It’s crazy to think and wonder how fast can things change in the NBA. One day, you’re at the top of the world, and the next, you can be a borderline role player. It’s happened multiple times, as – with noted exceptions – father time takes a toll on the players’ bodies and the younger stars emerge.
Not so long ago, Deron Williams and Dwight Howard were two of the best players on earth. Now, one isn’t even in the league and the other is coming off the bench and playing under 20 minutes. That’s just how it goes, that’s the cycle of life.
Obviously, some of the stars in the league will be in their primes for a while longer, but that doesn’t mean that they’ll stay at the top of the game five years from now. That’s why today, we predicted who will be the best player in each position in five years.
Point Guard: LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball is just getting started in the league but he’s already turning a lot of heads and drawing a lot of praise around the community. He’s proven to be a mature player with a high basketball IQ, has improved his shot selection, and has turned the Charlotte Hornets into a playoff team.
Ball still needs to make some improvements on his shot and he’s likely never going to be a good defender, but most of the best point guards in the league right now aren’t either. So, we expect him to take down Stephen Curry, Kyrie Irving, and Damian Lillard five years from now.
Shooting Guard: Devin Booker
Right now, not many people could argue that James Harden is the best shooting guard in the league, with perhaps Klay Thompson as a close second. Five years from now, Devin Booker will be the undisputed leader in that position and there’s no doubt in my mind.
Not only Booker has the highest-scoring game among active players right now but he’s also the player most likely to break that record. He’s got a never-ending bag of tricks to put the ball through the hoop and is only getting better as we speak.
Small Forward: Luka Doncic
We hate to talk about this but, five years from now, LeBron James could be out of the league. Kevin Durant will be aging as well, and that will leave the door wide open for Luka Doncic to claim his place as the face of the NBA, the best small forward, and the best player overall.
Doncic has improved from his rookie year and continues to silence his critics with his electric play. He’s a combination of Larry Bird’s size and scoring ability with LeBron James’ playmaking. So he could be the best at that position even sooner than that.
Power Forward: Zion Williamson
The New Orleans Pelicans could have the best power forward in the league in back-to-back eras. From Anthony Davis to Zion Williamson. Hopefully, Zion will stay with them and they won’t lose him the same way they also lost Chris Paul.
Zion is already the strongest player in the league and his freakish athleticism makes him a treat to watch. Anthony Davis is injury-prone and Zion’s defense will only get better as the years go by, so we can definitely see him being the best number four in the league in 5 years.
Center: Nikola Jokic
And last, but not least, we have to talk about Nikola Jokic. Besides Joel Embiid, he’s the best center in the league right now and the gap is pretty wide. However, due to Embiid’s injury history, we predict that Jokic will stay at the top on his own five years from now.
Nikola Jokic has become a much more aggressive scorer as the years go by. He’s the greatest passing big man ever and a nightly triple-double threat. He’s not likely to ever become a solid defender due to his lack of athleticism and speed but he makes up for it by being the most offensively-impactful big men in the world.
