Rookie Report
First off my apologies for the lack of a ‘Trade Spectacular’ this year. My back has been acting up and sitting in front of a computer in my spare time was not the prudent course of action. With that said it’s time for the second annual ‘Rookie Report.’
Taj Gibson (Chicago) – Good rebounder with a high basketball IQ (BBIQ). Nice all around player that can defend either forward position and is a good teammate. Will likely have a long career as a role player.
James Johnson (Chicago) – Very athletic but doesn’t excel in any one area. Low BBIQ and really needs to develop his game to last in the NBA.
Rodrigue Beaubois (Dallas) – Lightning quick, athletic and long. Can get to the basket at will, is a decent outside shooter and very able defender. He’ll be a star if he improves his jump shot and learns how to pick his spots while running a team at the same time.
Ty Lawson (Denver) – Already one of the fastest players with the ball in the NBA. Can penetrate at will, excels at finding the open man and can also finish at the rim. Jumper is a little suspect and he’s a bit of a gambler on defense, but a keeper nonetheless.
Austin Daye (Detroit) – Lots of skill and potential but needs to seriously bulk up and play hard more consistently. A long-term project at best right now.
Jonas Jerebko (Detroit) – Love this guy. He’s a true hustler that doesn’t need the ball and enjoys doing the little things. High BBIQ, can defend both forward positions, unselfish and knows his role. Needs to work on his handle and jumper, but could play on my team any day.
Stephen Curry (Golden State) – Great stroke and first step off the dribble. Excellent passer, knows how to run a team and is a good rebounder for his size. Has no interest in defense, needs to bulk up and I’m worried about the bad habits he’s picking up under coach Don Nelson.
David Anderson (Houston) – The big man from down under can shoot it from mid-range out to 3-point land. He’s active and a decent rebounder but doesn’t defend or get physical in the paint.
Chase Budinger (Houston) – Sneaky athletic with a good jumper. Can finish in transition or blow by his man off the dribble. Plays hard and smart but needs to learn better defensive technique. Should have been drafted much higher than #44. Might be the second coming of Rex Chapman.
Tyler Hansbrough (Indiana) – A hustler who is not afraid to mix it up down low and can rebound some. Struggles to finish at the rim or stay in front of his man on defense due to lack of athleticism. Not much of a jump shot and seems injury prone.
Hasheem Thabeet (Memphis) – Slow and lumbering big man with a very mechanical offensive game (and that’s being kind). Good shot blocker and possibly rebounder in the future, but his “upside” doesn’t impress me.
Sam Young (Memphis) – Athletic swingman that plays with toughness and energy. Not very skilled offensively but could be a useful role player.
Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee) – Super quick off the dribble and can finish at the rim or rain a deep 3-pointer. Obviously has scoring instincts first, but I’ve been impressed with his development as a floor general within this season. Not a good defender but this kid really wants to be great and prove people wrong, and I think he’ll put in the work to do so.
Jonny Flynn (Minnesota) – Smart player and a good leader/competitor, but I’m not sure he does any one thing at an NBA level. Has the quickness to penetrate but can’t finish at the rim and struggles to find his teammates. Inconsistent shooter and not much of a defender. Not sold on him at all.
Wayne Ellington (Minnesota) – Has a sweet stroke with deep range. Could carve out a role as a designated shooter type if he gets in better shape and works on his D.
Terrence Williams (New Jersey) – An uber-athlete that doesn’t seem to be a good teammate. Doesn’t really know how to play on offense or defense. Has the talent to be an NBA player if he ever “gets it.”
Darren Collison (New Orleans) – Very quick and aggressive with the ball in transition and half court. Looks to score first sometimes but never forgets to keep his teammates involved. Must learn to play at different speeds and improve consistency on jumper.
Marcus Thornton (New Orleans) – The steal of the draft at #43 he is the modern day Microwave. Short and stocky he is fearless with deep range on his J. Has a sneaky explosive first step that he uses when defenders crowd him. Won’t ever be anything but a scorer, but you could do much worse than him as your sixth man.
James Harden (Oklahoma City) – Unselfish player with a high BBIQ. Can shoot it from mid-range out to deep and put it on the floor to get to the rim. Since he’s not super-athletic he uses change of pace to get by people. Kind of a poor man’s Brandon Roy.
Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City) – Long and athletic big man from Congo could be an elite defender in time. Already a good shot blocker and decent rebounder. Possesses good hands and knows his role but very raw on offense.
Eric Maynor (Oklahoma City) – Very steady true PG that knows how to run a team. Good defender but not much game on offense. A career backup.
Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia) – Great size, strength, quickness and athleticism for a 19-year old. Can shoot from deep, penetrate when he needs to and has excellent defensive potential. Has all the tools to be a star someday but I don’t get the sense that he has a high BBIQ.
Earl Clark (Phoenix) – Another athletic freak with absolutely no clue how to play. What’s worse is he seems to lack the desire to compete at a high level mentally. Another Rick Pitino NBA bust in the making.
Dante Cunningham (Portland) – A smart player that knows and accepts his role. Doesn’t excel at anything but plays hard, defends, makes open shots and does the little things needed to win.
Jon Brockman (Sacramento) – An undersized bruising PF who makes his living hustling, rebounding, setting picks and taking hard fouls. Doubt he’s really an NBA player but I had to mention him because of his nickname “Brock Ness Monster.”
Omri Casspi (Sacramento) – Tough, smart player with a nice all around game. A glue guy that hustles, makes open shots and can defend. Needs to work on his handle and improve the consistency of his stroke, especially from deep. Has the length, athleticism and demeanor to be a future defensive stopper.
Tyreke Evans (Sacramento) – Built like a football player with enough athleticism and length to be unguardable when he gets it going. Almost unstoppable off the dribble already he would really benefit from improving his jumper. Can create for others but would rather “get his” at this point. Good rebounder for his position and has all the tools to be a good defender as well. Biggest issue with him going forward is that he’s not the best teammate.
DeJuan Blair (San Antonio) – Fantastic rebounder who does it all by positioning and work ethic. While he lacks any form of athletic ability he does have long arms and good hands. Even with those attributes he struggles to finish at the rim and has no chance to defend quicker players. Undersized fat guys usually don’t have a long shelf life in the NBA.
DeMar DeRozan (Toronto) – Very long and extremely athletic he’s another “upside” guy. The difference with him compared to others is that he understands how to play. He doesn’t force things he can’t do and is willing to play a role. Needs to work on his 3-point shooting and handle. Can also be a lock-down defender if he wants to.
Wesley Matthews (Utah) – Very steady low mistake guy. Plays tough defense, makes open shots and has 3-point range. Doesn’t try to be something he’s not. Reminds me of a slightly less talented version of Courtney Lee.
Taj Gibson (Chicago) – Good rebounder with a high basketball IQ (BBIQ). Nice all around player that can defend either forward position and is a good teammate. Will likely have a long career as a role player.
James Johnson (Chicago) – Very athletic but doesn’t excel in any one area. Low BBIQ and really needs to develop his game to last in the NBA.
Rodrigue Beaubois (Dallas) – Lightning quick, athletic and long. Can get to the basket at will, is a decent outside shooter and very able defender. He’ll be a star if he improves his jump shot and learns how to pick his spots while running a team at the same time.
Ty Lawson (Denver) – Already one of the fastest players with the ball in the NBA. Can penetrate at will, excels at finding the open man and can also finish at the rim. Jumper is a little suspect and he’s a bit of a gambler on defense, but a keeper nonetheless.
Austin Daye (Detroit) – Lots of skill and potential but needs to seriously bulk up and play hard more consistently. A long-term project at best right now.
Jonas Jerebko (Detroit) – Love this guy. He’s a true hustler that doesn’t need the ball and enjoys doing the little things. High BBIQ, can defend both forward positions, unselfish and knows his role. Needs to work on his handle and jumper, but could play on my team any day.
Stephen Curry (Golden State) – Great stroke and first step off the dribble. Excellent passer, knows how to run a team and is a good rebounder for his size. Has no interest in defense, needs to bulk up and I’m worried about the bad habits he’s picking up under coach Don Nelson.
David Anderson (Houston) – The big man from down under can shoot it from mid-range out to 3-point land. He’s active and a decent rebounder but doesn’t defend or get physical in the paint.
Chase Budinger (Houston) – Sneaky athletic with a good jumper. Can finish in transition or blow by his man off the dribble. Plays hard and smart but needs to learn better defensive technique. Should have been drafted much higher than #44. Might be the second coming of Rex Chapman.
Tyler Hansbrough (Indiana) – A hustler who is not afraid to mix it up down low and can rebound some. Struggles to finish at the rim or stay in front of his man on defense due to lack of athleticism. Not much of a jump shot and seems injury prone.
Hasheem Thabeet (Memphis) – Slow and lumbering big man with a very mechanical offensive game (and that’s being kind). Good shot blocker and possibly rebounder in the future, but his “upside” doesn’t impress me.
Sam Young (Memphis) – Athletic swingman that plays with toughness and energy. Not very skilled offensively but could be a useful role player.
Brandon Jennings (Milwaukee) – Super quick off the dribble and can finish at the rim or rain a deep 3-pointer. Obviously has scoring instincts first, but I’ve been impressed with his development as a floor general within this season. Not a good defender but this kid really wants to be great and prove people wrong, and I think he’ll put in the work to do so.
Jonny Flynn (Minnesota) – Smart player and a good leader/competitor, but I’m not sure he does any one thing at an NBA level. Has the quickness to penetrate but can’t finish at the rim and struggles to find his teammates. Inconsistent shooter and not much of a defender. Not sold on him at all.
Wayne Ellington (Minnesota) – Has a sweet stroke with deep range. Could carve out a role as a designated shooter type if he gets in better shape and works on his D.
Terrence Williams (New Jersey) – An uber-athlete that doesn’t seem to be a good teammate. Doesn’t really know how to play on offense or defense. Has the talent to be an NBA player if he ever “gets it.”
Darren Collison (New Orleans) – Very quick and aggressive with the ball in transition and half court. Looks to score first sometimes but never forgets to keep his teammates involved. Must learn to play at different speeds and improve consistency on jumper.
Marcus Thornton (New Orleans) – The steal of the draft at #43 he is the modern day Microwave. Short and stocky he is fearless with deep range on his J. Has a sneaky explosive first step that he uses when defenders crowd him. Won’t ever be anything but a scorer, but you could do much worse than him as your sixth man.
James Harden (Oklahoma City) – Unselfish player with a high BBIQ. Can shoot it from mid-range out to deep and put it on the floor to get to the rim. Since he’s not super-athletic he uses change of pace to get by people. Kind of a poor man’s Brandon Roy.
Serge Ibaka (Oklahoma City) – Long and athletic big man from Congo could be an elite defender in time. Already a good shot blocker and decent rebounder. Possesses good hands and knows his role but very raw on offense.
Eric Maynor (Oklahoma City) – Very steady true PG that knows how to run a team. Good defender but not much game on offense. A career backup.
Jrue Holiday (Philadelphia) – Great size, strength, quickness and athleticism for a 19-year old. Can shoot from deep, penetrate when he needs to and has excellent defensive potential. Has all the tools to be a star someday but I don’t get the sense that he has a high BBIQ.
Earl Clark (Phoenix) – Another athletic freak with absolutely no clue how to play. What’s worse is he seems to lack the desire to compete at a high level mentally. Another Rick Pitino NBA bust in the making.
Dante Cunningham (Portland) – A smart player that knows and accepts his role. Doesn’t excel at anything but plays hard, defends, makes open shots and does the little things needed to win.
Jon Brockman (Sacramento) – An undersized bruising PF who makes his living hustling, rebounding, setting picks and taking hard fouls. Doubt he’s really an NBA player but I had to mention him because of his nickname “Brock Ness Monster.”
Omri Casspi (Sacramento) – Tough, smart player with a nice all around game. A glue guy that hustles, makes open shots and can defend. Needs to work on his handle and improve the consistency of his stroke, especially from deep. Has the length, athleticism and demeanor to be a future defensive stopper.
Tyreke Evans (Sacramento) – Built like a football player with enough athleticism and length to be unguardable when he gets it going. Almost unstoppable off the dribble already he would really benefit from improving his jumper. Can create for others but would rather “get his” at this point. Good rebounder for his position and has all the tools to be a good defender as well. Biggest issue with him going forward is that he’s not the best teammate.
DeJuan Blair (San Antonio) – Fantastic rebounder who does it all by positioning and work ethic. While he lacks any form of athletic ability he does have long arms and good hands. Even with those attributes he struggles to finish at the rim and has no chance to defend quicker players. Undersized fat guys usually don’t have a long shelf life in the NBA.
DeMar DeRozan (Toronto) – Very long and extremely athletic he’s another “upside” guy. The difference with him compared to others is that he understands how to play. He doesn’t force things he can’t do and is willing to play a role. Needs to work on his 3-point shooting and handle. Can also be a lock-down defender if he wants to.
Wesley Matthews (Utah) – Very steady low mistake guy. Plays tough defense, makes open shots and has 3-point range. Doesn’t try to be something he’s not. Reminds me of a slightly less talented version of Courtney Lee.
posted by D$ at 2:30 PM
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