Revisiting The Step Back’s 2018 NBA 25-under-25 list

Miss: Pascal Siakam and Caris LeVert

Tyus Jones. Jordan Bell. Frank Ntilikina. Rondae Hollis-Jefferson. Josh Hart. Markelle Fultz. Jabari Parker.

Every one of them received a higher cumulative vote total than Pascal Siakam and Caris LeVert, who tied for 63rd in our final ranking.

Sixty. Third.

Let’s start with Siakam, who finished three times further down the list than his own teammate, OG Anunoby, not to mention 36 spots lower than Raptors backup point guard Fred VanVleet.

The Zach Lowe favorite has started all but one game for the team with the second-best record in basketball, averaging 16.4 points, seven rebounds and three assists. His 3-point shot has also maintained all year, helping the Raptors outscore opponents by 9.7 points when he’s on the court (they have a negative 4.6 net rating when he’s off). He could very well be the swing piece that determines how far Toronto goes this Spring.

Taken seven spots before Siacam in the 2016 draft was Caris LeVert. LeVert was an early season favorite for Most Improved Player, averaging 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.4 steals on a 48.9 percent shooting through the season’s first dozen games, one of only seven players (the other six are perennial All-Stars) to hit those marks during that period. Then disaster almost struck, and he missed nearly three months with a leg injury that initially looked far worse than it was. Since he’s returned, his scoring has been cut in half, and after moving back into the starting lineup, he’s back on the bench.

It doesn’t change the fact that we blew this one as well. LeVert is a stud, and along with D’Angelo Russell (who we also got wrong, putting him at 35 and first on our Biggest Disappointments list) give the Nets a bright future.

Our future, on the other hand, is probably less bright if we can’t start doing a better job on these things. We promise we’ll try harder next season.