As good as the league is now, things could look very different in the next five years. As some stars age out, and others emerge, the NBA will experience an inevitable shift of the names who currently rule the basketball world.
In a segment on ESPN, former players Brian Scalabrine and Kendrick Perkins tried to predict what the future might hold in store — specifically, which young players today are going to be most successful.
They agreed on most things, including All-Star pick, Defensive 1st team selection, jersey sales, and Championship rings.
Where they disagreed was on the MVP. Perk picked Luka, a guy who was already in the race this season and whose stock will only rise with more experience. Scal picked Jayson Tatum, the face of the Celtics, and a guy who may be discovering his superstar form before our very eyes. You really can’t go wrong with either choice, but it’s something we’ll have to wait a few more years to discover the answer to.
As for the rest, it’s a given that guys like Zion, Trae Young, and Morant will take control of the league. They are some of the best young players we’ve seen in history.
Then again, reality always has a way of surprising us — and humanity isn’t so good at getting things right. There’s bound to be a few curveballs to this list in the seasons to come.
