The 2009-2010 NBA Rookie Watch Thread

[dyyhard]

Taylor Griffin - Inactive
Austin Daye - Suspended.

 

[mjshoefanatic]

Thabust is such a fraud

 

[eightysbaby]

DeMar DeRozan 8 points, 5 rebounds in 23 minutes

Not bad, 50% from FG which means he took good shots, played good D and
did the little things to help the Raptors get the win

 

[mjshoefanatic]

DD is a nice fit in T-dot but then again so is Taj in Chi-town

 

[jt solemates lm]

ty lawson did well for his first night on the job.

 

[romedadude]

Originally Posted by High Class Scum Bag

I know its only one game, but Thabeet must be terrible...

How are you the # 2 pick, healthy and you can barely crack the Grizzles rotation? If he's that big of a project he shouldnt have went that high

Despite him being the #2 pick, I'm thinking they will bring him along slow. He should be getting minutes over Hunter and Haddadi though. This team needs tobe sick in the post though! Four 7 footers.

 

[osh kosh bosh]

Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams

Originally Posted by Osh Kosh Bosh

Originally Posted by Pig Love

How's Tyreke Evans doing?

GREAT, I was totally wrong about him being a chucker who isn't really a point guard.

The Kings are so lucky Rubio lost that game against a chair.

Evans had a rough shooting night. He was hesitant to attack Westbrook. Needs to work on jumper...

Nah Westbrooks D is nasty that's why.

 

[i nasmatic i]

Originally Posted by High Class Scum Bag

I know its only one game, but Thabeet must be terrible...

How are you the # 2 pick, healthy and you can barely crack the Grizzles rotation? If he's that big of a project he shouldnt have went that high

It was reported over the summer the plan was for Thabeet to get 10-15 minutes a night. Wouldn't be surprised to see it continue to next season

.

 

[85wasagreatyear]

hm this class has had a productive opening night so far. next up, dah bullz an dah spurz (tajXjames vs DaJuan) gonna be a good game night
hope ty can do well against old man andre and blake too (nuggets vs the blazers)
bulls getting some national shine i see, two games in a week. nice

time for the rose show

 

[sir rob a lot]

Originally Posted by EightysBaby

DeMar DeRozan 8 points, 5 rebounds in 23 minutes

Not bad, 50% from FG which means he took good shots, played good D and
did the little things to help the Raptors get the win

Field goal percentage does not necessarily translate to shot selection

 

[stylishstef89]

Blair

Lawson

Flynn

Jordan Hill

 

[M. Fresh]

Blair and Flynn

 

[shabooyah1124]

I can't wait to see James Johnson do his thing tonight. But TWill

 

[lazyj10]

I think Blair and Lawson will both be solid all around rookies.

Both fell into good teams/slots which makes anything they add cash money with a lower amount of expectations (say compared to the #1, etc etc).

What will be most telling is, how they do against opponents in the 5th, 6th, 7th when their tendencies are more available via film and when they play the sameteams twice, etc.

 

[airjordan jb23]

Originally Posted by bright nikes

15pts, 10reb, 5to

Wish he had that 1st dunk... I almost jumped out of my seat.

 

[hannybee]

Originally Posted by I NaSmatic I

18 points, 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 29 minutes.

Flynn and Griffin (once he comes back) are gonna at the top of the rookie of the year race.

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

Originally Posted by Osh Kosh Bosh

Originally Posted by nicedudewithnicedreams

Originally Posted by Osh Kosh Bosh

Originally Posted by Pig Love

How's Tyreke Evans doing?

GREAT, I was totally wrong about him being a chucker who isn't really a point guard.

The Kings are so lucky Rubio lost that game against a chair.

Evans had a rough shooting night. He was hesitant to attack Westbrook. Needs to work on jumper...

Nah Westbrooks D is nasty that's why.

Yeah, I know Westbrook was known for his D in college. PAC 10 defensive player of the year... Evans did score when he posted on Westbrook though.However, most of the time Westbrook was daring Evans to shoot and that is when he got hesitant. Evans should stay aggressive at all times. He is clearly thesecond best offensive option on the team. He also needs to work on screens. Too many jumpers for Westbrook last night.

 

[airmaxpenny1]

I really had my doubts on Lawson on the pro level but after watching him last night, he still is quicker than everybody out there. When he gets on the courtthey can slide Billups over to the two and they work well together because Billups gets to camp on the 3 point line and just bomb. He's going to be good.

 

[i nasmatic i]

1. Blake Griffin, Clippers
I'll factor in his injury, and his lack of production because of it, next week. For now, he is our top guy because of what he's done up to today. Clippers fans have to hope Griffin does not start fearing "the curse" and suddenly change the way he plays. I expect him to be terrific when he comes back.

• Check out Blake Griffin's rookie card for more observations

---

[h4]Rookie 50[/h4]

Check out David Thorpe's complete rookie rankings for 2009-10. Rookie 50

• Hollinger's rookie stats

2. DeJuan Blair, Spurs
The league is filled with players who overcame obstacles on their path to greatness. So it could be with Blair, who is undersized for his position and has had ACL surgery on both knees. His length, quickness and great hands help him play with bigger guys, his feel for the game drives him to important spots before others get there, and his strength and toughness give him the advantage when they do arrive.

He dominated in his first regular-season outing, giving the Spurs 14 and 11 in just 23 minutes against the Hornets.

• Check out DeJuan Blair's rookie card for more observations

---

Evans​

3. Tyreke Evans, Kings
Evans is proof that the ability to change speeds can be just as effective as having a faster top gear than most. His crafty tactics make it very tough for defenders to stay in front of him, and his size and length help him finish plays at the rim.

He did not score efficiently in the preseason, due in part to his poor outside shooting, but he'll get better as a shooter and will improve his shot selection as the season unfolds. He struggled in the opener at OKC, scoring 10 points on 16 shots and holding the ball far too long on many possessions.

• Check out Tyreke Evans' rookie card for more observations

---

Flynn​

4. Jonny Flynn, Timberwolves
Flynn is tough to project, as he's competing for playing time with a strong player in Ramon Sessions. But whether he's starting or coming off the bench, Flynn's leadership and quickness should earn him quality minutes and solid production.

Like Evans, and Derrick Rose last season, his jump shot should improve as the season evolves. Flynn scored 18 points with 2 assists and 3 turnovers, and made some clutch plays late, as Minny came back to win its opener against the Nets.

• Check out Jonny Flynn's rookie card for more observations

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Williams​

5. Terrence Williams, Nets
Williams should be a stat stuffer who gets a lot of playing time in Jersey. He also does nice things that won't show up in the box score, like make "Gretzkys" (the pass before the assist) and play solid defense on the perimeter. His athleticism makes up for some skill deficiencies, and his motor seems to run hot very often.

Surprisingly, he made over 42 percent of his 3s in seven preseason games. And his 15 points and 10 rebounds in the Nets' opener in Minnesota showed what he's capable of doing all season.

• Check out Terrence Williams' rookie card for more observations

---

Harden​

6. James Harden, Thunder
Harden's biggest weakness, to this point, has been his shooting -- which is ironic because he's a shooting guard. However, he is an excellent shooter who should find his rhythm soon. In the meantime, he does all the other things. As a veteran player told me the other day, "That kid is smooth."

Harden scored 5 points in 13 minutes in the Thunder's opener against Sacto.

• Check out James Harden's rookie card for more observations

---

Curry​

7. Stephen Curry, Warriors
Curry struggled as a shooter both this summer and in the preseason -- his true shooting percentage was below 50 in seven preseason games. This has much to do with shot selection. Remember how Kevin Durant chucked up bad shot after bad shot as a rookie (and finished with a 51.9 TS percentage)? Curry appears to be doing the same thing. On the plus side, he has silenced concerns about his lack of passing skills. As Curry applies more discipline to his game, his numbers will improve.

In the Warriors' opening-night loss to Houston, he scored 14 points and dished out 7 assists with just 2 turnovers.

• Check out Stephen Curry's rookie card for more observations

---

Casspi​

8. Omri Casspi, Kings
Don't be surprised that Casspi played so well this preseason. After all, he started in a Euroleague Final Four and a championship game when he was just 19, and he has played in countless other important international and Euroleague games. This preseason, Casspi led all rookies in 3s made (11) and in shooting percentage from deep (11-for-21, 52.4 percent), while averaging more than 11 ppg.

The injury to Francisco Garcia will allow Casspi to get serious minutes early in the season. He took advantage in the Kings' opener -- his 15 points on 7-for-9 shooting was one of the few bright spots for Sacramento.

• Check out Omri Casspi's rookie card for more observations

---

Lawson​

9. Ty Lawson, Nuggets
Lawson looked a lot more like the guy who dominated at UNC this preseason than the one we saw in Vegas. He was the only rookie to compile an assist-to-turnover ratio above 3-to-1. He dominated on defense, too, grabbing four steals in one game and five in another. All this while shooting better than 50 percent from the field. He's just what Denver needs coming off the bench. Had a terrific first game, tallying 17 points and 6 assists in the Nuggets' opening-night win.

• Check out Ty Lawson's rookie card for more observations

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DeRozan​

10. DeMar DeRozan, Raptors
DeRozan showed excellent basketball intelligence this summer, rare for a young shooting guard. Consider that in his first three preseason games, he took eight 3s and seven free throws, and in his past five games he took only three 3s and attempted 32 free throws.

There are scores of guards who can stand outside and launch 3s, but not nearly as many who can both shoot and slash. Seeing DeRozan slash in November and December would be a good start. He scored 8 points with 5 boards in 24 solid minutes in the Raptors' opening-night win over Cleveland.

• Check out DeMar DeRozan's rookie card for more observations

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Carroll​

11. DeMarre Carroll, Grizzlies
Carroll is the best "lunch-pail" guy in this class after Blair and Griffin. Because he brings everything he has to every practice and game, he consistently produces and impacts the game in many areas. Best of all, he does not need the ball in his hands to do so, which is perfect for this team.

With Memphis losing Darrell Arthur for months, Carroll has a great opportunity to crack the rotation. However, he did not get off to a good start in the Grizzlies' opener -- he shot 0-for-5 from the field and 2-for-6 from the line.

• Check out DeMarre Carroll's rookie card for more observations

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Teague​

12. Jeff Teague, Hawks
Teague is a guy who will come into games firing -- his quickness and skill set will give him plenty of chances to create buckets for himself or others. He'll struggle to shoot straight for a while and his turnovers will be an issue, too, but the talent is there to demand playing time. He got 14 minutes in Atlanta's opener, scoring 5 points and handing out 4 assists.

• Check out Jeff Teague's rookie card for more observations

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Jennings​

13. Brandon Jennings, Bucks
In terms of pure excitement, no rookie brings more to the court than Jennings. Yes, sometimes, he will be tough to watch -- he made only 8 of 42 shots in four of the Bucks' preseason games (with 11 turnovers). However, he also led all rookies in assists this preseason, which, as we saw in Vegas, is something he loves to do. If I had to pick the rookie I expect to improve the most over the course of the season, Jennings is my man.

• Check out Brandon Jennings' rookie card for more observations

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Clark​

14. Earl Clark, Suns
Clark would be my second choice for the rookie I expect to improve the most during the season, behind Jennings. His feel for the game is terrific. So once he slows down just a bit -- and finishes more shots because of it -- he'll be a strong contributor on both ends. His defense may actually already be ready for the big stage. He had 6 points and 5 rebounds in 20 minutes in the Suns' win at the Clippers.

• Check out Earl Clark's rookie card for more observations

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Budinger​

15. Chase Budinger, Rockets
Some players make better pros than they do college athletes. That description fits Budinger thus far. He's better equipped to fill a role than be a do-it-all kind of guy, which makes Houston a good home for him.

Although Budinger had trouble stringing together good shooting nights from deep this preseason -- he finished just 9 of 33 from 3 in eight games -- he was excellent in summer league and still had some terrific moments in the preseason as a shooter (and one game as a rebounder). In the Rockets' first game of the regular season, he struggled initially but came to life during their fourth-quarter run. He finished with 6 points on 7 shots after an 0-for-3 start.

 

[CP1708]

Lawson has looked REAL good in the last two preseason games and first two regular season games I've seen him in. Another weapon for Denver would be nasty.

Steph looked pretty good too, I give the kid credit.

 

[do be doo]

Originally Posted by MeloVP

My boy DeJuan..

...
Is that still being a homer?...

 

[nicedudewithnicedreams]

Omri and Chase getting some love! Nice.

 

[shabooyah1124]

DO BE !%@+%$% DOO!

 

[i nasmatic i]

BJ with 17 points, 9 rebounds and 9 assists in his debut

.

 

[xxhonchoxx]

What happened to Earl Clark aka "The nastiest jab step since 'Melo"?