Hear me out people, the concept is the following: You have been given the keys to a new NBA franchise and you have the opportunity to get any NBA player you want, except your owner has an emphasis on youth. Thus any player 26 or younger is game.

You have to select one player to build the team around, thus you need to make a shortlist of 10 guys, preferably in order, of whom you would like the most. That is the premise on which the following list has been compiled. So, here is my top 10 NBA young talents I would build my team around...

10. Greg Oden: Last time I made an NBA shortlist, I took a flier with my 10th selection - and I'm ready to do it again. Oden has yet to play a minute of NBA action, but he has been billed the next great center ever since his high school senior season. He will definitely not average over 20 points in his rookie year, but I am also sure no team will have an easy time scoring in the key against him. I can’t put him any higher due to his lack of experience and his injury-prone status, but Oden is a gamble well worth taking.

9. Kevin Durant: Last season’s rookie of the year. Durant did not disappoint after a marvellous college season, he took his scoring act to the NBA. He is only ninth on the list as I am still unsold about him really being a true leader, but with him on your side you know the team will score points. The Sonics made him building block No.1 after last year’s draft and trades went down, and he certainly is the alpha dog of the Oklahoma City Thunder.

8. Deron Williams: Those of you who have read my articles might have already guessed that I am not a huge Williams fan. Yet you have got to give credit where credit is due. Williams has developed into an elite point guard with the Utah Jazz. Along with Carlos Boozer their rendition of the pick and roll basketball that was reminiscent of the Stockton-Malone years is a thing of beauty. I still question whether Deron can be a successful floor general, as he looked more comfortable in a support role on the wing during the Beijing Olympics. Either on the wing or at the point, Williams is definitely a top-of-the-line talent any team would gladly build around (are you listening Atlanta Hawks?).

7. Chris Bosh: Poor Chris Bosh seems to be the forgotten All-Star from a talent-heavy draft class. His biggest problem is that he plays in Toronto, far from the mass media markets. Yet Chris might just be the closest thing to a Kevin Garnett that you might have amongst young players. He certainly has been the building block to go with for Toronto, and the Raptors are looking better and better as Bosh improves his game more and more.

6. Carmelo Anthony: Say whatever you want about Anthony, it still is hard to find such a mass scorer in the league. During his one-year college tour he proved that he can lead a team to victory, yet his Denver Nuggets are prime targets for a one and done play-off appearance. Do not blame Melo for this though, he probably is the prime reason why Denver gets to the play-offs in a talent-riddled West. Certainly a top candidate to build a team around.

5. Amare Stoudemire: Amare has been in the league for so long that it is practically unbelievable that he will only turn 26 at the beginning of this season. If you are part of the old school that likes building around a big guy, you have two great choices to make with Dwight Howard or Stoudemire. Many have questioned him, saying his stats are better because he teams up with Steve Nash, but make no mistake Amare is a beast down low. Whilst he has more experience than Howard, he is lost on the defensive end and he still needs to improve his game in this regard.

4. Dwyane Wade: Put those shoulder issues aside and Wade might creep higher. He is the best pure slashing guard out there. Wade has done even what Kobe Bryant hasn’t (but has wished to do). He has been the leader of a championship-winning team that featured Shaquile O’Neal. Still, right now the question is: Can he withstand an 82-game schedule? If he proves that he can in the upcoming season, then Wade should be top-two material. For now he sits pretty at No.4.

3. Dwight Howard: If you read the reasons next to Amare at the No.5 spot, then add freakish athleticism, a knack to hold his own on the defensive end and all of this delivered with a smile so wide you know the game comes easy to him. That is Dwight Howard ladies and gentlemen! Now check out the roster of your Orlando Magic, consider the fact that this team went to the second round of last year’s play-offs, and now I dare you to tell me that he is not a prime building block in the NBA!

2. Chris Paul: When I looked at my top two, I pretty much just thought: Do I really need to explain these two picks? Really? If your answer is yes, then you have probably missed the last couple of NBA seasons. CP is the best young point guard in the game. He made Jason Kidd look completely old and useless in the Olympics (and yes, Kidd was playing at a high level, but then you guys saw Paul and everyone thought it’s probably just Kidd having aged so badly).

If I was forced to list the top point guards in the league today, I would probably think long and hard about moving CP ahead of two-time MVP Steve Nash, before deciding not to do this yet. Yep, if you have Paul on your team, the future is mighty bright! Guess it’s a fun time being a Hornets fan, huh?

1. LeBron James: Even more inevitable than Paul’s No.2 spot is LeBron’s chokehold on No.1. Kobe is still tops in the league, but amongst young talent LBJ has no equal. Anybody who has seen James play live knows that the gap between him and the rest of these guys on the list is huge (sorry all you CP fans, but it is a no contest).

At times he looks like a grown man playing in a kiddie league. Until a 7ft tall dude comes along who has Chris Paul’s game, the physique of Shaq and the athleticism of Harold Miner, you can forget about matching LeBron. He truly is a freak of nature with a high basketball IQ and the skillset of a masterful guard. Get him on any team in the NBA and he leads them to the play-offs (except maybe for the Clippers - the Clips screw every talent up).

So yes, if I could chose any young player, my top choice would be James - and I would not have to think hard about that one.