As a society, we all like new and fresh things.  It’s even in the way we express our excitement in looking for THE NEXT BIG THING! Conversely, with a nonchalance and seeming indifference, when it comes to something that’s been around for some time, we’ll usually say, “Oh, that old thing.”  And, you know what?  There’s nothing wrong with trying to catch on to something exciting when it’s on the come-up.  So, with that in mind, don’t expect to see the likes of Shaquille O’Neal, Steve Nash, or P.J. Brown in the below list of players under 25 years of age making their marks in the NBA right now!  Incoming rookies are not considered. The breakdown will be by first and second teams classified by position.

ALL-UNDER 25 FIRST TEAM

Point Guard: Chris Paul, New Orleans Hornets (Born: May 6, 1985)
Is there any doubt that CP3 is the lead guard on the first team?  Not only would he be numero uno on the All-Under 25 list, but he would be tops on an All-Galaxy team.  Paul is the undisputed best point guard in the world with the ability to score (22.8 PPG in ’08-09), drop dimes (11.0 APG), and rip rocks (2.8 SPG) at a high rate.  His quickness with and without the ball is top-notch, the court vision is ridiculous, and for a guard, Paul even shoots well from the field (50.3 FG%).  Paul is no joke and that’s keeping it 100.

Shooting Guard:  Monta Ellis, Golden State Warriors (Born: October 26, 1985)
Ellis might only have a point guard’s height, but he has a shooting guard’s heart.  He fell off a bit last season thanks to an offseason injury, but when he came back, Ellis did his thing in 25 games dropping 19 points per contest.  Ellis can take it to the hole, finish after contact, and shoot with either hand by the rim.  Ellis seems like he will stop at nothing to take it to the basket – contorting his body, whirling and twirling, and sliding through the defense – as if the basket was his girlfriend and Ellis needed some love.  The Yay Area doesn’t seem to mind the public displays of affection at all.

Small Forward: LeBron James, Cleveland Cavaliers (Born: December 30, 1984)
James is arguably the best player in the NBA, although many pundits would say that he doesn't even have a single NBA championship yet.  It's a valid point, but on talent alone, James has to be the best player as he's able to convert at the rim with explosiveness, hit Js, facilitate the offense, board, accumulate the defensive stats, and most recently getting a rep for being a tough defender and earning a spot on the NBA All-Defensive First Team.  Once James gets that elusive championship ring, James' place in the history of the NBA will start to be a bit more complete.  Funny how we can put James in a historical perspective already, but he is that damn good.

Power Forward: LaMarcus Aldridge, Portland Trail Blazers (Born: July 19, 1985)
Would it be sacrilege to say that Aldridge reminds one of Tim Duncan?  Of course he’s not as good as TD, nor does Aldridge’s three-year trend (15.4 PPG, 6.8 RPG, 48.7 FG%, 1.1 BPG), thus far, project to ever having the same statistics as Duncan, but Aldridge is another tall player with length, multiple moves in the post, a jumper out to 15 feet , but most similarly, that ability to make it all look effortless.  Okay, so Aldridge doesn’t have the ability to board, block, or use the backboard on his jumper like Duncan, but who does?  Even more important question - who wouldn’t take a player that produces about 70% of what Tim Duncan produces?  Especially a player this young?  Yeah, no one would pass up on Aldridge.

Center: Dwight Howard, Orlando Magic (Born: December 8, 1985)
Who else is it going to be but Howard here?  This pick has the same “duh-factor” as CP3 above for the point guard position.  Howard is undeniably the best big man in the Association today as he led the league last year in rebounds (13.8 RPG) and blocks (2.9 BPG), which contributed to his winning the Defensive Player of the Year.  Howard also averaged 20.6 PPG on a fourth-best in the league 57.2 FG% from the floor, but as is a problem with most big men, Howard only shot 59.4% from the charity stripe.  However, you’ll take that if it also means you’re getting a young dynamic player that attacks the basket like it owes him money, an intimidator on defense able to erase shots like a wrong answer in a crossword puzzle, and a player hungry to get back to the NBA Finals.  Don’t be like Shaq and hate on Howard’s game because it’s as devastating to see as a nude photo of Megan Fox.

ALL-UNDER 25 SECOND TEAM

Point Guard: Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls (Born: October 4, 1988)
Rose made a big splash during his rookie season, displaying all the promise he had at Memphis – strength, quickness, and a fearlessness in his game.  As good as he was during the regular season (16.8 PPG, 3.9 RPG, 6.3 APG), Rose stepped it up in the playoffs versus the defending world champion Boston Celtics as he dropped 19.7 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 6.4 APG in arguably the best seven-game NBA playoff series ever (with four contests decided in overtime) and hung 36 points in his first playoff game ever for a Bulls win on the Celtics’ homecourt.  If anyone is the epitome of “the next big thing” in basketball, it’s Rose.

Shooting Guard: O.J. Mayo, Memphis Grizzlies (Born: November 5, 1987)
Mayo came out the box strong, averaging 23.1 PPG and 2.1 3PTMPG shooting 48.0% from the floor in 15 November games, making a statement that people shouldn’t sleep on him as a Rookie of the Year candidate.  There was going to be more than just Rose making noise.  However, the next four months saw a drop in points (17.7, 17.1, 19.7, 14.7) and field-goal percentage (43.8, 42.0, 41.2, 43.0), which made Mayo’s rookie run lose some of its luster.  However, he got his shine back in the last month of the season, finishing strong in nine April contests when he averaged 20.3 PPG, 2.2 trey makes while shooting 45.7% from the floor and 92.6% from the line.  Mayo proved the hype during his prep career was warranted and that he has a place in the NBA.  Ovinton J’Anthony is going to be alright.

Small Forward: Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder (Born: September 29, 1988)
Durant blew up last season, his second campaign, like the Notorious B.I.G.’s second single, “Big Poppa” causing people to talk about Durant being… wait for it… THE NEXT BIG THING!  While his rookie season was like Biggie’s “Juicy” single where Durant was slowly squeezing out his potential (20.3 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 43 FG%), it’s the sophomore effort (25.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 47.6 FG%) that put the buzz out on the streets/courts/NBA arenas that Durant had arrived and was ready to lay down his game and make a lasting impact.  Durant has the height, length, stroke, pedigree, and desire to take it to another level. Sky’s the limit.

Power Forward: Josh Smith, Atlanta Hawks (Born: December 5, 1985)
It’s hard to believe that Smith will be entering his sixth NBA season and he’ll only be 23 years old when the ’09-10 season begins.  What?  It seems like the power dunker has been around forever.  J-Smoove would probably have been on the first team, but after improving his first four years, season-to-season, Smith saw his scoring (17.2 in ‘07-‘08 to 15.6 in ’08-‘09), rebounding (8.2 to 7.2), blocks (2.8 to 1.6), and especially his free-throw percentage (71.0 to 58.8) fall in his fifth season.  It wasn’t supposed to be that way!  Smith was supposed to step up, not step down.  Maybe Smith, a College Park native, wants to leave his hometown of the ATL and spread his wings somewhere else.  Remember, during last year’s offseason, Smith signed a contract with the Memphis Grizzlies as a restricted free agent, only to have Atlanta match the Grizz’s offer.  It doesn’t help that Smith and head coach Mike Woodson don’t get along.  Smith is due for a bounceback, however, as he has the talent, physical tools, athleticism, and youth to establish himself again as more than just a highlight reel, but a player to legitimately pay attention to on both sides of the court.

Center: Al Jefferson, Minnesota Timberwolves (Born: January 4, 1985)
Poor Jefferson.  If it wasn’t for the fact that the wunderkind Dwight Howard played his position, Jefferson would be a first teamer without question.  However, the double-double machine from Monticello, Mississippi will have to settle for the second squad.  There was good reason that Jefferson was the key piece back when the T-Wolves traded future Hall of Famer, Kevin Garnett, to the Boston Celtics two offseasons ago and we know how that ended up.  But, for Jefferson and the T-Wolves?  Well, the team hasn’t done well, but Jefferson certainly has with back-to-back 21+ PPG and 11 RPG seasons.  And unlike other big men, Jefferson is able to shoot 70+% from the charity stripe, no small feat when you consider the futility from the line from other dominating big men, notably, Howard.  As long as he stays healthy, Jefferson should continue to be a 20/10 player and All-Star for the next several seasons, controlling the box for boards and baskets. Unfortunately, he’s probably destined to be the next Garnett, an outstanding individual player on a bad team that never goes far in the playoffs.  But, hey, maybe Jefferson will luck out and be traded in several years for a young stud player and get a championship ring somewhere else.  He can only hope there is a KG repeat.

ALL-UNDER 25 HONORABLE MENTIONS (Alphabetical Order By Position)

Point Guard: Rajon Rondo, Boston Celtics (Born: February 22, 1986);
Russell Westbrook, Oklahoma City Thunder (Born: November 12, 1988)
Shooting Guard: Wilson Chandler, New York Knicks (Born: May 10, 1987);
Eric Gordon, Los Angeles Clippers (Born: December 25, 1988)
Small Forward: Luol Deng, Chicago Bulls (Born: April 16, 1985);
Rudy Gay, Memphis Grizzlies (Born: August 17, 1986)
Power Forward: Paul Milsap, Utah Jazz (Born: February 10, 1985);
Anthony Randolph, Golden State Warriors (Born: July 15, 1989)
Center: Andris Biedrins, Golden State Warriors (Born: April 2, 1986);
Brook Lopez, New Jersey Nets (Born: April 1, 1988)

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