Rising Star: Thunder's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Among Top-Five NBA Players Under 25
In the modern NBA, young players are starting to make more of an impact on their respective teams early in their careers. As such, some of the best players in the entire league are in their early twenties.
With that in mind, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is among the best young players in the entire NBA. As a 22-year-old last season, he was the best player on the Oklahoma City Thunder, successfully being the face of an NBA franchise in just his third season.
With many of these young superstars around the league set to be the top players in the NBA down the road, Fansided ranks the top 25 players under 25 years old each season.
Prior to the 2020-21 season, Gilgeous-Alexander ranked No. 13 overall on this list. After a wildly successful season, he jumped all the way up to No. 5 in the 2021 Fansided 25-Under-25.
Let's take a look at the top ten players on this year's list.
| Player | Team |
|---|---|
1. Luka Doncic | Dallas Mavericks |
2. Jayson Tatum | Boston Celtics |
3. Zion Williamson | New Orleans Pelicans |
4. Trae Young | Atlanta Hawks |
5. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | Oklahoma City Thunder |
6. Bam Adebayo | Miami Heat |
7. Ja Morant | Memphis Grizzlies |
8. De'Aaron Fox | Sacramento Kings |
9. Deandre Ayton | Phoenix Suns |
10. Brandon Ingram | New Orleans Pelicans |
This puts Gilgeous-Alexander in great company. Him and his peers on the list have some of the brightest futures in the entire NBA.
As the building block the Thunder will construct their roster around going forward, Gilgeous-Alexander will only get better. During every extended break from in-season play, he's made tremendous leaps as a player, constantly evolving as a playmaker and developing his overall game.
Entering his fourth NBA season, Gilgeous-Alexander has a real chance to insert himself as a top-25 player in the league, regardless of age.
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