Sports Cipher

Top Big Men Under 25

The general consensus is that Dwight Howard and Andrew Bynum are the best big men in the game right now. However there is some young big men that are definitely worth taking a look at.

There are so many promising young big men in the league right now. At the top of the of my list is Blake Griffin(23), Kevin Love(24), Brook Lopez(24) and DeMarcus Cousins(22).

Blake Griffin

The former number 1 pick and rookie of the year Blake Griffin is the arguably the most exciting player in the NBA. Already a 2x All-Star in his three years in the league Griffin has gained a lot of success in his short career. His incredible athleticism and energy make him a great rebounder. We all know when he gets the ball around the rim he is almost unstoppable. Where he needs to improve is his shooting and his defense. With his athleticism I expect him to be at least a better on ball defender. However, the potential of his talent is unmeasurable.

Kevin Love

Kevin Love is arguably the best power forward in the NBA right now. He has taken his game to another level starting in the ’10-11 season when he made the NBA All-Star team for the first time and wining the Most Improved Player award. Love is a rebounding machine pulling down insane number of rebounds. His come just continues to grow, improving his range and even winning the 3pt. contest last year. Love will keep improving his game and the 2x All-Star will undoubtedly make more All-Star appearances.

Brook Lopez

Brook Lopez has definitely has been under the radar during some disappointing seasons with the Nets. Despite the lack of team success Lopez steadily improved his game. He has increased his scoring every year he has been in the NBA for the exception of last year when he missed 61 games in a lockout shortened season due to a foot injury. Brook Lopez is the archetype back to the basket center, he has great footwork and a great array of post moves. The biggest gripe about Brook’s game is his rebounding; he has never averaged more than 10 rebounds, even in college. That is just unacceptable for a 7 footer. With a another full year with Deron Williams he will improve his scoring. He is certainly a future All-Star, he just has to hit the boards much better this year.

DeMarcus Cousin

In my opinion DeMarcus Cousins will be better than all the above mentioned players. He is another guy who has went under the radar from being on a mediocre team. Cousins has made a big leap from his rookie to sophomore season. Scoring went up from 14.1 pts to 18.1 pts and rebounding from 8.6 to 11.0. Cousins has a great array of post moves for a young player. He has the ability to come out and shoot a 15 footer. So Cousins can play his back to the basket as well as face it. The only thing that can stop him is him. If he can keep his emotions in check without losing his intensity he will have a long All-Star career.