Studying extensively when star players peak it became very apparent that most players are at their best from age 24 to 28. The average peak season came at age 26.92
The highly athletic players such as Jordan and LeBron were at the height of their powers statistically per possession at the age of 24 years old. For me 24 is the start of a players prime and while there are certainly many examples of players improving beyond 24 years old this is where the window opens up for most and the improvements start to slow. Players under 24 years old are still on average making much bigger leaps in ability and improvements to their games, especially the younger they are on that spectrum.
Let’s take a look at all the players currently under 24 years old as of January 5th to try to access which NBA teams have the best young talent and likely futures.
This is a list of the top performers this season under 24 years old by team.
| Age | m/g | p/g | r/g | a/g | ||
| Onyeka Okongwu | ATL | 22.1 | 23.5 | 9.2 | 7.2 | 0.9 |
| Nicolas Claxton | BKN | 23.7 | 28.1 | 11.9 | 8.2 | 1.4 |
| LaMelo Ball | CHA | 21.4 | 34.6 | 23.7 | 5.9 | 8.1 |
| Patrick Williams | CHI | 21.4 | 28.7 | 9.8 | 4.1 | 1.3 |
| Ayo Dosunmu | CHI | 23 | 27.3 | 9.9 | 3.3 | 2.7 |
| Darius Garland | CLE | 22.9 | 35.9 | 21.4 | 2.6 | 7.8 |
| Evan Mobley | CLE | 21.6 | 34 | 14.3 | 8.9 | 2.7 |
| Luka Doncic | DAL | 23.9 | 37 | 34.3 | 8.8 | 8.9 |
| Cade Cunningham | DET | 21.3 | 33.3 | 19.9 | 6.2 | 6 |
| Jaden Ivey | DET | 20.9 | 29.8 | 14.9 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| Isaiah Stewart | DET | 21.6 | 28.3 | 11.6 | 7.8 | 1.1 |
| Marvin Bagley III | DET | 23.8 | 21.2 | 10.6 | 5.9 | 0.6 |
| Saddiq Bey | DET | 23.7 | 28.1 | 13.8 | 4.2 | 1.5 |
| Jalen Duren | DET | 19.1 | 24.3 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 1 |
| Alperen Sengun | HOU | 20.4 | 26.2 | 14.3 | 8.5 | 2.6 |
| Kevin Porter | HOU | 22.7 | 34.4 | 19.3 | 5.5 | 5.8 |
| Jabari Smith Jr | HOU | 19.7 | 30 | 12.1 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Tari Eason | HOU | 21.7 | 18.8 | 8.2 | 5.4 | 0.8 |
| Tyrese Haliburton | IND | 22.9 | 33.5 | 20.6 | 4 | 10.2 |
| Bennedict Mathurin | IND | 20.6 | 28.2 | 17.4 | 3.9 | 1.4 |
| Jalen Smith | IND | 22.8 | 20.3 | 10.2 | 6.3 | 1 |
| Aaron Nesmith | IND | 23.2 | 23 | 9.5 | 3.7 | 1.3 |
| Andrew Nembhard | IND | 23 | 26.7 | 8.1 | 3.1 | 3.8 |
| Jaren Jackson Jr. | MEM | 23.3 | 25.7 | 15.9 | 6.1 | 0.9 |
| Ja Morant | MEM | 23.4 | 32.3 | 27.1 | 6 | 8 |
| Santi Aldama | MEM | 22 | 23.2 | 9.5 | 5.1 | 1.3 |
| Tyler Herro | MIA | 23 | 35.3 | 21.1 | 6 | 4.5 |
| Anthony Edwards | MIN | 21.4 | 36.9 | 24.2 | 6.3 | 4.4 |
| Jaden McDaniels | MIN | 22.3 | 30.5 | 11.4 | 3.6 | 1.8 |
| Naz Reid | MIN | 23.4 | 18.1 | 10.6 | 4.9 | 1 |
| Zion Williamson | NOR | 22.5 | 33 | 26 | 7 | 4.6 |
| Trey Murphy | NOR | 22.5 | 28.5 | 12.7 | 4.1 | 1.3 |
| RJ Barrett | NYK | 22.7 | 34.1 | 19.7 | 5.5 | 3.0 |
| Immanuel Quickley | NYK | 23.6 | 26.3 | 11.9 | 4.1 | 3.4 |
| Quentin Grimes | NYK | 22.7 | 28.4 | 10.2 | 3.3 | 2.1 |
| Josh Giddey | OKC | 20.2 | 30.6 | 15.3 | 8 | 5.3 |
| Aleksej Pokusevski | OKC | 21 | 21.9 | 8.8 | 5.1 | 2 |
| Jeremiah Robinson-Earl | OKC | 22.2 | 21.1 | 8.5 | 5 | 1 |
| Luguentz Dort | OKC | 23.7 | 30.3 | 14.1 | 4.1 | 2.3 |
| Jalen Williams | OKC | 21.7 | 27.6 | 11.5 | 3.6 | 2.8 |
| Bol Bol | ORL | 23.1 | 26.1 | 12 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| Franz Wagner | ORL | 21.4 | 33.3 | 19.9 | 4 | 3.5 |
| Wendell Carter Jr. | ORL | 23.7 | 30.8 | 15.8 | 8.7 | 3 |
| Cole Anthony | ORL | 22.6 | 26.4 | 12.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| Paolo Banchero | ORL | 20.1 | 34.2 | 21 | 6.7 | 4 |
| Jalen Suggs | ORL | 21.6 | 28.9 | 12.4 | 3.2 | 5.4 |
| Tyrese Maxey | PHI | 22.2 | 34.9 | 21.2 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
| Anfernee Simons | POR | 23.6 | 35.7 | 22.4 | 3 | 4 |
| Keegan Murray | SAC | 22.4 | 28.8 | 11.5 | 3.9 | 0.8 |
| Devin Vassell | SAS | 22.4 | 31.3 | 19.4 | 4 | 3.6 |
| Tre Jones | SAS | 23 | 29.8 | 12.8 | 3.7 | 6.5 |
| Keldon Johnson | SAS | 23.1 | 32.5 | 21.6 | 4.9 | 2.7 |
| Scottie Barnes | TOR | 21.4 | 34.1 | 14.9 | 6.9 | 4.6 |
| Jarred Vanderbilt | UTA | 23.8 | 24.8 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 2.8 |
| Walker Kessler | UTA | 21.4 | 18.8 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 0.6 |
| Deni Avdija | WAS | 22 | 26.1 | 8.4 | 5.7 | 2.8 |
Obviously a team like Detroit seem to be crushing it by the raw numbers, then you look at the efficiency and it paints a different picture. (we’ll use PER since it’s a good stand in for all the percentages and minutes per game.
| PER | age | ppg | rpg | apg | ||
| 32.4 | Luka Doncic | DAL | 23.9 | 34.3 | 8.8 | 8.9 |
| 25.5 | Zion Williamson | NOR | 22.5 | 26 | 7 | 4.6 |
| 23.9 | Tyrese Haliburton | IND | 22.9 | 20.6 | 4 | 10.2 |
| 23.8 | Ja Morant | MEM | 23.4 | 27.1 | 6 | 8 |
| 22.4 | Jaren Jackson Jr. | MEM | 23.3 | 15.9 | 6.1 | 0.9 |
| 21.0 | Nicolas Claxton | BKN | 23.7 | 11.9 | 8.2 | 1.4 |
| 21.0 | Alperen Sengun | HOU | 20.4 | 14.3 | 8.5 | 2.6 |
| 19.8 | Walker Kessler | UTA | 21.4 | 6.8 | 6.5 | 0.6 |
| 19 | LaMelo Ball | CHA | 21.4 | 23.7 | 5.9 | 8.1 |
| 18.6 | Darius Garland | CLE | 22.9 | 21.4 | 2.6 | 7.8 |
| 18.4 | Naz Reid | MIN | 23.4 | 10.6 | 4.9 | 1 |
| 17.8 | Marvin Bagley III | DET | 23.8 | 10.6 | 5.9 | 0.6 |
| 17.5 | Wendell Carter Jr. | ORL | 23.7 | 15.8 | 8.7 | 3 |
| 17.3 | Anthony Edwards | MIN | 21.4 | 24.2 | 6.3 | 4.4 |
| 17.2 | Onyeka Okongwu | ATL | 22.1 | 9.2 | 7.2 | 0.9 |
| 17.1 | Tyler Herro | MIA | 23 | 21.1 | 6 | 4.5 |
| 17.0 | Devin Vassell | SAS | 22.4 | 19.4 | 4 | 3.6 |
| 16.8 | Bol Bol | ORL | 23.1 | 12 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| 16.7 | Franz Wagner | ORL | 21.4 | 19.9 | 4 | 3.5 |
| 16.6 | Evan Mobley | CLE | 21.6 | 14.3 | 8.9 | 2.7 |
| 16.5 | Jarred Vanderbilt | UTA | 23.8 | 8.4 | 7.9 | 2.8 |
| 16.4 | Paolo Banchero | ORL | 20.1 | 21 | 6.7 | 4 |
| 15.9 | Anfernee Simons | POR | 23.6 | 22.4 | 3 | 4 |
| 15.8 | Kevin Porter | HOU | 22.7 | 19.3 | 5.5 | 5.8 |
| 15.7 | Tyrese Maxey | PHI | 22.2 | 21.2 | 3.3 | 4.2 |
| 15.7 | Jalen Duren | DET | 19.1 | 7.6 | 8.5 | 1 |
| 15.6 | Jalen Smith | IND | 22.8 | 10.2 | 6.3 | 1 |
| 15.5 | Tari Eason | HOU | 21.7 | 8.2 | 5.4 | 0.8 |
| 15.3 | Josh Giddey | OKC | 20.2 | 15.3 | 8 | 5.3 |
| 15.2 | Santi Aldama | MEM | 22 | 9.5 | 5.1 | 1.3 |
| 15.1 | Tre Jones | SAS | 23 | 12.8 | 3.7 | 6.5 |
| 15.0 | Trey Murphy | NOR | 22.5 | 12.7 | 4.1 | 1.3 |
| 15.0 | Cole Anthony | ORL | 22.6 | 12.6 | 4.5 | 4.5 |
| 14.8 | Scottie Barnes | TOR | 21.4 | 14.9 | 6.9 | 4.6 |
| 14.6 | Cade Cunningham | DET | 21.3 | 19.9 | 6.2 | 6 |
| 14.6 | Keldon Johnson | SAS | 23.1 | 21.6 | 4.9 | 2.7 |
| 14.3 | Aleksej Pokusevski | OKC | 21 | 8.8 | 5.1 | 2 |
| 13.9 | Immanuel Quickley | NYK | 23.6 | 11.9 | 4.1 | 3.4 |
| 13.8 | Bennedict Mathurin | IND | 20.6 | 17.4 | 3.9 | 1.4 |
| 13.6 | Isaiah Stewart | DET | 21.6 | 11.6 | 7.8 | 1.1 |
| 13.3 | Saddiq Bey | DET | 23.7 | 13.8 | 4.2 | 1.5 |
| 13.3 | RJ Barrett | NYK | 22.7 | 19.7 | 5.5 | 3.0 |
| 12.5 | Jalen Williams | OKC | 21.7 | 11.5 | 3.6 | 2.8 |
| 12.1 | Jaden McDaniels | MIN | 22.3 | 11.4 | 3.6 | 1.8 |
| 11.9 | Jalen Suggs | ORL | 21.6 | 12.4 | 3.2 | 5.4 |
| 11.8 | Jaden Ivey | DET | 20.9 | 14.9 | 4.1 | 4.0 |
| 11.8 | Luguentz Dort | OKC | 23.7 | 14.1 | 4.1 | 2.3 |
| 11.5 | Quentin Grimes | NYK | 22.7 | 10.2 | 3.3 | 2.1 |
| 10.9 | Aaron Nesmith | IND | 23.2 | 9.5 | 3.7 | 1.3 |
| 10.5 | Jabari Smith Jr | HOU | 19.7 | 12.1 | 7.1 | 0.9 |
| 10.5 | Keegan Murray | SAC | 22.4 | 11.5 | 3.9 | 0.8 |
| 10.4 | Patrick Williams | CHI | 21.4 | 9.8 | 4.1 | 1.3 |
I think you clearly would want to be Memphis, Dallas, Indiana or New Orleans. These teams have either a superstar, or the best mix of young players.
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