Despite being a league that boasts as much young talent as any sport in the world, the NBA playoffs are a veteran's game. Only three players under the age of 25 have been named Finals MVP over the last 20 years, and they all had established veteran stars playing next to them: Kawhi Leonard in 2013-14 (Tim Duncan/Tony Parker/Manu Ginobili), Tony Parker in 2006-07 (Tim Duncan) and Dwyane Wade in 2005-06 (Shaquille O'Neal). Seven of the last 11 Finals MVPs have been 29 or older, which shows how important experience is when it comes to playoff greatness.
That being said, the current NBA is inundated with young stars in position to lead their teams to success when the 2019-20 season resumes at the end of July at Walt Disney World. While veteran teams like the Lakers and Clippers are favorites to win, the league-best Milwaukee Bucks are led by 25-year-old Giannis Antetokounmpo, who will likely take home his second consecutive regular-season MVP award later this year.
Young players in the Disney bubble won't just be fringe contributors or X-factors -- in many cases, they're the best players on their team. Whether it's the race for playoff positioning during the eight seeding games or in the actual postseason, here is a list of players under the age of 25 who will have a tremendous impact in Orlando.
*Ages as of July 30, the scheduled resumption date for the 2019-20 season
Age: 20
Williamson will turn 20 in early July, and is already arguably the most exciting young player in the league despite having played only 19 NBA games. The impact of the 2019 No. 1 overall pick was immediately felt after he made his debut in late January, as the Pelicans went 10-7 in games in which Williamson played 25 or more minutes, and had a staggering plus-13.9 net rating with him on the court. Many are picking New Orleans to chase down Memphis for the No. 8 seed in the West, and Williamson will have everything to do with that.
Age: 20
You may not realize it, but JJJ is actually younger than rookie teammate Ja Morant, and is just as vital to the Grizzlies' unexpected success this season. He's increased his scoring average this season, but more importantly, he has more than doubled his 3-point attempts per game while improving his accuracy to an elite 40 percent. He's still growing defensively and is often limited due to foul trouble, but he's already a strong shot-blocker who is mobile enough to switch onto perimeter players. Jackson was set to return from a knee injury when the season shut down in March, so he should be at full strength when games resume.
Age: 20
Morant will turn 21 about a week after games are scheduled to begin in Orlando, and he's already exceeded even the loftiest of expectations for his rookie season. Not only has Morant produced in his first year at arguably the hardest position in the league, but he's also been one of the best crunch-time players in the NBA, averaging 3.3 points in clutch situations (within five points with five minutes left), according to NBA.com. Morant will be the key to the Grizzlies maintaining their playoff position.
Age: 21
There's really not much praise we can heap on Doncic that hasn't already been heaped, but needless to say, the Mavericks' playoff hopes rest on his 21-year-old shoulders. Dallas has overachieved this season largely thanks to his emergence as a bonafide superstar, and he'll be one of the most exciting players to watch when the season resumes. The Mavs could potentially climb into the fifth or sixth seed with a strong performance in the eight seeding games, which would allow them to avoid the Clippers in the first round and increase their chances for an upset.
Age: 22
Ayton will turn 22 the week before games tip-off at Disney, and he and Devin Booker will be two of the only reasons to watch the Suns, who have virtually no shot of climbing their way into the postseason. Ayton was hit with a 25-game suspension after playing in just one game to start the season, but he has been excellent since returning just before the new year. He's still inefficient in the post (.808 points per possession per Synergy Sports Technology) and takes too many mid-range jumpers, but he's been good as a roll man as the chemistry between him and Booker continues to evolve.
Age: 22
A pick-and-roll master who plays at his own pace, Gilgeous-Alexander is already advanced well beyond his age. I wrote about him in much more detail here, but the short version is that he's the leading scorer on the current No. 5 seed in the Western Conference and his versatility on both ends allows the Thunder to thrive with their three-guard monster lineup alongside Chris Paul and Dennis Schroder (league-leading plus-28.6 net rating in 401 minutes this season). If the Thunder are going to make any noise, they'll need SGA to keep up his production in his first postseason with OKC.
Age: 22
The running joke on Celtics Twitter is that Tatum is still 19 years old, but he's actually 22 -- remarkably young considering he's ascended to alpha status on a team that features Kemba Walker, Jaylen Brown and Gordon Hayward. My colleague James Herbert and I discussed it last week, but the Celtics will go as far as Tatum takes them. He was on an absolute tear when the season came to a halt in March, averaging 28.2 points and 7.5 rebounds on 46 percent 3-point shooting over his last 20 games. It will be interesting to see whether he can consistently put up those numbers as the team's potential go-to scorer come playoff time.
Age: 22
You've probably forgotten by now, but the Kings were one of the hottest teams in the NBA at the time of the shutdown, having won seven of their last 10 games and 13 of their last 20. Fox had been an absolute beast, averaging 22.3 points, 6.8 assists and 4.1 rebounds after Jan. 1. The Kings' success coincided with a faster pace, which unleashes Fox in transition to get to the rim or find open shooters. Sacramento is looking to end its league-worst 14-year postseason drought, and they'll need Fox to be great if they're going to do it this time around.
Age: 22
With Zion on the sidelines for the majority of the season, Ingram fulfilled his potential as a go-to scorer and playmaker for the Pelicans, earning his first All-Star nod in the process. The biggest developments in his game, like many breakout stars this season, are his volume and accuracy from 3-point range -- he's shooting nearly five more 3s per game than he did last season and making 39 percent of them. New Orleans has a net rating of plus-12.4 with Ingram and Williamson on the court together in 341 minutes this season, so it will be fun to watch them continue to evolve as a duo in Orlando.
Age: 23
Adebayo will turn 23 shortly before games start at Disney, but he's already the most essential player on the Heat roster outside of Jimmy Butler, given his tremendous versatility on both sides of the court. With Hassan Whiteside out of the picture, Adebayo has put together a breakout All-Star season, but how will that translate during his first major playoff minutes this postseason?
Age: 23
With Nikola Jokic relatively consistent, Murray was the bellwether for Nuggets success last postseason. In playoff wins, he averaged 24.1 points on 50 percent shooting -- in losses, that dropped to 18.4 points on 36 percent shooting. When Murray is hot, he's capable of putting up 40 on any given night, even in the postseason, but he's going to need to be consistently great if the Nuggets are going to advance deep into the playoffs.
Age: 23
It's hard to believe Booker is just 23 years old as he prepares to conclude his fifth NBA season, and the franchise's hopes for an escape from futility rest on his shoulders. If the Suns are going to make any significant noise in Orlando, Booker will have to go off. He's improved his playmaking and 3-point shooting this season, and is one of the most deadly scorers in the league when he gets hot.
Age: 23
With Tatum getting most of the headlines, Brown has put up a breakout season of his own while carving out a role in a talented Celtics top five. His scoring average has improved by over seven points this season, with his field goal and 3-point percentages also making a significant climb. He had a strong playoff showing during the Celtics' conference finals run in 2017-18, and will look to return to that form in Orlando.
Age: 23
Mitchell was supposed to receive some offensive help with the arrival of Mike Conley and Bojan Bogdanovic, but, unfortunately, Conley has been so-so in Utah and Bogdanovic will miss the remainder of the season after wrist surgery. So back to The Donovan Mitchell Show it is! Mitchell is no stranger to shouldering the brunt off the offensive load -- last postseason he was third in the league in usage rate during a first-round loss to the Rockets, and two postseasons ago he was fifth in the league as a rookie. He'll once again have to play hero if the Jazz are going to advance.
Age: 24
The Sixers received perhaps the biggest boost of any playoff contender as a result of the hiatus, which allowed Simmons to rest and rehab his back injury. By all indications, he's healthy and ready to go, and Philly will need him to be great if they're going to navigate the tough Eastern Conference playoffs. Simmons has continued to have spacing issues alongside Joel Embiid this season, with the 76ers producing just a plus-0.9 net rating when both are on the court. Simmons averaged just 13.9 points and six assists last postseason, and he'll need to improve upon those numbers for Philly to finish its strange season on a high note.
Age: 24
Sabonis has been a rock for the Pacers all season long, and now with Jeremy Lamb on the shelf and Victor Oladipo still regaining his form after injury, he'll have to do even more heavy lifting. Sabonis' biggest improvement this year has come in his playmaking, averaging five assists per game, and he'll likely act as the facilitator for Indiana's offense in Orlando.
Age: 24
Sneaking in just under the buzzer, Porzingis will turn 25 a few days after games start at Disney. There was expected rust stemming from his year-and-a-half absence after knee surgery, but Porzingis was starting to hit his stride when the season was shut down in March. In his last 15 games before the hiatus, Porzingis averaged 25.2 points, 10.9 rebounds and 2.3 blocks while making 36 percent of his nearly nine 3-point attempts per game. If he and Doncic are playing at their peak, Dallas is going to be an extremely difficult first-round matchup out West.
