Top 10 Rookies

[.GR]

1. Rudy Fernandez, Trail Blazers
We knew he was an excellent perimeter shooter. And his energy in games is a difference-maker. But I didn't know he was such an excellent shot-maker.



Anyone who saw his one-legged jumper and his below-the-rim, left-handed lob finish against the Suns knows exactly what I mean. Fernandez looks to be in my top five all season.






2. Derrick Rose, Bulls
Quickness. Strength. Craftiness with his change of speed. An explosive jumper. A great first step. And the ability to finish with either hand around the rim.



When your point guard has all those qualities -- plus is hardworking and humble, as Rose is -- the All-Star Game is a mere formality. It may take some years, but he's headed in that direction.






3. Marc Gasol, Grizzlies
Like all good big men, Gasol knows he needs to spend time standing as close to the rim as possible early and late on most offensive possessions. Those are the two times post defense can be at its weakest, so hanging around down low can result in easy points or free throws without much work.



With that said, Gasol is not afraid of work. He's an impressive player.






4. Michael Beasley, Heat
Beasley is a solid shooter from the 15-to-19-foot range, but that may end up being a bad thing in the short term. He often elects to take a quick shot from that range even though opponents have a tough time keeping him from getting shots near the rim.



He's a special scorer who's capable of finishing creatively off the dribble inside and not just with back-to-the-basket moves.






5. Jason Thompson , Kings
He might have been No. 1 in these rankings if the Kings weren't so awful. That's how good he's been.



I've always stressed to college coaches and pro scouts that toughness is a talent. Well, this young man from Rider University is the best kind of tough. He does everything with strength and lacks any kind of negative baggage often associated with the toughest guys. He reminds me a lot of Al Horford, and that's a very good thing.






6. Kevin Love, Timberwolves
We know he'll never be able to outjump people when trying to finish inside. But he already knows how to use his body to create contact and put his defender out of shot-blocking position.



Remember, he's been a big man for a long time, so he's had years of practice. A player still growing into his body is not as fortunate.






7. Brook Lopez, Nets
Like most rookies, Lopez often plays too fast. At other times, he's a step slow. But I like how his teammates look for him on their pick-and-roll sets and in the post when the ball is in post-entry position. He presents himself well inside, creates a big target and does so at the right times. Once he gets the game pace down, he may see a jump in efficiency because of this action.






8. Mario Chalmers, Heat
The saying "greater than the sum of his parts" applies to Chalmers.



He's very active on defense, getting both steals and deflections. And he's working to initiate the offense while not being afraid to shoot, an important combination for a young point guard.




9. Darrell Arthur, Grizzlies
He looked like the steal of the draft on opening night, when he scored 11 points and grabbed 15 rebounds. But it always has been about consistency with the talented Arthur, so seeing that he scored just 12 points in his past three games on 5-for-18 shooting is not surprising. Arthur would be best served by doubling up his concentration on rebounding, an area in which he has the talent to be a force all season.





10. O.J. Mayo, Grizzlies
My concern about Mayo always has been his inability to create going to the rim, which causes him to earn few short shots and, more importantly, free throws. He has attempted just six free throws in his first four games, and all six came in one game. In those other three games, he took 48 shots from the field without making a single free-throw attempt. Not good. But as a rookie, he won't get many calls. This statistic needs to be followed all season.

 

[DC4]

I agree with Beastly at 4
and Mario at 8, Mario has to be the steal of the 2nd round.

 

[The Young One]

Not having derrick rose at 1 is crazy.

 

[bestkeptsecret13]

This is ESPN right?

ESPN sucks, Rose > All.

 

[.s31t]

I completely disagree here...

1. Derrick Rose
2. Marc Gasol
3. Michael Beasley
4. Jason Thompson
5. OJ Mayo
6. Rudy Fernandez
7. Mario Chalmers
8. Darrell Authur
9. Russell Westbrook
10. Luc Mbah a Moute

 

[Macken]

i agree with you air, but u gotta add Kevin Love somewhere in that top 10..

 

[.s31t]

i agree with you air, but u gotta add Kevin Love somewhere in that top 10..

Love has unimpressed me...
You trade OJ Mayo for him... I expect better.
Same with Brooke Lopez...
His brother makes me feel more impressed then him...
And Robin gets way less minutes.

 

[.GR]

Fed, If Rudy isn't one, he is two. You gotta remember, he is coming off the bench and still putting up those numbers.
Gasol is not ahead of Thompson. He is averaging nearly 40 minutes a game and putting up almost identical numbers.

 

[.s31t]

Fed, If Rudy isn't one, he is two. You gotta remember, he is coming off the bench and still putting up those numbers.
Gasol is not ahead of Thompson. He is averaging nearly 40 minutes a game and putting up almost identical numbers.

After watching Gasol the other night...
He is very impressive and teams need to prepare for him over Thompson.
Thompson has been really impressive though and may shoot up the list later in the season.
I just don't like Fernandez that high... His numbers aren't like Gasol, Thompson, and Mayo...
I know he's coming off the bench but Fernandez just isn't impressing myself.

 

[dez]

Rose has impressed me the most, especially seeing how he performed in the pre-season, I wasnt expecting him to put up the numbers he has.

Since Fernandez has played in the professional leagues overseas, it isnt much of a surprise that he's playing well.

Beasley has also been ver consistent, every time I look at the boxscore he's around 17 and 6

1. Rose
2. Beasley
3. Fernandez
4. Thompson
5. Gasol
6. Mayo
7. Chamlers
8. Mbah A Moute
9. Westbrook
10. Love

 

[.s31t]

Watch out for OJ I am serious.
Last night his numbers were legit.
28 PTS (10-19 FG - 6-10 3PT)
3 STLS

 

[.GR]

Gasol only had 5 and 6 with 4 TO's against Hawes last night.