The New Orleans Pelicans Have the Best Young Core in the NBA

The Dallas Mavericks

No list of young cores would be complete without mentioning the Dallas Mavericks. Led by 20-year-old superstar Luka Doncic, the Mavericks (33-22) are the seventh seed in the Western Conference and look poised to compete for the foreseeable future.

Doncic has already established himself as a generational superstar and is putting up numbers that place him in rarefied air. Doncic averages nearly a triple-double at 28.9 points, 9.5 rebounds and 8.7 assists per game. Did I mention that he is 20 years old? His age, size and ability make Doncic the best young player in the league, an anomaly, a freak and if you were going to choose one player from the NBA to start a team with, it would probably be him.

Doncic’s partner is the 24-year-old unicorn Kristaps Porzingis who is proving the Maverick’s made the right move trading for him even while he was injured. Porzingis is getting 18.4 points and 9.1 rebounds a game, and is protecting the rim with 1.9 blocks.

Doncic and Porzingis are arguably the best young duo in the league, but Dallas lacks young depth, with only Jalen Brunson as the only other young player making an impact. Dallas certainly has the top-tier young duo to match with Zion and Ingram, but lack the overall depth of the young Pelicans.