Every NBA team's best player under 25

When the Atlanta Hawks traded All-Star point guard Jeff Teague in the offseason, it was a clear indication that organization felt Dennis Schroder was ready to become the team’s floor general. Born in Germany, the 23-year-old Schroder is making good on the Hawks' faith in him, as he is averaging 16.3 points and 6.2 assists so far in 2016.

If Marcus Smart can ever find a way to become a consistent shooter, he could become one of the best guards in the NBA. Still, even without a consistent jump shot, Smart proved last postseason that he is capable of guarding multiple positions and is never one to shy away from the big moment. The 22-year-old is the Boston Celtics' best player at the moment under 25.

Although the Nets are in full-on rebuilding mode, they don’t have a whole lot of promising talent under the age of 25. The best of the lot is second-year forward Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. The 21-year-old out of Arizona has shown himself to be a capable defender and still has time to develop his game on the offensive side of the floor.

The second overall pick in the 2012 NBA Draft, Michael Kidd-Gilchrist has developed into the Charlotte Hornets' best perimeter defender. His jump shot is still a work in progress, but Kidd-Gilchrist’s ability to guard multiple positions, as well as box out larger players effectively, makes him Charlotte’s best player under 25.

On a team with limited three-point shooting, Doug McDermott’s importance to the Bulls rotation will only grow as the season progresses. McDermott, who shot 42.5 percent from beyond the arc last season, has yet to find his range this campaign, but once he does, Chicago’s offense could become one of the most potent in the NBA.

It’s hard to believe Kyrie Irving is still under 25, but the superstar won’t hit the quarter century mark until March. A three-time All-Star already, Irving is one of the most dazzling talents in the NBA and forms the league's top dynamic duo with teammate LeBron James.

Overshadowed in Golden State by the likes of Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, an offseason move to Dallas has finally ignited the career of Harrison Barnes. Barnes is the Mavs' best scorer, averaging 22.3 points, and is committing just one turnover a game despite playing a team-high 38 minutes a night.

Although Emmanuel Mudiay or Nikola Jokic could stake a claim, the Nuggets' best player under 25 at the moment is center Jusuf Nurkic. The 22-year-old is a tank in the low post who can defend, protect the rim and shows signs of improvement every game.

A walking double-double, Pistons center Andre Drummond has established himself as the NBA’s top rebounder over the past couple years. The 23-year-old Drummond is averaging 14.9 points, 14.3 rebounds and looks to be in line to make his second consecutive All-Star appearance this season for Detroit.

Given how top-heavy their lineup is, it’s understandable that the Golden State Warriors don’t have too many blue-chip prospects in their locker room. But the Dubs do have one intriguing player under the age of 25 in Kevon Looney. A second-year player out of UCLA, Looney is a long and athletic forward who could develop into a quality stretch four if given enough minutes.

After losing Dwight Howard in free agency, the Houston Rockets knew they would have to count on Swiss-born center Clint Capela this season. The 22-year-old Capela has filled Howard’s shoes marvelously, averaging 9.8 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.7 blocks per game. Most impressively, Capela is putting up these numbers even though he is yet to play over 100 games in the NBA.

The Indiana Pacers have a special young player in Myles Turner. The second-year center out of Texas is athletic enough to run the floor but also strong enough to pull his weight around the basket. The 20-year-old is averaging 14.6 points, 7.0 rebounds and 2.3 blocks so far on the year. Turner looks to be well on his way to becoming an All-Star.

One of just three players under 25 on the entire team, Austin Rivers has developed into a quality rotation player for the Los Angeles Clippers. Along with showing good instincts on the offensive side of the floor, Rivers is able to use his long arms to make opposing guards work harder when he is defending them. If Rivers' shooting can improve, he could become a dangerous weapon off the bench for the Clips.

Although an argument can be made for Jordan Clarkson, Julius Randle and a few others on the team, D’Angelo Russell is the Lakers' best player under the age of 25. The second pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Russell is beginning to showcase the skills that have many in Los Angeles believing he can turn into an All-Star one day. The 20-year-old is already an outstanding shooter and passer, and he has the length and lateral quickness needed to make a difference on defense.

Expected to be a first-round pick on draft night, power forward Deyonta Davis slipped to the end of the second round. After a trade with Boston, he ended up in Memphis, where he looks to be the Grizzlies' best player under 25. Granted, the Grizzlies don’t have much talent under that age, but Davis is the best of the bunch.

With Dwyane Wade now gone in Miami, Justise Winslow looks to be the Heat’s best player on the wing. The 20-year-old is a stout defender, and if Winslow can improve his shooting, he’ll become a high-end two-way player in the NBA.

One of the most tantalizing talents in the NBA, Giannis Antetokounmpo is now an elite player. The “Greek Freak” can put up huge stats in every major category, is match-up nightmare given his length and ball-handling abilities, and looks like he’ll be an All-Star as soon as this season. The 21-year-old Bucks star is averaging 21.3 points so far on the year and still has room to grow, a fact that should scare every team in the Eastern Conference.

The first pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Karl-Anthony Towns is a future MVP in the making for the Minnesota Timberwolves. The 21-year-old is averaging 22.1 points, 8.9 rebounds and is shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc for the T’Wolves in just his second year in the NBA. Minnesota is a team on the rise, and Towns is the primary reason why.

Through 11 games this season, Anthony Davis is putting up obscene numbers in New Orleans. The Pelicans star is incredibly averaging 30.7 points, 11.3 rebounds and 2.9 blocks per game. In the modern NBA, these are Wilt Chamberlain-esque statistics. If Pelicans management can actually find some quality players to surround the potential future Hall of Fame power forward, New Orleans could become an elite team overnight.

Although Knicks fans have a had little to cheer for in recent memory, the team has a promising future with Kristaps Porzingis leading the way. The Latvian-born power forward is essentially a more athletic version of Dirk Nowitzki and needs to become the Knicks' primary option on offense sooner than later. But with Carmelo Anthony still in New York, that looks unlikely to happen anytime soon.

A fan favorite in Oklahoma City, center Steven Adams emerged last year in the playoffs as a top player for the Thunder. In fact, with Kevin Durant now gone, he may be the second best player on the team next to Russell Westbrook. A ferocious presence in the low post, the 23-year-old Adams is nearly averaging a double-double so far this season.

Although it’s tempting to go with Aaron Gordon due to his aerial abilities, Evan Fournier is the Orlando Magic’s most complete player under the age of 25. The French-born wing is averaging a career-high 17.4 points a night for the Magic, can shoot the three ball and is a quality passer.

Ben Simmons may have something to say about this matter when he debuts later on this season, but as of now Joel Embiid is the Philadelphia 76ers' best player under 25. Embiid, who missed his first two NBA seasons with foot injuries, is rewarding 76ers fans for the patience to the tune of 18.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.3 blocks per game. If he can manage to stay healthy, Embiid will develop into a special player.

The 13th pick in the 2015 NBA Draft, Suns shooting guard Devin Booker is making a lot of teams regret passing on him. A superb shooter, the 20-year-old Booker is proving this season that he can score in a variety of ways and leads Phoenix in points so far, averaging better than 20 a game.

With Damian Lillard and C.J. McCollum now 25 and older, Allen Crabbe is the Portland Trail Blazers' best young player. A lengthy, athletic wing, Crabbe proved in the playoffs last season that he can be a disruptive player in defense and hit from beyond the arc when called upon.

The NBA’s most dysfunctional team for years now, the Sacramento Kings' best player under 25 is Ben McLemore. The seventh pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, McLemore is a serviceable shooting guard but hardly anything special. The 23-year-old is averaging 7.4 points per game this season.

One of just four players under 25 on the roster, Kyle Anderson is yet to truly earn the trust of Spurs head coach Gregg Popovich. Still, the six-foot-nine forward has shown himself to be an good shooter and passer for his size when given the chance and should get more playing time in San Antonio as the season progresses.

Although he doesn’t excel in one particular area, Raptors center Jonas Valanciunas has no glaring weaknesses either. The 24-year-old is averaging career highs in points and rebounds this season for Toronto and is the Raptors' most reliable player outside of DeMar DeRozan and Kyle Lowry.

24-year-old Rudy Gobert has of the coolest nicknames in the NBA: “The Stifle Tower.” The French-born Jazz center is an amazing shot blocker and gobbles up every rebound within his reach. With players like Gobert, the future (and present) is bright in Utah.

Wizards fans have been waiting for a few years now for shooting guard Bradley Beal to spread his wings in Washington. A deadly three-point shooter, Beal has a had a cold start to the season but is still averaging 15.4 points through his struggles.