Category: NBA

Ranking the Top 19 teenagers in NBA history

HoopsHype uses stats and accolades to determine the 19 best teenagers in NBA history, including LeBron, Zion, Luka, Wemby and more.

Fewer than 200 people in history have appeared in an NBA game as a teenager. And an even smaller – and more elite – group has performed well in the NBA prior to turning 20 years old. In fact, to this day, only one player in NBA history has achieved All-Star honors in their age-19 season or younger. (You might know who that is but as a hint: He wore purple and gold his entire time in the NBA.)

Today, we are going to take a look at the 19 best teenagers in NBA history, a list featuring some of the biggest names the league has ever seen and a few other names who unfortunately wound up disappointing after hot starts to their careers.

Pelle Larsson: ‘You never know if you’re gonna have a big night or not’

Miami Heat rookie Pelle Larsson is quietly establishing himself as one of the most efficient and reliable players among rookies this season. Despite inconsistent playing time and being thrust into action out of necessity due to injuries within the …

Miami Heat rookie Pelle Larsson is quietly establishing himself as one of the most efficient and reliable players among rookies this season. Despite inconsistent playing time and being thrust into action out of necessity due to injuries within the rotation, Larsson has made the most of his opportunities. The Swedish swingman, a product of the University of Arizona, is emerging as a trusted rotational piece under Erik Spoelstra’s system, positioning himself among the league’s most effective rookies.

So far this season, Larsson is averaging 15.7 minutes, 5.9 points, 1.4 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game while shooting a blistering 58.8 percent from the field and 42.9 percent from beyond the arc.

His offensive efficiency is where he truly shines. With an impressive 67.7 percent effective field goal percentage, he ranks in the 95th percentile among wings, driven by his precision on non-corner three-pointers and strong finishing around the rim. His points scored per shot attempt (PSA) of 131.6 is elite for his position, which demonstrates his knack for capitalizing on scoring chances with minimal wasted possessions.

Larsson spoke this week with HoopsHype about his season with the Miami Heat.

The biggest scoring leaps in NBA history

Clippers swingman Norman Powell has really taken advantage of the opportunity afforded by the departure of Paul George and the injury to Kawhi Leonard to spread his wings this season. With a green light to shoot, his scoring average has gone from …

Clippers swingman Norman Powell has really taken advantage of the opportunity afforded by the departure of Paul George and the injury to Kawhi Leonard to spread his wings this season. With a green light to shoot, his scoring average has gone from 13.9 points per game to 23.3 points per game, a 9.4-point improvement in just one year.

That may sound like a lot, but it’s nothing compared to other scoring leaps we’ve seen in NBA history. We rank the biggest ever below. (You may soon notice these scoring explosions were more common back in the day than they are now.)

Air Jordans: Check out all the sneakers through the years

Air Jordan sneakers, created by Nike in collaboration with Michael Jordan, have dominated the kicks market since their debut during the 1984-85 season. In 2024, the Air Jordan 1s with all their color variants are a must-have in every closet. …

Air Jordan sneakers, created by Nike in collaboration with Michael Jordan, have dominated the kicks market since their debut during the 1984-85 season. In 2024, the Air Jordan 1s with all their color variants are a must-have in every closet. Moreover, their commercials like the ones with filmmaker Spike Lee, featuring the unforgettable character Mars Blackmon, provided a cultural touchstone from the very beginning.

Check out all the Jordan sneakers through the years down below:

Ty Jerome is the most underrated player in the NBA right now

Ty Jerome is suddenly incredibly valuable.

You wouldn’t know it, but Cleveland Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome is flying under the radar as one of the top players in the NBA so far this season.

Jerome, who helped lead Virginia to win a national championship in 2019. has bounced around the NBA and G League before finally landing with the Cavaliers. He is mostly coming off the bench during Cleveland’s impressive start to this season but his role is integral to their success as they have the best record in the NBA.

At first blush, you may not notice his stats this season. He is averaging a modest 12.6 points and 3.8 assists per game.

As a passer, his assist-to-usage rate (which measures how often a player gets an assist relative to how often they have the ball) rank 94th percentile among players at his position, per Cleaning The Glass.

Meanwhile, his 3-point percentage is a career-high 54.4 percent and he is one of the most efficient pick-and-roll scorers in the league. Jerome has one of the most prolific floaters and his defense isn’t too shabby, either. He is currently averaging 1.3 steals per game when his previous best was just 0.6 spg.

Catch-all metrics are not without their flaws but tell a compelling story as well. But it is worth noting that when adjusting for mean regression based on minutes played, the Cavaliers guard is a standout across several all-in-one metrics.

Based on Neil Paine’s Estimated RAPTOR, among those with at least 100 minutes logged, he ranks third-best. Jerome ranks fifth-best in EPM, via dunksandthrees.com. He ranks seventh-best among qualified players in PER, according to Stathead.

That doesn’t mean he is one of the best ten players in the league or so, but that is the kind of impact he has had during the 2024-25 campaign thus far.

Most importantly: Cleveland is consistently winning the minutes that Jerome is playing off the bench. Especially when paired with Caris Levert, which is currently the best high volume two-man lineup in the league, they look tough to beat.

That is invaluable for a team with as much star power in the starting rotation as the Cavaliers, who are also dominating with Donovan Mitchell as well as Evan Mobley and Darius Garland on the court.

Jerome deserves serious consideration for awards like the NBA’s Sixth Man of the Year and perhaps Most Improved Player.

Jaylen Brown rightfully took exception to the Timberwolves’ announcers hammering his 3-point shooting

Jaylen Brown’s talent deserved more respect from the Timberwolves announcers.

Sunday night in the NBA featured an awesome battle between the reigning champion Boston Celtics and title contender Minnesota Timberwolves. The Celtics prevailed 107-105 behind a strong shooting performance from perennial All-NBA forward Jaylen Brown (29 points), especially from behind the arc.

But if you ask the Timberwolves announcing crew, there’s simply no way one of the NBA’s best players could ever get hot. C’mon now.

As Brown made four 3s in an approximate two-minute span at the start of the game, the Minnesota commentators weirdly kept hammering how Brown was, actually, a limited shooter because of a poor start to the season. And even as he poured buckets in (Brown finished 7-of-10 from behind the arc), they just wouldn’t let this narrative about a proven veteran superstar go:

“Literally, I would give him that shot.”

Really, you would give a guy who has shown he’s a top-15-caliber player in the league an open 3-point attempt just because of a cold month to start the season (which happens for players all the time)?

Yeah, I don’t think any logical coach comprising a solid game plan would follow that line of thinking. I’d rather someone like Jaylen Brown didn’t shoot open 3s because I recognize that small sample sizes are a thing. He’s a career 36 percent shooter on high volume. He’s not someone you give open looks!

Brown caught wind of the Timberwolves’ announcers’ bizarre criticism and responded with a NSFW comment on Twitter. (Note: I have edited out a portion of his word choice.)

Good for Brown because he’s absolutely right. He understands that mini slumps happen all the time in a league with some of the best basketball players in the world.