Youth Movement NBA Junior Rank 2.0
Our own Nathan Grubel finishes up a round of young NBA player rankings by taking a look at who's rising and falling within the junior class, including Jalen Williams, Paolo Banchero, and more!
Last but certainly not least in our Youth Movement NBA rankings—it’s time for another look into the junior class!
The 2022 NBA Draft didn’t quite have the same “star power” as the 2023 class on the surface level, but there are some excellent long-time contributors in this group, a few of which have real cases for big contracts heading into negotiations for extensions off of their rookie deals.
A few of these players are asserting themselves within the rotations of perennial contenders, while others are helping teams in the middle of the pack take meaningful steps forward. Both personal and team growth are exciting to see and study, which really is the point of this series to begin with.
Let’s not waste any more time and start this ranking off with a player who’s lighting up all kinds of statistical categories for the best team by regular season record in the Western Conference!
*All statistics used are as of 3/5/2025 and are courtesy of Basketball-Reference, Synergy Sports, Dunks and Threes, and Cleaning the Glass*
Youth Movement NBA Junior Rank 2.0
1. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
There is no better model of consistency among young players than Jalen Williams.
Williams has played in every single one of the Oklahoma City Thunder’s 58 games this season, and has continued to elevate his play both in terms of usage and efficiency.
To this point in the year, Williams rates in the 96th percentile in the league in terms of overall usage rate, per Cleaning the Glass. He’s registered minutes at every position on the floor except for“point guard, yet seemingly has become one of the better ball-dominant wings in the NBA.
Compared to his rookie season, Williams has run almost double the amount of pick-and-roll possessions as the ball handler per Synergy Sports, and has improved as a scorer and distributor. He’s efficient creating his own jump shot, or operating off screens and moving without the basketball to step into a catch-and-shoot look. Williams cuts incredibly well, and he knows how to make teams pay in transition.
Most importantly, Williams fits cleanly into the Thunder’s identity: switch everything and communicate. He’s a leader on defense who can step up much like every other perimeter defender and take turns guarding the other team’s best outside option. Even with him at the center position, the Thunder outscore opponents by more than 10 points per 100 possessions with Williams on the backline!
How many 6’6” wings can scale up and down the lineup as well as Williams can and still produce top-tier results? Yes, his ability to operate as a primary offensive engine has come into questions at times when Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Chet Holmgren have been off the floor. Oklahoma City is 3.4 points per 100 possessions worse when Williams is on the floor without his star counterparts, but he makes a massive difference in the lineup compared to a lot of other wings.
I continue to remain fascinated by how high his ceiling continues to climb. Even if he’s not a kick-ass number one option on a championship team, what he can be as a second or third option is far greater than the peaks many other players in the league will hit during their careers. Williams is a max contract player with zero arguments against the notion.
2. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
I struggled with where to rank Paolo Banchero amongst his junior peers given how inefficient he’s been since his return from injury.
Banchero’s shooting splits across the board have dipped down to career lows during the calendar year of 2025, and he’s registered quite a few games over the last month with three or more turnovers.
Sure, he’s had moments where he’s looked like the first overall pick. The tear that Banchero was on to start the season suggested he was on pace to potentially enter himself into the MVP conversation if the Orlando Magic kept winning at a 50+ pace.
But that hasn’t been the player we’ve seen in Banchero from January on. The outbursts have come more infrequently than many would expect from the young power forward. There are now legitimate questions to be asked with regards to who Orlando’s best player is: Banchero or Franz Wagner?
Wagner was on an All-NBA campaign of his own before having to miss some time, and after coming back he has been the far more consistent player of the two despite also struggling with his outside shooting. Both players prefer to operate in similar areas on the floor, which leads me to believe that Wagner and Banchero can find balance with some more playing time and improved chemistry.
Evaluators and fans questioned the pairing of Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown for a long time in Boston. Both wings were ball dominant and preferred to operate in similar spots on the floor. Eventually, they figured out how to play off of one another and, most importantly, when to take a back seat while the other was shining. With that patience exhibited by the Boston Celtics, the organization surrounded those two with enough complementary firepower to finally get over the hump and win a championship.
I’m not predicting the Magic will win a title in the next year or two, but a lot of owners and executives would give anything to have two players like Banchero and Wagner on their respective rosters.
In the case of Banchero, cleaning up his shot selection would go a long way in improving his efficiency. That’s easier said than done, as the Magic rank near the bottom of the league in three-point volume and efficiency. Without spacing, there’s only so much Banchero can do to leverage his greatest strength as a player, which is getting downhill. An absolute bully on his way to the basket, few players can keep Banchero from regularly getting to his spots.
Without improved spacing, Banchero often settles for contested pull-up shots around the elbows and even from deep. Banchero needs not only driving lanes, but if he were to take pride in developing a more robust post-up game a la Blake Griffin, he could use his passing vision and touch in even greater ways than he is now as a face-up forward.
Despite his flaws, Banchero is still averaging 24 points, 7 rebounds, and 5 assists per game at 22 years old in the NBA. His talent isn’t in question. Banchero needs to continue to put in the work to develop his game and make the most of the pieces that are around him. Continued patience with Banchero could yield results similar to what Detroit Pistons fans are seeing now with Cade Cunningham.
3. Christian Braun, Denver Nuggets
There’s a potential lesson to be learned with Christian Braun for scouts and talent evaluators alike given his ascension as an NBA player.
The concept of “false ceiling” is one that’s been studied numerous times, and there is some great commentary on the subject in the draft community each cycle. What that term means, for anyone uninformed, is that there are players that seem like they only have a high floor or low ceiling due to any number of concerns around age, athleticism, or natural talent.
Where that concept can shift from a low ceiling to a false ceiling narrative comes back around to the idea of what actually creates a high ceiling for a prospect. Skill and feel are two underrated traits in prospects (not to ALL evaluators, but clearly a great deal given draft priors), and if both are present in a player who measures well enough for his position in terms of size and athleticism, they can bear a much higher outcome if put in the right position to succeed given their strengths.
Braun was drafted to the Denver Nuggets as a plug-and-play role player similar to what he was for most of his college career at Kansas. Braun consistently gained more and more reps as a halfcourt operator, but was primarily an off-ball wing and transition handler. That’s still what his role essentially is for the Nuggets, but he’s figured out how to use his skill and feel in ways that bring out the best of Denver on a nightly basis.
How he plays off the cast of Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, and Michael Porter Jr. is instrumental to the team’s success. Braun knows how and when to move without the ball to make the most of the team’s spacing and motion-based offense. Jokic is the league’s best passing big man (arguably best passer period!) who is at his best drawing double teams and dissecting opposing defenses based on mistakes and cracks in the foundation.
Braun’s baseline cutting and movement on the wing opens up lanes for players like Murray and Russell Westbrook. His improved shooting confidence keeps the floor spaced and defenses honest. And when he runs pick-and-roll offenses, Braun has rated out as “excellent” per Synergy Sports. He has an explosive first step and strong passing instincts from his experience as a secondary creator at Kansas.
Braun has routinely scored in double figures this season, made plays for his teammates, created extra possessions on the offensive glass, and has defended any and all perimeter positions on the floor. The concept of ceiling is a funny one, as even though Braun hasn’t been the engine behind the team’s success, his impact on winning basketball games has continued to prop up the Nuggets in ways the team could’ve only dreamed of when the team’s fifth starter, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, walked out the door and down to Orlando.
I was *this* close to ranking him above Paolo Banchero, and should Banchero’s efficiency continue to drop, he may very well end up in this spot before season’s end.
4. Dyson Daniels, Atlanta Hawks
This entire season, I’ve maintained that Dyson Daniels should win the NBA’s Most Improved Player award based on the spirit of what it’s actually supposed to stand for.
No, Daniels isn’t an established vet on a non-rookie contract, but his growth on both sides of the ball has come as a surprise to quite a few fans and evaluators given where he was just a short time ago as part of the New Orleans Pelicans.
Daniels attempted more perimeter shots in New Orleans compared to his time in Atlanta, but his overall effectiveness as a scorer left much more to be desired. Without aggression in the halfcourt as a ball-handler, Daniels also couldn’t take advantage of his core offensive strength as a downhill passer.
Enter into his time with the Hawks via the Dejounte Murray trade, and Daniels looks like a completely different player on offense while also having ramped up his defensive efforts.
Daniels has taken noticeable steps forward with his ball-handling, and improved strength has allowed him to finish better from 10 feet and closer to the basket. His presence getting downhill has started collapsing opposing defenses, leading to dishes along the baseline and kick-out passes to open shooters.
On defense, Daniels is on pace to average more than three steals a game, which is an insane number. What he does as a help and weakside defender is nothing short of spectacular for a wing, and he is absolutely hellish on the ball, be it around the three-point line or even in press coverages.
Daniels has the length to switch and play up, but as an on-ball defender he gives the Hawks something few teams have. Sure, there are certain matchups that can still physically outmuscle him on the way to the basket, but he takes contact well and makes up for those edges with lighting quick hands to poke the ball free and play passing lanes.
For a team that could go a number of different directions, it must give the fanbase hope that the Atlanta Hawks have a young trio of Daniels, Zaccharie Risacher, and Jalen Johnson to build around in the years to come. Daniels still has a ton of room to grow as a scorer and spot-up shooter, and should he make those strides, there’s no telling what his upside could be as a key contributor on a playoff contender.
5. Tari Eason, Houston Rockets
Stop me if you’ve heard this one before: Tari Eason is one of the best super-subs in the league.
Since his college days at LSU, Eason has been one of the best bench players in basketball and has maintained that level of play for the Houston Rockets this season. When Eason comes into the game, the entire mood changes. Houston is built around a defense-first identity, but Eason—along with fellow young wing Amen Thompson—takes that up quite a few notches.
He’s a consistently active defender who takes pride in getting stops to force easy buckets in transition. Eason definitely gambles more often than he should on that side of the ball, but it pays off. He’s huge, has catcher’s mitts for hands, and is quick enough to make the jump and create deflections to run out. As a transition scorer, Eason is a strong finisher around the basket and a capable playmaker who can hit his man in stride if he doesn’t have the cleanest angle to the rim.
Eason still has moments where he struggles to impact the game in the halfcourt offensively, but he’s gotten much better at playing off others and has embraced his ability to contribute as a cutter and roller. Eason’s main drawback as an offensive player comes when he tries to be an off-the-bounce scorer as opposed to a straight-line driver or playmaker. He rates poorly in dribble jumpers per Synergy and hasn’t been a reliable on-ball creator from distance.
Some questionable offensive decision-making aside, it’s tough to find more impactful players per minute on both sides of the ball than Eason. He’s a pull-up jumper away from unlocking true star upside, and should be firmly in Houston’s plans as a long-term starting forward, not just a bench contributor.
6. Max Christie, Dallas Mavericks
If I were only ranking players based off their last month of play, Max Christie would be much higher on this list, challenging Christian Braun and Paolo Banchero for a spot in the top three.
What Christie has done with the Dallas Mavericks has helped to keep the entire fan base from completely jumping ship after the Luka Doncic “trade”, if I can even call it that.
Yes, Christie has been a much improved three-point shooter this season (both with the Mavericks and before with the Los Angeles Lakers), but his three-point attempt rate has come down below 50% with Dallas as he’s slowly shifted more of his shooting attempts to inside the arc.
His drives are a little vanilla in halfcourt settings, but Christie is becoming much more decisive as an operator working off ball screens at the top of the floor. Christie has been much more willing to play downhill with the Mavericks, and his pull-up shooting and at-rim scoring numbers have improved because of it—all on top of the fact that he’s maintained an assist-to-turnover ratio better than 2:1 in Dallas.
Christie came out of Michigan State billed as a “3-and-D” upside wing at his best, but there’s some signs of Christie becoming a “plus” version of that archetype. He plays with good intent, his passing has become an underrated skill, and there’s some more juice to tap in regard to his ball-handling.
Color me very intrigued by Christie’s developmental arc, especially considering he’s on one of the better value contracts across the league at an average of $8 million a year.
7. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings
There’s a part of me that’s a tad disappointed in how Keegan Murray’s play has gone this season with the Sacramento Kings.
That’s not to say he’s been BAD as a forward this year. Far from it. Murray has been a productive player despite some dips in his shooting efficiency. The Kings essentially have asked Murray to embrace being a dirty work forward on the glass and on defense, and he’s improved in both areas to provide stability in multiple lineups that need muscle more than advanced shot creation.
Murray’s shooting is due for a bump back up the scale, given the law of averages, so I’m not as concerned with where he sits on the season as some might be. I just wonder what Murray could’ve looked like by now if he was in an ecosystem that required more on-ball development, as opposed to working off players like Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox, Malik Monk, and DeMar DeRozan on offense.
Murray hasn’t gotten a ton of freedom to command a higher usage role, and maybe that’s because the Kings know something we don’t. For many years, fans wondered what OG Anunoby would look like in a similar scaled-up role, and when he was tasked to do more on offense, the Toronto Raptors made efforts to scale down his role and put him back in position as a play finisher rather than a creator.
In college at Iowa, Murray’s arc as a scorer provided some glimpses of Tobias Harris-like upside, but that hasn’t been the path his career has taken up to this point.
Still, Murray has made the most of what’s been in front of him and has remained productive despite being the “fifth starter” for the Kings. There’s still plenty of time for Murray to progress in his career, and even as a play finisher, rebounder, and multi-positional defender, he remains a young player I’d want on my team.
8. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
This might be too low for Jalen Duren, as he’s done his part in helping the Detroit Pistons stack wins in the Eastern Conference as of late.
His game hasn’t quite taken shape in terms of the Bam Adebayo comparisons that were made pre-draft, but he’s emerged as the Andre Drummond-lite player in Detroit that the Pistons needed up front.
Duren’s chemistry in pick-and-roll actions with Cade Cunningham has significantly improved, as he’s become Cunningham’s favorite dance partner in the half-court offense. Duren provides excellent vertical spacing, complemented by an array of volume perimeter shooters including Tim Hardaway Jr. and Malik Beasley.
Duren has all the room to roll and cut, meaning he’s had all of the opportunity as the team’s primary interior finisher. Not to mention the passing flashes when Duren is cut off getting to the basket or double-teamed. Those are fun to watch while they last.
Defensively, Duren hasn’t been a switch-heavy big man like some projected out of college. His feet are still a bit heavier laterally than some would care to admit, and his off-ball awareness in terms of timing such actions and cutting off back-door moves by opposing offensive players leaves a bit to be desired.
Still, Duren’s defensive rebounding and shot-blocking have helped to anchor one of the better units in the East. Opponents are much worse on the offensive glass when Duren is on the floor, as he seemingly eats up every rebound imaginable. Ending possessions is crucial to creating offensive opportunities, no matter what form that comes in. Duren, in that regard, provides plenty of value despite what the numbers say in terms of what opponents shoot against him.
Improving his vision and awareness as a defender would go a longer way in justifying his value as an extension candidate. It will be interesting to find out how the Pistons value Duren long term, given the fact that sometimes when I’m watching the team there’s a jump in effectiveness by the eye test with someone like Isaiah Stewart on the floor in place of Duren.
9. Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio Spurs
The Jeremy Sochan point guard experiment has long been over for the San Antonio Spurs, and boy has Sochan benefitted from it.
Without the creation burden on his plate, Sochan’s effectiveness as a play finisher has shined alongside his teammates. Acting as a release valve for Chris Paul, Victor Wembanyama, and others, Sochan is great at timing when to slip to the basket, hard roll, pass, or score on open spot-up shots if defenses don’t respect him in the halfcourt.
His numbers haven’t taken massive steps forward given his slight decrease in usage, but offensively, he’s done a great deal in improving his shooting confidence and efficiency. That alone has afforded him more opportunities on the floor, which is great because Sochan still provides a lot of value defensively.
Sochan is big and strong enough to guard both forward positions, and has even spent some time at center without tanking the team’s overall net rating per Cleaning the Glass. He communicates well with his teammates and has a knack for rotating in a timely manner to cut off opposing drivers, make plays on the ball, and protect the rim from the weakside.
Whether Sochan can return to operating in more roles as the ball-handler remains to be seen, although he’s rated well in 17 pick-and-roll possessions this year. Still, he’s a starting-level big wing who can wear a number of hats for a team competing for a playoff spot. Sochan’s career path is trending very much in the upward direction.
10. Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers
Shaedon Sharpe’s last four games are perfect exhibitions of what he could look like as a star guard down the road.
Granted, the competition the Portland Trail Blazers have faced in recent days hasn’t been exceptional, but Sharpe has scored more than 18 points in each of those four matches while having some of his better career highlights and finding ways to be effective even when his shots haven’t gone in.
Sharpe has rebounded the heck out of the ball, embraced finding his teammates off drives, and has turned his aggressiveness up a notch on defense. Sharpe hasn’t started in every one of his games this year, having spent a great deal of time off the bench, but his upside is as a high-usage starter and these flashes over the last week of games help to paint that picture.
Overall, Sharpe has had some good moments of creating his own shot in the halfcourt while also finding downhill gaps to make plays for others. His attention level defensively remains a bit inconsistent, but when Sharpe is fully engaged on the ball, he can put opposing guards in tough binds.
Sharpe’s athletic package, pull-up polish, and confidence all point towards him becoming a 20+ points per game scorer. As he continues to round out the rest of his game, he’ll only become that much more dangerous of a weapon for an overachieving team in the West looking to make a playoff push.
Honorable Mentions
Julian Champagnie, San Antonio Spurs
Shooting is a premium in the NBA, and Julian Champagnie has provided that for the San Antonio Spurs in spades.
While his spot-up shooting is what earns him minutes on the court, Champagnie has progressed as a defender and rebounder during his short time in the league. Where he was once a weak point coming out of college, Champagnie provides a strong frame to help around the basket and body up other bigger wings and forwards. He’s tough and fights for the ball, which is exactly what the coaching staff would want out of him.
Champagnie isn’t a dynamic downhill player, but he doesn’t have to be. He’s the exact type of role player teams want to bring off the bench, and should have a long career in the NBA providing shooting that every team covets for obvious reasons.
Keon Ellis, Sacramento Kings
Many thought Keon Ellis would be the Sacramento Kings’ starting shooting guard coming into the season.
Things didn’t play out in Ellis’ favor, but he made the most of his minutes off the bench and has played more since the trade that brought Zach LaVine to town in place of De’Aaron Fox and Kevin Huerter.
While the scoring results haven’t been consistent since the trade deadline, Ellis is at least getting the minutes to figure things out on the floor. When he’s not chipping in buckets on offense, he’s hitting the glass and creating deflections and steals to get his teammates out in transition. Ellis is a disruptive defender who can get skinny well and slip through screens in coverage, while also having the length to play passing lanes and poke the ball free when he’s tasked with guarding the opposing team’s lead playmaker.
The advanced metrics (per Synergy Sports) say Ellis should be getting more on-ball opportunities, as he rates in the 93rd percentile in terms of total offense. He’s made a large percentage of his jump shots both off the dribble and in catch-and-shoot situations, and he’s looked good in pick-and-roll possessions.
There’s still some real upside with Ellis, and hopefully Sacramento gives him more chances to prove it heading into next season.
Mark Williams, Charlotte Hornets
What a weird few months it’s been for Mark Williams.
Having played well enough to get onto the trade radar of the contending Los Angeles Lakers, the Hornets’ center reportedly didn’t pass a physical by the Lakers, therefore voiding the trade altogether.
Williams hasn’t been the most healthy player through his first three NBA seasons, and the defensive analytics don’t exactly favor him as a starting rim protector. But his per-minute production overall is still pretty “up there” for any big man in the league, let alone a young prospect, and his interior finishing is exactly what the doctor ordered for lob passers like LaMelo Ball.
Playing center is one of the most difficult positions in the league next to point guard. The level of awareness, communication, and effort required to captain a defense while making sure to run the floor and roll effectively on offense is difficult for any professional, let alone someone who hasn’t played a full season’s worth of games in the NBA yet.
Williams has the physical tools to become a top-half starter at his position, but time will tell if he has the other elements to tie his game together and become a reliable two-way force.
Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
Bennedict Mathurin is two years removed from being smack in the middle of the 2023 ROTY race. He got his career off to a great start offensively, but has hit some injury bumps in the road coming into his third season.
Even though he hasn’t had the best luck in terms of health, Mathurin has provided a spot-up scoring punch for the Indiana Pacers as a starter. He’s been a fairly average halfcourt offensive scorer, as he isn’t the type of automatic three-point shooter that many teams want wing players to be nowadays. But when you combine his threat to shoot along with his first step on defenders who choose to close out hard, he has the recipe to keep defenses honest while possessing enough juice to make them pay as an electric line-drive finisher.
Mathurin hasn’t taken meaningful steps forward as a playmaker, and can still get caught turning the ball over in traffic as his handle is a little loose. Still, he can make difficult contested shots from the midrange, sink enough threes to make teams pay, and can finish over defenders as an above-the-rim artist.
Even if Mathurin doesn’t evolve past the scorer he is today, he’s still a damn effective wing that any team would love to have in the rotation. I’m fascinated to see if Mathurin can continue to earn more pick-and-roll opportunities and become a more well-rounded playmaker off of those on-ball chances.
Ochai Agbaji, Toronto Raptors
Ochai Agbaji has played a few different positions for the Toronto Raptors this season, all while shooting the ball and defending at the level many teams expected from him before he was drafted.
A dominant college scorer during his last year at Kansas, Agbaji took a little while to find his footing in the NBA. After a trade landed him in Toronto courtesy of the Utah Jazz, Agbaji has made the most of opportunities with his third NBA team.
This year with the Raptors, Agbaji’s on/off numbers haven’t been as great, as you might expect when watching his tape back. That’s to be expected, though, as Toronto is still in a rebuilding phase. Agbaji does provide a good amount of punch as a shooting threat, closeout attacker, and wing defender.
He’s smart in his rotations, quick to move without the ball, and takes his matchups very seriously. Agbaji is a competitor, and you can see it on the court after only watching a few minutes of his play.
So far on the year, Agbaji has made 54.3% of his unguarded catch-and-shoot threes, and rates in the 78th percentile in terms of transition offense. A committed off-ball wing who can convert on easy chances and guard his position, Agbaji fills a role that every NBA team covets. The Raptors have a good young player in tow for the foreseeable future.
The Walker Kessler disrespect is insane
kessler saw this and put up 18 & 25 with 8 blocks tonight 🔒