Stargazing: A Basketball Hall of Fame crystal ball

If you told me that Embiid would play an average of 60 games the next seven seasons, I'd tell you to go ahead and etch his Hall of Fame plaque right now. He's played 60-plus games in two of his three seasons, and he was an All-NBA player in both of those years. Embiid averaged nearly 28 points, 14 rebounds, four assists and two blocks per game in 2018-19. Those are prime Shaquille O'Neal/Hakeem Olajuwon-type numbers!

The nearly unanimous Rookie of the Year had arguably the greatest offensive season ever by a rookie in 2018-19, averaging 21.2 points, 7.8 rebounds and six assists. He could average those same numbers for the next 10 seasons and almost certainly be a Hall of Famer. Expect Doncic to continue to rapidly improve with another potential future Hall of Fame player (Kristaps Porzingis) joining him for the foreseeable future. His Hall of Fame case is also strengthened by his success as a youngster in the Euro League, where he was the MVP and champion in his final season.

Williamson is a once-in-a-generation kind of athlete, but that's not the only thing that has me enshrining Zion about 20 years early. He understands the game and plays his tail off on both ends of the court, as demonstrated by his record-shattering Players Efficiency Rating (40.8) in his only collegiate season. He'll also be given every opportunity to succeed with some of the good forward-thinking moves the Pelicans have made this offseason to surround him with talent. 

Although he didn't show much improvement between his rookie and sophomore years in the NBA, Ben Simmons is still a special talent (16.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 7.7 assists per game last season). He possesses a combination size, power, speed and court vision that few on this planet have ever had. Even if he never develops a reliable jump shot, there's no reason he shouldn't continue to put up prime-Jason Kidd stats for the entirety of his career. 

Who?!? Do yourself a favor and watch some highlights and read up on this kid because he looks like a clone of Kevin Durant. He's a 6-foot-9 stud from the class of 2022. He led his high school team to a state title in Michigan as a freshman by averaging 29 points and 10 rebounds. With the growing possibility that the 2022 NBA Draft will be the "Double-Draft" (where high school players are eligible again), there's a good chance this kid will bring about the next wave of unapologetic NBA tanking for a shot at his prodigious skills.

After finishing second in the Rookie of the Year voting, Young will look to improve upon his stellar post-All-Star Game play (25 points and nine assists per game) from last year. If Young can develop into the type of gravity-warping player Steph Curry and Damian Lillard are, he'll be an All-NBA player throughout his prime. The Hawks are doing an excellent job of constructing a Warriors-esque roster around him, which bodes well for his future. Ice Trae the game!

This might seem like a curveball, considering Siakam's lack of playing time in his first two seasons and his advanced age (25) for having played only three seasons. However, he won the Most Improved Player Award this past season and was the Raptors' best player in Games 1 and 6 of the NBA Finals — a Hall of Fame kind of feat for a third-year player. Look for Siakam to push for not only an All-Star spot but also an All-NBA spot next season and in the seasons to come.

Let's put it this way: The Grizzlies are so confident in JJJ's abilities that they decided to trade Marc Gasol and Mike Conley to accelerate their rebuild around the multitalented modern big man. Although he only averaged 13.8 points and 4.7 rebounds as a rookie, he played excellent defense for a 19-year old and also flashed the touch to be an excellent shooter from deep (36 percent from three). Expect this kid to make a huge jump to an All-Star-level player in the next year or two.

Before his ACL tear in 2018, Porzingis was playing like an unstoppable two-way force. He was easily an All-Star and probably had a shot at an All-NBA team as well, averaging 23 points, seven rebounds and over two blocks per game while shooting nearly 40 percent from three-point land. He's in a wonderful position to dominate in Dallas with Luka Doncic for the next decade.

If you played Mitchell's career out 10 times from the moment he left Louisville, he probably makes the Hall of Fame once. Fortunately for him, getting drafted by the Jazz might represent that one time, as he was drafted by a competitive team with a great coaching staff and competent front office in need of a go-to scorer to build around. Assuming he remains in that role for the majority of his career, Mitchell should end up averaging mid-20s points and five rebounds and assists per game for most of his prime. 

De'Aaron Fox showed the type of progress between his rookie and sophomore years that is typically reserved for future star point guards. He increased his scoring from 12 to 17 points per game, his assists from four to seven per game and his three-point percentage from 31 percent to 37 percent. Assuming he continues to progress, he should be a star in this league for many years to come.

It's funny what can change in a year. If we did this list a year ago, shortly after Tatum admirably dueled LeBron James in the Eastern Conference Finals, he would have been close to No. 1. Unfortunately Tatum's progress was stagnated by the Celtics' turmoil in 2018-19. You should expect Tatum to get back on track next season and develop into one of the best scorers in the league by his mid-20s. 

Murray's stats don't scream "Hall of Famer" just yet (18 points, five assists, four rebounds per game), but his playoff numbers (21 points, five assists, four rebounds) hint that he's ready to emerge as a star. Murray also has the pleasure of playing with the best passing big man in the NBA in Nikola Jokic as well as a roster of young, talented role players. If he continues to develop, he could be the type of player who makes the Hall of Fame because he's a star on a team that is always competing for titles.

If you think this is a bit of a stretch, I don't blame you. Bagley was good but not great as a rookie. However, I suggest you focus on the progress he made in the second half of the season (19 points and nine rebounds per game after the All-Star break). He's a special athlete (so fast and bouncy for a big man) and a perfect player to run the break in SacTown with De'Aaron Fox for the next decade. He could easily string together multiple 25 points-11 rebound per game-type seasons once he hits his prime.

The second pick in the 2019 NBA Draft displayed the kind of athleticism in college that we saw from the likes of Derrick Rose and De'Aaron Fox. He also flashed some impressive court vision, carrying mid-major Murray State to an NCAA Tournament victory. If he can learn to hit three-pointers in the NBA (he shot 36 percent from three last year), he and Jaren Jackson Jr. could both enjoy long, Hall of Fame-type careers together in Memphis.

Barrett is another player who would have been a no-brainer on this list a year ago, as he was the consensus top dog in his high school class and had dominated on the world stage for Team Canada. Despite averaging 23 points, eight rebounds and over four assists per game at Duke, some of his weaknesses (court vision and shooting) were scrutinized and his stock slightly dropped off a bit. Even still, Barrett should be a star for the Knicks and average over 20 points per game for most of his career.

Wiseman is the No. 1 recruit and NBA prospect entering college this season (where he'll play at Memphis). At 7-foot-1 with a 7-foot-6 wingspan and high-level athleticism, he already appears destined to be an elite NBA rim protector and rim runner. He averaged 26 points and 15 rebounds per game as a high school senior and was also named Gatorade Player of the Year.

Anthony is the No. 2 recruit and NBA prospect entering college this season. He not only has the NBA pedigree (his father is former NBA point guard Greg Anthony) but also a competitive streak that helped him earn the MVP of  the McDonald's All-American and Jordan Brand Classic. With a reported 43-inch vertical leap, he could join Ja Morant as one of the NBA's next wave of hyper-athletic point guards.

Here's another high schooler (this one is in the class of 2020) for you to keep an eye on. Cunningham, a 6-foot-6 point guard who is being called a more athletic Jason Kidd by some scouts, is the second-ranked high school player in his class and has been rapidly ascending as of late — expect him to be the top dog by the end of this season. Then expect him to go to Oklahoma State (his older brother was just hired there) and then expect him to be the top pick in the 2021 NBA Draft.

Kuzma?? No, this isn't a joke. Kuzma won't make the Hall of Fame on statistical achievements alone (although he can definitely get buckets), but if the Lakers were to rip off a nice run of multiple championships in the next half-decade, you'd have to imagine that Kuzma would be a significant contributor. Toss in the fact that he's in L.A., his name recognition plus a couple of 'chips could catapult him into Hall of Fame consideration someday.