The New Generation of the NBA

The 2022-2023 NBA season is in full swing. The competitiveness of the league is at an all-time high, and almost every team has been bringing their A-game—all but the superteams. Stephen Curry and the reigning champion, the Golden State Warriors, have started their season 6-9, and have lost all seven games played on the road. Former NBA champions LeBron James and Anthony Davis have started their season even worse, with a 3-10 record, good enough (or bad enough) for the third-worst team in the league. Following the controversial suspension of Brooklyn Nets player Kyrie Irving, forward Kevin Durant has managed to hold the team up—but not enough, with a bottom-10 record in the league.

If the “superteams” aren’t thriving, then who is? Enter the new generation of the NBA, where young talent has started to outplay aging superstar veterans. Despite the dominance of these players, they’ve gone unnoticed by fans and the media alike in favor of NBA legends. As young players start their seasons off in fashion, some should be garnering more attention in the Most Valuable Player (MVP) and Most Improved Player (MIP) award races.

Donovan Mitchell

After a long summer of trade rumors regarding Donovan Mitchell, with some speculation that he would end up with the New York Knicks, the Cleveland Cavaliers ultimately pulled the trigger on a trade. The decision has done wonders for the Cavs, as they are now 9-6 and are sitting in fourth place in the Eastern Division. Though Mitchell has proven in prior seasons that he has what it takes to lead a team and to put up high numbers, the season that he is having has been unexpected by many. Averaging a career-high 30.9 points, six assists, and one steal per game this season, the 26-year-old is making a serious case for his first MVP award.

Lauri Markkanen

Throughout his first five years in the NBA, Lauri Markkanen showed promise with statistical production. However, the lingering concern with the 25-year-old was his consistency on the court. Five seasons of 50-60 healthy games from the forward pushed the Bulls to trade the forward to the Cavaliers. After a year, he was packaged in the blockbuster Mitchell trade over the summer offseason. Sure enough, the move has been a win-win trade. Markkanen, who is averaging a career-high in points, assists, and steals, has led a Utah Jazz team that most fans and analysts wrote off at the start of the season. They’re off to a 10-6 start, good enough to place third in the Western Conference. If Markkanen can manage to stay healthy for the entirety of the season, then Jazz is a team to watch out for.

Dejounte Murray

The last of the players on this list acquired via trade this offseason, Dejounte Murray is one of the most underrated players in the league. Last season, he was extremely close to averaging a triple-double, a feat that has not been accomplished since Russell Westbrook did it in the 2016-2017 season. As Murray was playing on the Spurs, a team with a low chance of a deep playoff run, the 26-year-old guard received little recognition for his outstanding performances. Over the offseason, the Atlanta Hawks made a huge trade for the young superstar. By doing so, they’ve paired Murray up with superstar point guard Trae Young, creating one of the best backcourts in the league. Some fans questioned the ability of the two ball-dominant guards to fit into the lineup together, but a 9-6 start has certainly proved them wrong.

Tyrese Haliburton

Rounding off the teams with surprising starts to the season, Tyrese Haliburton has carried the Indiana Pacers to an 8-6 start—the fourth-best record in the Eastern Conference. The 22-year-old point guard has found a new home for himself in Indiana. Offensive-minded players like guard Buddy Hield and rookie forward Bennedict Mathurin have greatly contributed to Halliburton's 10.4 assists per game, a league-high. Alongside his offensive production, he remains a defensive threat, recording about two steals per game.

Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

Though Shai Gilgeous-Alexander finds himself on a particularly weak Oklahoma City Thunder team with a mediocre start to the season, his improvements cannot go unnoticed. In 14 games, the 24-year-old has averaged 32.3 points, 5.9 assists, two steals, and 1.5 blocks—career highs in virtually every statistical category. Not only has he been one of the most dominant players in the NBA, but he has also been one of the most efficient. If Gilgeous-Alexander can keep shooting at his current pace—55 percent from the field, 40 percent from three, and 91 percent from the free-throw line—he could join the 50/40/90 club, a feat only achieved by nine players in NBA history. However, thanks to the Thunder’s 7-11 start, the MVP award might be out of the question, but the MIP award seems within grasp.

Paolo Banchero

Is it too early to put rookie Paolo Banchero in this conversation? Though the Magic have started the season in the bottom end of the standings, the 20-year-old has proved his talent on the court, frontrunning the race for the Rookie of the Year award. His high basketball IQ as well as his maturity for a rookie have impressed analysts and scouts alike. He can read plays and defenses and take advantage of the opposition when necessary. It has been a huge reason why he is averaging 24 points and eight rebounds per game. The only regard now is whether he can stay fit, as he is currently sidelined with an ankle injury.

With the rising youth movement competing against well-known and respected veteran stars, we look ahead to five more months of intense basketball. It will be interesting to see how the NBA standings turn out as the season unfolds. With players such as those mentioned above, it’s evident that new, young superstars are quickly taking over the league right in front of our eyes.