NBA Rookie Thread!

[Garbo]

So, I'm throwing this idea out there selfishly because I'm always logging on here looking for something like it. I don't know about you guys, but I'm always browsing through the NBA boxscores checking the rookie stat lines. MKG had a pretty impressive first two games, followed by a one pointer in his third contest. Bradley Beal had a great game last night shooting something like 8 of 11..

Anyways, if you spot some young gun having a huge night post it here. This could likely turn into the case for ROY thread midseason..

I find this years rookie class really interesting and I'm pumped to see how they reshape the NBA landscape!

[Miekenstien]

i am liking waiters. he is putting up some pretty efficient scoring games. kyrie/waiters/thompson/zeller should be really good in a couple years.

aside from jv i am hoping mkg takes the roy and will be following the cats just to watch him.

[WJF]

Lillard has looked goods so far as well, not shooting real well from 3, but 14.5 and 6 in 29 minutes is a good start.

[Puffer]

...but 14.5 and 6 in 29 minutes is a good start.

Well...those aren't Valanciunas type numbers, but they're pretty good. :-)

[connected]

I like Ross and think he will be a solid player but I think we should of either swung for MKG (taken on tyrus horrrrible contract - given up LK or ED) -- or drafted Drummond... yeah we already have JV but having 2 of the best C prospects on the same team would of been amazing

this year will definitely be interesting - tracking MKG, Drummond and Harrison Barnes would be cool -- damn the Nets for tanking so hard in the last game of the season

[Red and White]

I am really interested to see Sullinger this year. I think he is going to thrive in Boston. Great coach, KG, and a winning culture.

[Garbo]

I am really interested to see Sullinger this year. I think he is going to thrive in Boston. Great coach, KG, and a winning culture.

Agreed. We fell into a lame spot in the draft. High enough that we couldn't justify taking chances, but low enough that the real "sure things" were gone. In a deep draft like this, I bet it was fun to be in Boston's shoes, or even Detroit having Drummond fall to them.

I don't, however, wish that we would have drafted Drummond. I feel like we would have just hampered both of their developments due to the lack of minutes going around. Verdict is still out on Ross. He could explode.

[Red and White]

Agreed. We fell into a lame spot in the draft. High enough that we couldn't justify taking chances, but low enough that the real "sure things" were gone. In a deep draft like this, I bet it was fun to be in Boston's shoes, or even Detroit having Drummond fall to them.

I don't, however, wish that we would have drafted Drummond. I feel like we would have just hampered both of their developments due to the lack of minutes going around. Verdict is still out on Ross. He could explode.

Yeah if it was not for that damn coin toss...

I really do feel good about Ross though. I was critical of the decision initially (as I was for the JV pick) but his defense has been very surprising, and he is another outside threat.

It is going to be fun comparing Drummond and JV though, two rising big men in the league.

[ReubenJRD]

Look guys, it's 2 games, but I do see where you guys are going.

Lamb was still available, Rivers was still available. Actually, Rivers has been very solid, I really like what I've been seeing from him. He can score in so many ways, it's hard to stay in front of a guy who can shoot, and penetrate in multiple ways.

Lamb I haven't seen to much of, so I won't make a comment.

During the draft, I was a huge supporter of trying to draft Rivers, because I felt he was a very confident player, and his skill-set could really allow him to be a contributor right away. I really liked Ross, although I wasn't too pleased when we drafted him, but Summer League proved me wrong. Now? I'm starting to fall towards "we should've taken Rivers."

[WJF]

Look guys, it's 2 games, but I do see where you guys are going.

Lamb was still available, Rivers was still available. Actually, Rivers has been very solid, I really like what I've been seeing from him. He can score in so many ways, it's hard to stay in front of a guy who can shoot, and penetrate in multiple ways.

Lamb I haven't seen to much of, so I won't make a comment.
During the draft, I was a huge supporter of trying to draft Rivers, because I felt he was a very confident player, and his skill-set could really allow him to be a contributor right away. I really liked Ross, although I wasn't too pleased when we drafted him, but Summer League proved me wrong. Now? I'm starting to fall towards "we should've taken Rivers."

Are you talking about his pre-season, because he has not been good at all. For a shooter he has not hit a single 3 in his 4 games, is shooting under 31% from the floor and even his free-throw shooting is just at 70%. He has been playing over 30 minutes a night and has been pedestrian. I am sure he will turn it around a bit, but right now he is looking like he will need a season or two to get it together. While I have not been super impressed with Ross, he has made 4 of his 7 three pointers and his length is picking up steals on the defensive end fairly well, it will take him some time as well, but he should turn out to be a keeper.

[ceez]

yeah i was wrong about a few rookies so far it seems, but Rivers hasn't really looked good at all.

it could be they wanted to play him at pg so he's still adjusting, but all the things that bugged me about him in college he's still doing.

[ceez]

Davis, Lillard, Sullinger, Leonard and Barnes have all been as good as advertised, i think Sully really benefits being on that team and system, but nonetheless he's been balling.

Haven't seen Robinson, Beal or MKG.

Waiters has been extremely hit or miss. He either single handedly saves the team or kills them.

Drummond and Henson have been better than i expected.

[ReubenJRD]

Are you talking about his pre-season, because he has not been good at all. For a shooter he has not hit a single 3 in his 4 games, is shooting under 31% from the floor and even his free-throw shooting is just at 70%. He has been playing over 30 minutes a night and has been pedestrian. I am sure he will turn it around a bit, but right now he is looking like he will need a season or two to get it together. While I have not been super impressed with Ross, he has made 4 of his 7 three pointers and his length is picking up steals on the defensive end fairly well, it will take him some time as well, but he should turn out to be a keeper.

Both aren't getting the amount of minutes that they can really use to go out there and show. I feel Rivers has a better offensive game.

[tucas]

Rivers has been really depressing. 0-11 from 3 and 12-39 overall.
Royce white has a decent debut. Only 7 points 3 rebounds, hopefully he can do well. I like beal and mkg so far, there playing like expected. I think waiters is a bust, don't like him at all.

[ceez]

Waiters is either going to be a poor man's dwayne wade or ben gordon 2.0. we'll see.

[stretch]

Perry Jones put up some impressive stas tonight in the Thunder's game. 17 points on 8 for 10 shooting, 4 rebounds and 5 assists in 30 minutes. It was against the Bobcats. MKG had on off night. 3 points, 5 rebounds in 18 minutes.

Andy Rautins was the leading scorer in this game with 20 points for the Thunder, btw.

[Garbo]

Anthony Davis had 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting and grabbed 7 boards.
Drummond had another solid outing with 9 points and 8 boards in 18 1/2 minutes. But 5 fouls..

This rookie class is going to bring an influx of iconic big men into the NBA.

[Craiger]

Anthony Davis had 19 points on 8 of 11 shooting and grabbed 7 boards.
Drummond had another solid outing with 9 points and 8 boards in 18 1/2 minutes. But 5 fouls..

This rookie class is going to bring an influx of iconic big men into the NBA.

Thats what I found interesting about the year leading up to this past draft.

The top half+ of the lottery was supposed to be filled with big men. Davis, Drummond, Sullinger, Robinson, Perry Jones III, Terrence Jones, and even Zeller and Henson were talked about going in the top 10. It was really only MKG and Barnes who were talked about going high.

Then as the season wore on every big not named Anthony Davis started to drop to the point where Sullinger, Jones III, Jones and Zeller didn't even make it as a lottery pick (and Henson was the last pick in the lottery).

It just makes me wonder if alot of these guys got compared to Anthony Davis, and when they didn't stack up, GMs started thinking less and less of them. Or if this is still the continued belief that the NBA is getting smaller and perimeter oriented so chasing guards and perimeter players was the better route.

Anyways, from what I've seen so far (which is obviously a small sample size) alot of these bigs that dropped may well end up being the value picks in the draft. Even Meyers Leonard looked pretty damn good out there.

NOH wins he draft with Davis, but Portland may well come in a tight 2nd with Lilliard and Leonard.

[Hugmenot]

I think waiters is a bust, don't like him at all.

I doubt Dion Waiters will be a bust. In the three pre-season games I watched, the guy looks like he has a very solid foundation on how to play defense, at least 1 on 1. Seems to know where his help is and has funneled his man to the bigs. He has been caught looking at the ball a few times but that's just expected out of a rookie who is still adjusting to the speed of the game.

On offense, Dion has been erratic. His shooting form is inconsistent and I think he will be a hot or cold type player until he improves his consistency. When handling the ball, he uses picks well and cuts at a good angle (in the sense he creates some separation between himself and the man guarding him). Has not finished well at the rim. Has not shown he can break down his man off the dribble if not using a pick. Does not move well without the ball (common for rookies still learning an offense so not a concern yet). Is undersized.

I think he will be a fine player eventually but will struggle for a year or two.

The are two things that worries me as regards to the Cavaliers. Kyrie's PnR defense has been atrocious this pre-season. He was an awful defender last year (much worse than Calderon at his worst) and has not shown any improvement so far. Tristan's defensive rebounding's technique; he needs to focus less on the ball and more on his man to slide close enough to one of his shoulders and get a deflection on the rebound. I hope the Cavs keep Andy all year because he is what I hope Tritan will become defensively.

[stretch]

Nice Drummond highlight.