Top 5 Young NBA Players that hold the Future of NBA

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Time passes, seasons change, calendars are flipped over, and legends walk away into the sunset. But luckily for the NBA, whenever one star diminishes, other is there to shine brightly in its place. The future of the league is in good hands. Here is the countdown of the league’s top five players under the age of 25, the stars who will keep the league in good hands for the next decade.

Click on image to enlarge.	5. James Harden If Harden had stayed in Oklahoma City, he perhaps may not have blossomed to become the superstar that he’s now becoming in Houston. But if he had stayed in OKC, the Thunder would’ve continued to boast a lineup of four of the best 15-20 under 25 players in the league. Harden always had the talent, but his reduced role in OKC kept him away from the limelight and the big numbers. Now in Houston, the 23-year-old has been ripping it, averaging 26.4 points per game (upping his average by almost 10 points from last season) in the rapidly improving Rockets. The search for the league’s ‘next best shooting guard’ – after years of Kobe and Wade – is over.
Click on image to enlarge.	4. Kevin Love Injuries have delayed Love’s ascension as one of the finest young big men in the league, but make no mistake: the Timberwolves power forward is one of the best in the league when healthy. Love is a dominant rebounder of the ball and has shown the ability in the past season to carry the offensive load for his team. He can score from the inside and from the perimeter. 2012/13 has shown Kevin no love so far, as hand injuries have kept him out of action and out of form. But at 24, he has a lot of time in his career to bounce back.
Click on image to enlarge.	3. Derrick Rose Still nine months short of his 25th birthday, Derrick Rose has been through the ups and downs of a career vet. In three years, the Chicago Bull rose from being Rookie of the Year to All Star Starter to MVP. Even before he turned 23, he became one of the NBA’s best players. But an injury-plagued season, followed by a career-threatening injury that has kept him out of action since May, have put his rise on hold. Rose had the potential of becoming one of the finest players in the league for the next decade, but there are question marks about how good he can now be after the long injury layoff. Still, he’s one of the toughest players in the league, and age is on his side. If Rose can recover a fraction of his 2011 form, he will continue to be one of the league’s most-feared players.
Click on image to enlarge.	2. Russell Westbrook Unstoppable. Selfish. Athletic. Unpredictable. Playing alongside the best young player in the NBA, Russell Westbrook could’ve easily been forgotten as the supporting actor in a blockbuster team. But through his aggressive play, the 24-year-old – for better or worse – has not allowed that to happen. The Thunder are as much Westbrook as they are Durant. Sure, he is known to make questionable decisions from time to time, but don’t let those momentary lapses overshadow the positives he brings to his team. Now entering his fifth season, Westbrook is playing his most mature basketball yet, and his averaging career-high in assists. He surely has a long, successful career ahead of him.
Click on image to enlarge.	1. Kevin Durant Oh but who else? Durant’s talent is beyond this list. He isn’t just the best under-25 player in the NBA, he is one of best in the planet of any age to pick up a Spalding. Durant is an explosive scorer and has really matured his game to become a better passer, rebounder, defender, and leader this season. He is a top MVP candidate and will remain an MVP candidate for the better part of the next decade. Yes, he’s still just 24! Durant is the centrepiece of the Thunder’s (and previously Sonics’) incredible work to draft strong young talents, including Westbrook, Harden (now in Houston), and Serge Ibaka. All of them have a bright future ahead; Durant’s is perhaps the brightest.