Evolution comes for all of us, especially in sports. There’s always someone bigger, stronger, and faster on the horizon. Not too long ago LeBron James, Stephen Curry, and Kevin Durant dominated. Now, they’re all gone from the NBA Playoffs, replaced by fresh young faces.
The NBA is changing, and it’s for the better.
LeBron, Steph, and KD are trailblazers, but their end is near. This is the first time since 2005 that none reached the second round of the playoffs. There are only six starters left who are over 30 years old. The youth have taken over.
A new crop of stars has emerged to carry the league into the future. Leading the way is Minnesota’s brash and electric Anthony Edwards. The 22-year-old is a walking highlight who has been so impressive that comparisons to Michael Jordan don’t seem like hyperbole. The Oklahoma City Thunder is the youngest team to earn a No. 1 seed and have MVP finalist Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, 26, a sophomore in 22-year-old Jalen Williams, and Rookie of the Year runner-up Chet Holmgren who just turned 21 this month. The Indiana Pacers have Tyrese Haliburton, 24, and by the way, even veteran playoff performers like Jayson Tatum and Luka Dončić are 26 and 25 respectively.
Anthony Edwards and the T-Wolves have steamrolled the Nuggets in Denver! 🏀🔥🐜pic.twitter.com/4Hd2SFI7ng
— The Comeback (@thecomeback) May 7, 2024
How far can youth take an NBA team? Historically, not very. Champions are usually veteran teams with veteran players. The playoffs may go according to script again this year, with the defending champion Denver Nuggets facing the Boston Celtics in the NBA Finals. But given the surprising regular season, we wouldn’t rule out the unexpected. No one could have predicted that Oklahoma City and Minnesota would be undefeated in the playoffs so far.
If you’re NBA commissioner Adam Silver, seeing the Timberwolves or the Thunder reach the Finals would be exciting and intriguing. Edwards is the poster child for the new hope. He’s been famous since he was the top high school recruit in the nation. But in college, while he was electric, his Georgia team went 16–16 in his one-season stint. And while Edwards was the No. 1 overall pick by Minnesota in 2020, for most of his young career, he hasn’t had much postseason success. The most we paid attention to Edwards was his impressive acting debut in the Adam Sandler basketball movie Hustle.
Edwards made a leap this season, setting career bests in several categories and emerging as a bonafide star in the playoffs. Edwards and 24-year-old Naz Reid, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year, have put the league on notice. If Minnesota upsets the Nuggets and reaches the Western Conference Finals, you could make the argument that Edwards is already the third-best player in franchise history behind Kevin Garnett and Kevin Love.
As impressive as Minnesota has been with its stifling defense, Oklahoma City has been the most consistent force in the West. What makes it more surprising is that its starting lineup has an average age of 23.2. The Thunder are the envy of every front office. Their best player, Gilgeous-Alexander, is entering his prime, and Williams and Holmgren still have plenty of room to grow. This is the best young core the team has had since Kevin Durant, Russell Westbrook, and James Harden powered them to the 2012 NBA Finals.
Are Minnesota and Oklahoma City too young to win it all? Don’t tell them. Just enjoy this new edition of upcoming stars. The league needs the next generation to shine.
