If someone had asked this question a year ago, I'd probably have chosen either Doncic or Trae Young, or at most one Zion, but Zion's performance was noticeably worse than blowing Up and 077. Maybe Zion's personal data performance is good, but the ability to lead the team is definitely much worse. So if a year ago, on the strongest player in U23, only 077 and Blow Yang, who can choose anyone.
But today, I'm sure and definitely add Morant, and for no other reason than because Morant has evolved so fast this season and the Grizzlies have played so well that it's impossible not to add him to the top U23 players.
Morant was still a player who only knew how to use his body to rampage and use his physical talent to play last season, although he was very talented, he was stunned on the court, the ball quotient was not high, and the basketball he played at that time was "since I can use my body to hit the ball, why should I use my brain" when he played basketball. Therefore, it is basically a rookie who is gradually growing.
But he seemed to have a knack for the Playoffs against the Warriors, which was very uncomfortable for Curry, and his impact, his surprise basket, and even his outside shots made the Warriors unable to defend, so the Grizzlies won the playoffs and went into the playoffs. After more than a month of running-in in the new season, Morant and the Grizzlies gradually showed their fangs, played all over the league's strong teams, and officially announced the advent of the "Grizzlies era".
The Grizzlies are currently 38-18, third in the West, behind the Suns and Warriors, and should be able to properly secure a place in the top half of the playoffs at the end of the season. Morant himself is also striding forward, averaging 26.5 points per game, fifth on the scoring list, in addition to 5.9 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 1.4 steals, and only 1.4 fouls per game. The previously criticized shooting percentage increased by 4.4 percentage points to 49.3% of the excellent level of outside players, and the three-point shooting rate reached a career-high 34.4%. With no change in playing time, his efficiency has improved dramatically, not only scoring himself, but also driving the whole team's offense and defense, and he is the real core of the Grizzlies' young team.
The other two U23 players have performed well for three consecutive seasons. Doncic deliberately reduced his shots and scores, mainly to drive the whole team to attack and defend, this season the Lone Ranger finally broke through the seventh position in the West and came to the fifth place in the West, 077 himself is still a quasi-triple-double data, very stable.
Trae Young has maintained improvements in personal data and set career highs in shooting percentage, three-point shooting rate and free throw shooting rate. But the Eagles' record has slipped, reaching the Eastern Conference Finals last season, but this season has only been tenth in the East.
While Zion was still recuperating and growing flesh, when Edwards hadn't fully grown up, when Ramello Bauer was focused on all-around performance, when Alexander was still struggling with the Thunder, Morant, Doncic, Trae Young had already stood out in a new generation of players, and they were the real strongest U23 players.