Some NBA players came into the league as stars, others had to work at it for a couple of years. But most of the time, players who develop into stars tend to do so by their second or third year.
The following players are either in their second or third year in the league and have the potential to be stars based on how they’ve performed early on in their careers. One thing you’ll notice is that a lot of big men are on the list, which could mean the NBA will no longer be a guard-driven league down the road, but we’ll see.
Without further ado, here are 10 young NBA players developing into stars.
10. C Clint Capela, Houston Rockets
Capela averaged 7.0 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.2 blocks per game last season as Dwight Howard’s backup. This season, the 22-year-old center is starting for the Rockets after Howard departed for the Atlanta Hawks in free agency this past summer. He is averaging 12.0 points, 8.5 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game while shooting 63.2 percent from the field, which currently ranks third in the league.
Capela does most of his damage at the rim, scoring most of his points on layups, dunks and alley-oops. He also relies on the passing of teammates to get him baskets, as 104 of Capela’s 122 field goals this season have been assisted, 67 of them by James Harden.
With any luck, Capela can become the type of player DeAndre Jordan is for the Los Angeles Clippers—a rim protector on the defensive end and a high-percentage finisher on offense.
9. C Myles Turner, Indiana Pacers
Doc Rivers says Turner “is going to be a superstar” and “it will probably happen quicker than any of us thought.” The Clippers coach is not wrong. Turner, the 11th overall pick in 2015, averaged 10.3 points, 5.5 rebounds and 1.4 blocks per game last season. He showed the awareness on defense to block shots while also possessing an offensive game with a good mid-range jump shot.
Turner shot 41 percent from mid-range last season. This season, he is shooting 53 percent from mid-range, way up from a year ago. Rivers also said Turner was good enough to play on the U.S. Olympic team this past summer, and he wasn’t kidding. The 20-year-old is averaging 14.6 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.2 blocks per game this season.
A little more fine-tuning in the post and Turner will be right up there with best big men in the NBA.
8. F Julius Randle, Los Angeles Lakers
Randle’s first season in the NBA lasted all of 14 minutes after suffering a broken leg in the 2014-15 opener, but he returned to average 11.3 points, 10.2 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game the following season, and he led all power forwards with 829 total rebounds. With Kobe Bryant retiring after last season, Randle has become the face of the Lakers along with fellow first-rounder D’Angelo Russell. He is averaging 12.9 points, 8.9 rebounds and 3.3 assists per game in his third season out of Kentucky.
One of the reasons the Lakers are fun to watch again is the flare that Randle and his teammates provide with flashy passes and the athleticism to get down the court in a hurry. Randle, for example, likes to lead the fastbreak sometimes and either take it to basket himself or find the open teammate. He also likes to take his man one-on-one and try to find an opening with dribble moves.
Randle has the makings of Golden State’s Draymond Green with the ability to score, grab rebounds and assist teammates, but he needs to be more consistent with his jump shot to be the star he can be.
7. F Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks
Parker’s promising rookie season was cut short by a torn ACL 25 games into 2014-15. He returned in November of last year and finished his sophomore season on a good, but not great note, having averaged 14.1 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game. Clearly, he still wasn’t right after the injury, but that hasn’t been the case this season. The former No. 2 overall pick is averaging 19.2 points, 5.9 rebounds and 2.2 assists per game for a Bucks team that could make playoffs this season.
Parker can score from all over: inside, outside, mid-range, you name it. He is also an explosive player who can really finish at the rim. Parker doesn’t get a lot of attention in Milwaukee because of how good Giannis Antetokounmpo has been lately, but he is definitely someone to keep an eye on in the foreseeable future. He’s not the type of player you count on for defense, but he can really fill it up on offense.
6. G Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
Booker played one season on a talented Kentucky team before declaring for the draft. He averaged just 10 points in 21.5 minutes per game at the college level, but the Suns saw enough to select him with the 13th overall pick in 2015. He averaged 13.8 points per game while shooting 42.9 percent from the field and 33.3 percent from deep as a 19-year-old coming off the bench last season.
Chosen to start this season by Suns coach Earl Watson, Booker has picked up where he left off, averaging 19.0 points on similar shooting percentages. There is no question Booker can shoot from outside and mid-range, but if he wants to be a star in this league, he needs to get inside more. Klay Thompson, while he is without a doubt one of the best shooters in the NBA, gets inside for easy layups.
Booker is still young and developing his game with the Suns, but he has a good base to start with that not many college players come into the league with.
5. G Zach LaVine, Minnesota Timberwolves
You know him as the two-time reigning slam dunk champion, but LaVine is much more than a high-flyer. He averaged 14.0 points, 2.8 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game last season in a bench role for the Timberwolves. This season, LaVine is starting and showing off his range as a shooter. He currently has the 14th-most made 3-pointers in the league and is shooting 37.5 percent from deep. He’s also pretty effective at driving into the lane and getting layup shots to go down (63.9 percent).
LaVine is averaging 20.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game this season. And even though he isn’t the first option in Minnesota, he still finds a way to get his points. LaVine has scored 20-plus points in nine games this season.
He has plenty of talent and athleticism to match. All LaVine needs now is some work on that mid-range jump shot to start getting some more recognition around the league.
4. C Joel Embiid, Philadelphia 76ers
After missing the first two seasons of his NBA career with foot issues, Embiid is finally playing for the 76ers and playing extremely well, mind you. The former No. 3 overall pick has clearly spent that time away working on the technical parts of his game. He has shown terrific touch from 15-19 feet (48.1 percent) and he has an array of post moves that most young big men lack so early on in their careers, like the dream shake he pulled off earlier this season in a game against the Utah Jazz.
With moves like that, Embiid will quickly rise up the list of the top big men in the NBA. Despite a minutes restriction, he is averaging 18.5 points, 7.6 rebounds and 2.4 blocks per game. Believe it or not, he’s also a pretty good 3-point shooter (19-of-38), but his coach would probably prefer he not take as many shots from there.
All in all, Embiid was worth the wait. Now he just needs to stay healthy, so he can continue to improve.
3. F-C Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
Fans of the Knicks gave the team grief for selecting Porzingis with the fourth overall pick in 2015, but their opinion of him quickly changed when they saw him play. Porzingis finished runner-up in Rookie of the Year voting last season after averaging 14.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks per game. He made the crowd at Madison Square Garden ooo and ahhh on a nightly basis with putback dunks, long-range shots and some nice post moves.
At 7-foot-3, Porzingis towers over most power forwards and his outside shooting makes it difficult for centers to keep track of him on the perimeter. It’s no wonder he is such a difficult assignment for defenders. This season, Porzingis is averaging 19.9 points, 7.4 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. He continues to improve despite the team’s struggles.
When Carmelo Anthony eventually leaves town, count on the Knicks being Porzingis’ team, if it isn’t already.
2. F Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves
The jury is still out on Wiggins becoming the next LeBron James, but one thing’s for sure: He is a star in the making. Drafted No. 1 overall by Cleveland in 2014, then acquired by Minnesota in the deal that sent Kevin Love to the Cavaliers, Wiggins has shown himself to be the type of player you build a team around. The 21-year-old is averaging 22.2 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.4 assists per game this season, all up from 2015-16.
Everything Wiggins does on the court, he does at 100 miles per hour. He drives to the basket with a lot of speed and explosiveness. He’s also very athletic and can jump out of the gym. And while Wiggins has improved his 3-point shooting from a year ago, he’s still struggling with his jump shot (36.3 percent).
Wiggins has some similarities with James, sure. But he needs to get better as a shooter to be a complete offensive player. Still, he has a high ceiling because of his skill set.
1. C Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
Some might say that Towns, last season’s Rookie of the Year, is already a star in this league, and they wouldn’t be wrong. Even though many considered Duke’s Jahlil Okafor to be the better offensive prospect in the 2015 draft, the Timberwolves selected Towns with the No. 1 overall pick, thinking he would be the better overall player. Not only did Towns lead all rookies in scoring, but in rebounds and total blocks as well. Safe to say the Timberwolves guessed right.
This season, Towns has been just as dominant, averaging 22.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game. Just last week, he had the best game of his career, dropping 47 points on 15-of-22 shooting. He also added 18 rebounds. There really aren’t a lot of holes in Towns’ game. He’s playing at a high level right now. You could even say he’s right up there with the elite big men in the NBA.
Shooting statistics courtesy of NBA.com.
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