Dylan Harper glides in for a two-handed Spurs jam (0:23)Dylan Harper splits two defenders and takes flight for a Spurs dunk. (0:23)
In the East, the New York Knicks are riding their NBA Cup championship, surging to second in the East. However, the rest of the conference remains in flux as the other eight teams besides the Knicks and Pistons remain within 1.5 games of each other.
The Western Conference is beginning to show just how much of a gauntlet it has proved to be in the past few seasons. Besides the league-leading Oklahoma City Thunder, other contenders — San Antonio Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves and Houston Rockets — are neck and neck in a race toward the top.
This week we asked our NBA insiders to pick one young player on each team who is making an outsize impact so far this season — and what that might mean for the franchises they play for.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Kevin Pelton, Michael C. Wright, Ohm Youngmisuk, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong this season.
A second-year veteran, Sheppard became the first Rocket to rack up 25 points with five assists off the bench since Lou Williams back in 2017 on Saturday, when he knocked down six 3-pointers on the road in Denver as Houston snapped the Nuggets’ six-game winning streak. Sheppard has shown a willingness to work on the weaknesses of his game. He spent three weeks over the summer working primarily on improving as a defender and didn’t even touch a basketball during that span. — Wright
The larger concern for the Timberwolves is that this answer isn’t Rob Dillingham, the former top 10 pick who has been excised from the rotation in favor of Bones Hyland. But we’ll give the nod instead to the combination of Clark and Shannon, both of whom will continue to have cracks at earning a consistent rotation spot on the wing as a long-term replacement for the departed Nickeil Alexander-Walker. — Tim Bontemps
Nikola Jokic leads all qualified players with 11.6 assists per 36 minutes, and in second place — right ahead of Josh Giddey and Cade Cunningham — is Shead, a backup in Toronto, who’s averaging 9.6 dimes per 36 minutes. Shead has a rough jump shot (35.5% from the field, 32.3% on 3-pointers), but the 2024 second-round selection is a solid rotation player, able to make plays for teammates, avoid turnovers and provide hard-nosed defense despite his diminutive size. — Zach Kram
A few months after the Lakers rescinded their deal with the Hornets to acquire Williams, citing a failed physical examination, the Suns put together their own trade package for the 7-1 big man. Williams, who turned 24 this month, has been a steady presence for Phoenix — averaging 12.6 points on 66.5% shooting, 8.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals and, most importantly, appearing in 24 of the Suns’ 29 games. — McMenamin
The 22-year old rookie started in 16 consecutive games, scoring in double figures in 16 straight contests headed into Memphis’ matchup Monday at Oklahoma City. The Grizzlies traded up to No. 11 on draft night to select Coward, who played in just six games during his senior season at Washington State. Still, Memphis’ brass was ecstatic to acquire Coward, who brings size and tenacity on the defensive end at shooting guard while shooting 32.1% from deep on 4.5 attempts per game. — Wright
The Bulls’ second-year forward has been the key to their recent four-game winning streak, and his ascension on offense has been one of the team’s few bright spots. Buzelis is averaging 19.0 points, 2.8 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 0.8 steals during the past four games. That has helped Chicago’s offense get back to the level it began at at the start of the season, when it shared the ball and played at one of the fastest paces in the league, a style that helps Buzelis thrive. — Collier
Sarr was incredibly raw as a rookie in 2024-25, as the No. 2 pick showed flashes of potential but had the worst effective field goal percentage (45.7%) of any qualified player. As a sophomore, however, Sarr has made massive strides: He’s averaging 18.9 points per game on league-average shooting efficiency (54.9% eFG), and his 1.9 blocks per game rank near the top of the NBA leaderboard. — Kram
There was some belief that Jalen Williams’ return would send Mitchell back to the rotational basement in Oklahoma City, but that hasn’t been the case. Mitchell is averaging 11.3 points on an efficient 8.1 shots in 25 minutes per game in December. That’s a tick down from his opening-month surge. There aren’t quite as many minutes or creation opportunities with Williams back from a 19-game absence. But Mitchell, in his second season, has done enough to surge into a nightly rotation staple on the league’s best team regardless of circumstance, becoming one of the more reliable young bench playmakers in the NBA. — Anthony Slater
Duren probably won’t win Most Improved Player, but he has made a sizable leap this season. Surely a decent amount of motivation comes from being in a contract year, with restricted free agency looming. (He’s making the decision quite easy for the front office.) But this feels like natural growth, as he just turned 22 a month ago. Not just the lob talent Cade Cunningham desperately needs for vertical spacing, but Duren has taken big strides as a defender — in space and especially in the interior. He grabbed 10 offensive rebounds in last Thursday’s loss to Dallas and is third in offensive rebounding per game. Opponents will have to account for him in the playoffs when extra possessions are critical. — Vincent Goodwill
Kolek is the closest thing the Knicks have to true youth on this roster, but he’s earning more playing time over the past couple of weeks. Mike Brown even experimented with Kolek playing alongside Jalen Brunson late during the NBA Cup, just to see how the duo would fare. It did well enough for him to be on the floor late in the Knicks’ comeback win over the Pacers — his 26 minutes were a season high, as well as his 16 points and 11 assists. With a healthy Brunson, the minutes available for Kolek might dwindle, but considering the Knicks were looking for backup point guard help, Kolek may fit the role himself. — Goodwill
We’re seeing a new iteration of San Antonio’s famed Big 3 play out in real time with back-to-back NBA Rookie of the Year winners Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle playing alongside rookie Harper, who has a real opportunity to help the Spurs become the first franchise to produce three consecutive winners of that award. The smooth, 19-year-old lefty plays with a craftiness and poise uncommon for players his age, and it’s clear he figures prominently into San Antonio’s future. As a rookie, Harper is shooting 27.7% from 3-point range. But he’s gaining confidence in that area, especially from the left wing. — Michael C. Wright
The Lakers moved up from the 55th pick to the 45th pick and then the 45th pick to the 36th pick to acquire Thiero in the second round of the draft in June. The chiseled 6-foot-8 forward’s stats don’t jump off the page just yet (he averages less than one point, one rebound and one assist per game), but he has already impressed many within the organization with his work ethic in getting healthy from surgery on his left knee. He is clearly a project, but at just 21 years old, L.A. views Thiero as an up-and-coming player with major defensive potential. — Dave McMenamin
Entering this season, it wasn’t clear whether Walsh would become a rotation player for Boston. But the 2023 second-round pick has done just that, becoming a consistent starter on the surprising Celtics and, although on low volume, shooting well over 40% from 3-point range. Walsh’s combination of length, athleticism and energy has made him a perfect complementary player alongside Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Payton Pritchard in Boston, and he has a chance to carve out a long-term role in Boston if he keeps this play up. — Bontemps
Paolo Banchero, Franz Wagner and Jalen Suggs have proved, when healthy, how good and promising they can be. But one young Magic player who is rising with more minutes is Black. Entering Tuesday’s game at Portland, Black had scored in double figures in 15 of his previous 16 games. Black has stepped up with Wagner and Suggs currently sidelined, and his minutes and role also coincided with when Banchero was injured earlier this season. Black’s versatility has been big for the team this season with his ability to defend, score, pass and rebound. He averaged 13.8 points, 4.1 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.2 steals entering Tuesday and should still be a valuable contributor once Orlando is fully healthy again. — Ohm Youngmisuk
The No. 20 pick in the 2024 draft, Tyson has emerged for the Cavs as a legit starting-caliber forward after a quiet rookie season. Tyson is averaging 12.8 points and 5.4 rebounds on 51.9% shooting and 44.9% from 3, continuing to produce despite the team struggling around him. The Cavs have dropped four out of seven games and will enter their Christmas game against the Knicks as one of the most disappointing teams in the league so far. But Tyson has taken advantage of the opportunity around him to carve out a role for himself. — Jamal Collier
Ware is still only 21 and has flashed massive potential. Entering Tuesday’s game against Toronto, Ware went on a three-game double-double tear. He had 28 points and 19 rebounds in a loss to the Knicks, and in a loss to Boston, Ware put up 24 points and 14 rebounds. Before that, in a win at Brooklyn, Ware had 22 points, 12 rebounds and four blocks. During that same span, the 7-footer buried a combined 12-of-16 from beyond the arc. Of course, the issue is consistency, effort and delivering what Erik Spoelstra needs. Just before that massive three-game stretch, Ware had a combined 19 points in the four games prior. The slumping Heat will need a consistently impactful Ware to get back on the right track. — Youngmisuk