Hollinger's Ballot: Best 23-and-under players

Originally Published: April 1, 2008

Comment Email Print Share

ESPN.com

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 ESPN.com NBA columnist John Hollinger's picks:

Hollinger's Ballot
Rank	Player	Comment
	LeBron James Cleveland Cavaliers Small Forward Age: 23	No need to hope for the future here -- he's already the best player in the league.
	Dwight Howard Orlando Magic Center Age: 22	He has improved every year and is arguably the league's best center; if he ever figures out how to play the post, watch out.
	Chris Paul New Orleans Hornets Point Guard Age: 22	Small frame means he might have a shorter peak than the first two guys, but there's little doubt he's the game's top point guard.
	Kevin Durant Seattle SuperSonics Shooting Guard Age: 19	Sure, there's been some rough sledding in his rookie season, but find me another teenager who can score 20 a night in the pros.
	Greg Oden Portland Trail Blazers Center Age: 20	Moves behind Durant due to injury concerns, but Blazers are still salivating about prospect of adding 7-foot ace next season.
WILD CARD	Thaddeus Young Philadelphia 76ers Small Forward Age: 19	Few people are talking about him, but he's the same age as Oden and Durant and he's been very good for the Sixers as a rookie. With an NBA body supporting an MBA head, he could be the third superstar of the '07 draft.