NBA Twitter Quarantine Debate: Young Bigs Edition
Alright you know the drill. It's time for another NBA Twitter quarantine debate and this time we're talking young bigs. A pretty good crop too, I'd say these are the best young bigs in the league who are in their third year or fewer. Bam is the oldest at 22 years old, so that's what I mean by "young". Guys like Embiid/Jokic/KAT etc are all better and still in their mid 20s, but in terms of young guys these are three monsters. I think we can all agree there. So, how would you rank them? Well first let's dive into each one individually.
Start: Bam Adebayo
Stats: 16.2 points / 10.5 rebounds / 5.1 assists / 1.2 steals / 1.3 blocks / 56% FG / 117 Ortg / 106 Drtg / 1.7% STL% / 3.8 BLK%
Pretty easy start for me here. Mostly because Bam is the best big of the three, the only All Star, the more complete two way player, and probably the best passing big not named Nikola Jokic. He doesn't shoot threes, but that'll probably come as he ages. You want to know why MIA took a mini leap this season? Part of it was adding Jimmy Butler, but most of it in my mind is the mega leap that Bam took. He's most likely going to win MIP this season, he's an athletic freak that can guard multiple positions and I'd be shocked if anyone didn't have him in the start spot.
Bench: DeAndre Ayton
Stats: 19.0 points / 12.0 rebounds / 1.9 assists / 0.7 steals / 1.7 blocks / 54% FG / 110 Ortg / 108 Drtg / 1.0% STL% / 4.5 BLK%
Personally, I think a lot of people sleep on Ayton. It didn't help that he got suspending this season and only played 30 games, but those were some fairly dominant 30 games. We're talking 20 double doubles in 30 appearances. He's for sure the most traditional big of the three, he's not going to shoot threes or anything like that, but that doesn't mean he hasn't been a force. I can understand why some people may put JJJ here, he for sure has a higher ceiling, but right now? Ayton is better. He averages more points, rebounds, assists, blocks, with a better Ortg and Drtg. He's the better defender, and while that might sound weird, the data backs it up.
He isn't the perfect big for every offense like maybe the other two are, but I'm not cutting someone putting up that type of production. Can't do it.
Cut: Jaren Jackson Jr
Stats: 16.9 points / 4.7 rebounds / 1.4 assists / 0.7 steals / 1.6 blocks / 46% FG / 39% 3P% with 2.5 3PM / 109 Ortg / 110 Drtg / 1.1% STL% / 5.0 BLK%
The youngest of the three, JJJ is essentially your ideal big for today's NBA. He stretches the floor better than any of these other guys, he shoots nearly 40% from three on over 6 attempts a night which is huge, and he still provides you with some pretty legit rim protection. His rebounding isn't all that great for someone who is 6'11, but I'm willing to overlook that given everything else he does. It wasn't easy to cut JJJ but that's how the cookie crumbles. The only thing he really does better than Ayton right now is shoot threes. I don't blame you if you had them flipped, it doesn't mean JJJ sucks because I have him in this slot, that's just how it breaks down for me. He might have more potential, but I take this exercise as what would you do right this second in 2020. When you look at it that way, he has to go.
So that's my order
Bam Adebayo
DeAndre Ayton
Jaren Jackson Jr.
You might not agree and that's OK, just give your order and reason before yelling at me.