstardom feel inevitable.

"He is an amazing player," Giannis Antetokounmpo said of Young, per ESPN's Malika Andrews. "What he can do for his size ... it's unbelievable. What he's done in a three-year span is unbelievable. He's got to keep getting better, keep believing in himself and the sky is the limit for him."

Beyond Young, the Hawks have a near-All-Star in Collins, a 23-year-old averaging 19.3 points and 9.0 rebounds since the start of 2018-19. Hunter was busy turning heads before right knee injuries derailed his season, but he still hinted at a leap from a three-and-D wing to a three-level scorer who defends multiple spots. Huerter is a three-point sniper who also functions as a secondary playmaker and capable team defender.

That quartet alone might get the Hawks this spot, but their chance for core expansion cements it.

Reddish had his sophomore season thrown off course by injuries but remains an interesting source of defensive versatility and support scoring. Okongwu can defend from the paint to the perimeter and gets interesting in a hurry if he finds a three-ball. Johnson stampeded through Summer League and already proved he fell too far as the 20th pick.

Atlanta can thank this young core for delivering both its impressive present and blindingly bright future.

Boston losers in the comments losing their minds over Hawks rating higher.  Gotta love it.  

[terrell]

[JeffS17]

Schlenk cannot be praised enough for how he has put this team together.  He inherited the 20th pick and the roster below just over 4 years ago:

24    Kent Bazemore
95    DeAndre' Bembry
13    José Calderón
5    Malcolm Delaney
34    Mike Dunleavy
10    Tim Hardaway
8    Dwight Howard
43    Kris Humphries
7    Ersan İlyasova
30    Ryan Kelly
26    Kyle Korver
4    Paul Millsap
31    Mike Muscala
14    Gary Neal
13    Lamar Patterson
12    Taurean Prince
17    Dennis Schröder  
32    Mike Scott
25    Thabo Sefolosha 
22    Edy Tavares

[JayBirdHawk]

59 minutes ago, JeffS17 said:

He inherited the 20th pick

19th pick.

[Diesel]

16 hours ago, JayBirdHawk said:

 

 

 

 

In All honesty,  the Suns being ranked #5 is blatant disrespect.   The Nuggets being ranked #6 is Blatant Disrespect. The Rockets making the list is Blatant Disrespect.  Where are the 76ers?

The Pelicans being top 3 is Blatant Disrespect.

This list has no credibility. 

 

 

 

 

[Diesel]

Dieselputer... Top 10 teams Under 27 average age Rankings (26.99 and below)  (2021-2022 Season). 

 

1.  Philadelphia 76ers. 

2.   Atlanta Hawks 

3.  Denver Nuggets

4.  NY Knicks

5.  Memphis Grizzlies

6.  Indiana Pacers 

7.  Portland Trailblazers

8.  Dallas Mavericks

9.  Chicago Bulls

10.   Minnesota Timberwolves.

[AHF]

11 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Dieselputer... Top 10 teams Under 27 average age Rankings (26.99 and below)  (2021-2022 Season). 

 

1.  Philadelphia 76ers. 

2.   Atlanta Hawks 

3.  Denver Nuggets

4.  NY Knicks

5.  Memphis Grizzlies

6.  Indiana Pacers 

7.  Portland Trailblazers

8.  Dallas Mavericks

9.  Chicago Bulls

10.   Minnesota Timberwolves.

The article is about teams focused on players under age 25 not 27.

[REHawksFan]

4 hours ago, JeffS17 said:

Schlenk cannot be praised enough for how he has put this team together.  He inherited the 20th pick and the roster below just over 4 years ago:

24    Kent Bazemore
95    DeAndre' Bembry
13    José Calderón
5    Malcolm Delaney
34    Mike Dunleavy
10    Tim Hardaway
8    Dwight Howard
43    Kris Humphries
7    Ersan İlyasova
30    Ryan Kelly
26    Kyle Korver
4    Paul Millsap
31    Mike Muscala
14    Gary Neal
13    Lamar Patterson
12    Taurean Prince
17    Dennis Schröder  
32    Mike Scott
25    Thabo Sefolosha 
22    Edy Tavares

Only 2 players on that list that I wouldn't mind currently being on the Hawks roster (current contracts not withstanding).  

THJ - Still think he's a lethal shooter and can never have too many.

Sap - Probably more sentimentality but he can still play.  For the Vet Min and as a backup getting 3-5 mpg, I'd love him on this roster.  The rest of that list?  Blech.

 

[kg01]

12 minutes ago, AHF said:

The article is about teams focused on players under age 25 not 27.

Plus I don't think PHI should get credit for Simmons.  If he stays, it's gonna depress their team's effectiveness.  If he's traded, likely they'll have to take back less effective players.

[Diesel]

2 hours ago, AHF said:

The article is about teams focused on players under age 25 not 27.

Yeah.. but average ages...

Our Average age is 26.6.  The article talks about "Core Player" but what does that mean...  CP3s age alone takes Phoenix out of the conversation.   It's cherry Picking.  BTW Phoenix's average age is over 27.   Because CP3 is going to play ALOT. 

I picked under 27 because It included us and other young teams... and under 26 and you have like 5 teams. 

[Diesel]

2 hours ago, kg01 said:

Plus I don't think PHI should get credit for Simmons.  If he stays, it's gonna depress their team's effectiveness.  If he's traded, likely they'll have to take back less effective players.

Not so fast my friend.

The main problem with Simmons is that he's at odds with the team.  If he comes back committed and plays, he's a top 15 player in this league.  The one moment where his weakness was exploited doesn't diminish the rest of his ability.  He's not washed.   When Lebron faced the Mavs in the Finals, they exposed Lebron's weakness...  Lebron wasn't washed then...  Same is true about Simmons. 

 

[JayBirdHawk]

31 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Yeah.. but average ages...

Our Average age is 26.6.  The article talks about "Core Player" but what does that mean...  CP3s age alone takes Phoenix out of the conversation.   It's cherry Picking.  BTW Phoenix's average age is over 27.   Because CP3 is going to play ALOT. 

I picked under 27 because It included us and other young teams... and under 26 and you have like 5 teams. 

 

No, The article specifically states in the 2nd paragraph:

This discussion is all about the Association's youth—more specifically, only players who are under the age of 25 and still will be as of the regular season's opening night (Oct. 19).

[sillent]

7 hours ago, terrell said:

Onyeka Okongwu isn't even on the list and I believe he's only 20 as well.

[sillent]

32 minutes ago, Diesel said:

Not so fast my friend.

The main problem with Simmons is that he's at odds with the team.  If he comes back committed and plays, he's a top 15 player in this league.  The one moment where his weakness was exploited doesn't diminish the rest of his ability.  He's not washed.   When Lebron faced the Mavs in the Finals, they exposed Lebron's weakness...  Lebron wasn't washed then...  Same is true about Simmons. 

 

Name Philly's players under 25.

[sillent]

7 hours ago, JeffS17 said:

Schlenk cannot be praised enough for how he has put this team together.  He inherited the 20th pick and the roster below just over 4 years ago:

24    Kent Bazemore
95    DeAndre' Bembry
13    José Calderón
5    Malcolm Delaney
34    Mike Dunleavy
10    Tim Hardaway
8    Dwight Howard
43    Kris Humphries
7    Ersan İlyasova??
30    Ryan Kelly
26    Kyle Korver
4    Paul Millsap??
31    Mike Muscala
14    Gary Neal
13    Lamar Patterson
12    Taurean Prince
17    Dennis Schröder  
32    Mike Scott
25    Thabo Sefolosha 
22    Edy Tavares

It's really amazing when you realize it's only one to two possible starters left and alot of these players are barely still in the league.

 

[terrell]

8 hours ago, terrell said:

Add Onyeka to this........................

[swanlee]

Also keep in mind Clint Cappella is only 27, he was a big part of our success