NBA 2019: Top 5 young cores in the NBA TODAY
A lot of teams have made their rosters in a certain way. A few have tasted success with their methods while others have had to remodel and retool their rosters on the fly to achieve any iota of success while they could. In the end, the young core a team is able to capture in the early process of their rebuilding phase determines how good they project to be.
The 2019 NBA Draft gave us a hint at what sort of a young core most teams are targeting in the modern game. In the early 2000s, building around big men that are dominant in the post was very common, until the Warriors drafted Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, which changed the game.
Now teams prefer to have a rim running, floor spacing center, who can shoot the 3 and defend well and surround him with elite 3 and D wings, who can defend all the 5 positions, modeled after the success that the Warriors ended up achieving. With this in mind, let us look at the top young cores in the NBA right now.
#5 Phoenix Suns
The Phoenix Suns, it feels like, have been rebuilding their roster for a really long time. Having drafted Devin Booker in the 2015 NBA Draft and then watching him grow into one of the best shooting guards in the NBA has been amazing, but they have failed to surround him with players of similar talent, though that seems to be at an end.
Booker, at just 22 years old, is one of the best shooting guards in the NBA right now. He can score at will, is an amazing ball handler and can lead this team to a win single-handedly. He is great off the ball as well and make plays for his teammates too.
Booker is now joined by another rising star in DeAndre Ayton at the center position, who had one of the most dominant rookie seasons for a center, after being chosen at No.1. Had there been no Trae Young or Luka Doncic, he could have scooped the Rookie of the Year award almost unanimously.
Ayton is a solid scorer and can run circles around the opposition's defense. He has a great first step and a decent free throw shooter too. His only problem was his defense which he improved each game and is looking like a really good player for the Suns.
Finally, the Suns have a plethora of young stars from the past drafts that are still yet to hit their prime. Josh Jackson has shown flashes of brilliance, which made the Suns take him at No. 4 in the 2017 NBA Draft. They also have sophomore Mikal Bridges, who had a great rookie season.
Cameron Johnson and Ty Jerome are the rookies the Suns drafted in the 2019 NBA Draft and they will be looking to make an instant impact on a team that will look to try and make it to the playoffs for the first time since 2009-10.