NY Knicks: Ranking the young core among other NBA teams

The New York Knicks Have a Top Five Young Core

#7 – Dallas Mavericks

The Mavericks are a bit tricky to gauge. They definitely have the most shallow pool of young talent. However, Luka Doncic is a beast.

He’s way too good for me to justify putting Dallas any lower in these rankings. The most interesting part of this young core moving forward is the future of Jalen Brunson.

Brunson’s a great player in his own right and has paired beautifully with Doncic. The problem is he is a free agent this offseason, and many teams (including the Knicks) are going to be looking to add him.

Without Brunson, the Mavericks would be even lower. However, any team with Doncic has to be by default a top-10 squad. He’s fantastic with any supporting cast because he makes his teammates great, as evidenced by Dallas’ 52-30 record despite the other young players being Frank Ntilikina, Marquese Chriss, and Josh Green.

#6 – Charlotte Hornets

Much like the Indiana Pacers, the Hornets’ young core lacks depth. But they’re one of the frontrunners when it comes to star potential.

LaMelo Ball just made his first All-Star appearance this season at the age of 20. His favorite lob partner, Miles Bridges, has made such a leap (pun intended) in the last two years that he may be Charlotte’s next All-Star in the coming years.

P.J. Washington is a solid all-around big-man, and the rest of the roster has a couple of raw but promising guys in Jalen McDaniels and James Bouknight.

#5 – New York Knicks

Now, we arrive at the home team. New York ranks this high in my opinion because it has one of the best blends of potential and depth of any team on this list.

If the last three months are any indication, Barrett’s status as a star seems inevitable. Both Quickley and Toppin have also flashed such abilities.

If Quickley was consistent and if Toppin added both a solid handle and could consistently hit threes, and if both of them get the proper opportunities, the sky would almost be the limit.

Then there’s Reddish and Robinson, two players that have another level to reach given the right situation but are already capable of being high-level role players. And lastly, the rookie assembly of Grimes, McBride, and Sims already looks like they can be rotation pieces in the NBA.

#4 – Detroit Pistons

As the No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft, Cade Cunningham was promised to be a franchise player who stuffs the stat sheet. So far, he’s lived up to that archetype.

And not only is Cunningham surrounded by several other very young players, but they have already shown they mesh well on the court. This is a huge deal because this group should have a lot of time to grow together and hopefully find success, much like the number one team on this list.

The acquisition of Marvin Bagley has paid off quickly. Saddiq Bey had one of the 12 50+ point games this season and is a fantastic defending and rebounding wing.

Isaiah Stewart has looked to emulate Ben Wallace as a “Bad Boy Piston” and does a not too shabby job of it in his approach and numbers. This is a team that I can see going from dweller to playoff contender as soon as next year.