Northwest Future Rankings: Faces of the Division

There’s been a lot of scrutiny recently surrounding LeBron James’ indecision on whether or not he wants a farewell tour in his final NBA season. As one of the greatest players of all time heads into retirement, people are already clamoring about the next wave of stars who are preparing to take the torch and become the face of the league. Each team has a candidate for this position, though, and as the league continues on, here are the best candidates to be the face of their team in the next five years.

Denver Nuggets: C Nikola Jokic

This is the boring answer, sure, but Jokić has consistently been one of the three best players in the NBA over the past four years and is showing no signs of slowing down. However, it’s not his play on the court that is in question here when it comes to being one of the faces of the league. Jokić approaches the season with a workman’s mindset; he wants to get in, beat your team by 20, and get out. That attitude makes it tough to see him as someone who will help to market the game to a wider audience. Regardless, the Serbian native looks like he will age gracefully and continue dominating the NBA from his perch in the Denver mountains.

Utah Jazz: F Lauri Markkanen

This one is a tougher sell than the Joker, but Markkanen has been a leader for the Jazz since he arrived there. The question now is whether or not he has the ability to take another step from borderline All-Star to perennial star conversation. The Jazz are sort of stuck in the middle, refusing to hit the reset button but stuck in the 11th position in the Western Conference. One major free agent signing could turn the tide, but Jazz aren’t exactly known for making splashy signings in the summer. Markkanen represents the Jazz’s best chance to remain competitive and take an immediate step forward in a stacked Western Conference.

Portland Trail Blazers: G Scoot Henderson

The Rookie of the Year race is all but decided with Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren and Jaime Jacquez Jr. taking home the podium spots, in that order. One of the most interesting things to watch in the entire NBA in the back half of the season is Henderson’s continued development. The game is starting to slow down as he gets more comfortable in the Blazer’s offense. The Blazer’s have a history of developing guards and getting the best out of them, a la Damian Lillard and CJ McCollum, and head coach Chauncey Billups will continue to impart wisdom on Henderson as time goes on. If Henderson becomes anything near what he projects to be, the Blazers will be poised to return to the spotlight far sooner than expected.

Oklahoma City Thunder: G Shai Gilgeous-Alexander

It’s funny to look at the Thunder’s roster with this question in mind because there are legitimately three different answers in their starting five. Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren and wing Jalen Williams have seemingly cracked the code of NBA basketball in their early years and if they stay together, they could be one of the rare big threes that were all drafted by the same team with the last true instance of that being the dynastic San Antonio Spurs with Tim Duncan, Manu Ginóbili and Tony Parker. That being said, SGA is the unquestioned leader of the team and should easily finish in the top three of MVP voting at least. He has the bravado and confidence to market the league, despite the fact that he looks at everything with a team first attitude. The postseason will show us a lot about how good the Thunder really are, but they are in as good a position for the next five years as anyone in the league.

Minnesota Timberwolves: G Anthony Edwards

Image from YouTube(Minnesota Timberwolves

It was downright baffling and quite disappointing to see how Edwards approached the All-Star festivities in Indiana last week with left-handed threes and optional defense. While his mindset might be a bit in question, his play on the court cannot be denied. He’s become a well rounded player in his own right, adding improved defense to a high-flying offensive game, making him a threat on both ends of the court who can take on the best matchups. This Timberwolves team will go as far as he takes them, both this season and those beyond. If he gets paid and stays with the Wolves for the foreseeable future, the next face of the NBA could easily don the Minnesota blue.