Originally Published: April 1, 2008
Abbott's Ballot: Best 23-and-under players
We asked our writers two questions:
Rank 1 to 5: Which players age 23 or under would you want as the foundation of your team?
Wild card: Who else has the greatest upside?
Here are TrueHoop blogger Henry Abbott's picks:
| Abbott's Ballot | ||
| Rank | Player | Comment |
![]() |
LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers Small Forward Age: 23 |
A solid choice for MVP. Statistically, having a season for the ages, shuts down great scorers on key plays, and he just led a bunch of scrubs to the NBA Finals. |
![]() |
Chris Paul New Orleans Hornets Point Guard Age: 22 |
Perhaps an even more solid choice for MVP. Puts up sick numbers night in and night out -- stuff like 17 assists and one turnover -- while his perennial also-ran team is atop the mega-tough West. |
![]() |
Dwight Howard Orlando Magic Center Age: 22 |
Everyone's pick as big man of tomorrow. If I had his body, I could make $100 million. But he actually has basketball skill, which makes it even easier. |
![]() |
Brandon Roy Portland Trail Blazers Shooting Guard Age: 23 |
The reigning rookie of the year and an All-Star, Roy is the player you want your son to grow up to be, with his stellar judgment, fat grab bag of moves, and nonstop smarts and muscle. |
![]() |
Monta Ellis Golden State Warriors Shooting Guard Age: 22 |
When I was a little kid, my dad would read us stories about the Greek gods. There would be people, for instance, who possessed the power of lightning. Monta Ellis is like that. |
CARD |
Thaddeus Young Philadelphia 76ers Small Forward Age: 19 |
He can guard 3s and 4s, he can score on anyone at the rim, and his outside shooting shows promise. He's already a top NBA player by the measure of adjusted plus/minus. You can bet against him, but I won't. |
MORE BALLOTS:
Henry Abbott | J.A. Adande | Jon Barry | Maurice Brooks | Chris Broussard | John Hollinger
Ric Bucher | Chad Ford | Chris Palmer | Jalen Rose | Chris Sheridan | Marc Stein | David Thorpe







