The Whiteboard: Snubs from our rankings of the best young players in the NBA

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Today, The Step Back began rolling out our 2021 25-under-25 list, ranking the best young players in the NBA. This is our fifth year assembling this ranking and if history is any guide, we’ve almost certainly gotten some things wrong — last year’s list had Brandon Clarke ahead of Michael Porter Jr. and Ben Simmons ahead of Trae Young.

But, in building the list, we do our best to acknowledge uncertainty and recognize the players who are likely to make us look silly. Along with the first five names announced today, you can also read up on the first five players left off. But even that might not be enough, so here are a few deeper cuts that could make us regret omitting them.

Miles Bridges, Charlotte Hornets (Ranked No. 31)

In terms of overall importance to the Hornets’ present and future, Bridges is way down the list — certainly behind LaMelo Ball, Terry Rozier and, according to our rankings, P.J. Washington. He benefits enormously from the playmaking talent around him, he’s assisted on the vast majority of his made baskets and his most noteworthy NBA skill is rising in traffic to catch a lob. He is a role player through and through. But he’s also a really, really good one and if the Hornets make some noise last year, he could command a lot more attention. Remember, Bridges posted a 62.5 true shooting percentage last season, making 38.8 percent of his catch-and-shoot 3s and 65.3 percent of his shots within eight feet of the basket. He’s a legitimate spot-up threat now who is also an adept cutter and one who finishes everything around the rim. Bridges has also improved significantly as a passer and defender. It wouldn’t take much development for this to be a legitimate breakout season for him.

R.J. Barrett, New York Knicks (Ranked No. 32)

Knicks fans will likely feel that ranking Barrett this low is a massive oversight and there’s a better than good chance they’re proven right by the end of the season. In his second season, he improved dramatically as a 3-point shooter and did a much better job at the free-throw line, bumping his true shooting percentage from 47.9 to 53.5. He still has plenty of room for growth as a primary creator and defender, and improving his shot selection would make a huge difference in his overall efficiency. But those are the kind of obvious fixes you can expect a third-year wing with his kind of talent to make, especially when he’s already cleaned up some of the harder developmental challenges. Also, don’t overlook the potential value of an improved roster of shooters and creators around him this season. No matter what happens this season, I wouldn’t expect Barrett to be left off next year’s iteration of this list.

De’Anthony Melton and Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies (Ranked No. 40 and 47)

Melton’s rank here is heavily influenced by his role. He came off the bench in all but one game he appeared in last season and just barely broke 20 minutes per game for the Grizzlies. But his impact is dramatic when he’s on the floor. Per 36 minutes, Melton averaged 16.3 points, 5.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists, 2.1 steals and 1.1 blocks per game, shooting 41.2 percent from beyond the arc. And while the Grizzlies finished the season with a negative point differential, they outscored opponents by 5.5 points per 100 possessions with Melton on the floor. If replicates those numbers in more minutes this season, he’ll definitely be moving up.

All Bane did as a rookie was play impressive defense and make 43.2 percent of his 3s. He could be starting at shooting guard this season and was essentially shut down after two Summer League games. When you’ve scored 48 points in 60 minutes and made 9-of-13 from beyond the arc, there’s really not much more to show.

Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons (Ranked No. 46)

Even if Saddiq Bey’s ceiling is as a 3-and-D wing, the Pistons have found themselves an absolute gem. As a rookie, he made 38 percent of his shot from behind the arc and the only rookies who have ever made more 3-pointers were Damian Lillard and Donovan Mitchell. On defense, he wasn’t just one of the most impactful rookies, he was one of the most impactful wings in the league, full stop. And this year he’ll get a full season playing with a healthy Killian Hayes and No. 1 pick Cade Cunningham, which means there should be a lot more open shots in his future.

Jalen Green, Houston Rockets (Ranked No. 50)

Our panelists who ranked the young players for this year’s list — myself, Ben Ladner, Micah Wimmer and Bryan Toporek — all value a lot more than scoring. We take note of defense, efficiency, playmaking, the ability of a young player to make or break a system with their versatility and well-rounded skills. That bigger picture is why Jalen Green is ranked so low, even below other rookies like Cade Cunningham, Jalen Suggs and Evan Mobley. That being said, he’s probably going to average 20 points per game this season and some random night he is going to hang a 50-piece on someone and we’re going to wish he had landed a little higher.

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Remember to check out the full 25-under-25 list and follow along as we count our way down to the top over the rest of this week.

For the five players who just missed this year’s list, I explained why they missed the cut and how they could prove us completely wrong.

And make sure to check out our profiles for the first players, announced today:

Micah Wimmer on Collin Sexton (No. 25) and the challenge of separating stats from impact.

Bryan Harvey on Kevin Huerter (No. 24), who is exactly who the Atlanta Hawks need him to be.

Bryan Toporek on Gary Trent Jr. (No. 23), who has a chance to make himself invaluable to the Toronto Raptors.

Ben Ladner on De’Andre Hunter (No. 22), who has to continue to improve for the Hawks to take the next step.

And me on Mitchell Robinson (No. 21), who is ready to prove he’s more than just dunks and blocks.