RADIO
The unofficial halfway point of the NBA season has come and gone. While in reality, All-Star Weekend is closer to an intermission before the final third of the season takes off, it is thought of as the midway break of the year. On display this weekend were not only all of the championship contending superstars like Stephen Curry and LeBron James, but also extremely bright future stars like Zach LaVine and Devin Booker.
After a decent rookie class last year (Andrew Wiggins and 2nd round pick Jordan Clarkson highlight the 2014 draft class), this year’s rookie class may go down as one of the best all-time. This class not only has true superstar potential in guys like Karl-Anthony Towns and Kristaps Porzingis, but there is an incredible amount of depth past the top five picks. While we wait for NBA action to return, let's rank this amazing class of rookies.
Position Eligibility Based on Yahoo! Fantasy Basketball Player List
NBA Rookie Rankings: Post All-Star Break Update
Superstars
These are the guys who have the ability to be on all the commercials and win all of the championships. No need for an extended explanation.
1) Karl-Anthony Towns (C, MIN)
Towns has been the best rookie this year and it isn’t close. He justified being the number one overall pick from the first jump ball he took and hasn’t looked back since. KAT stepped onto the Timberwolves and immediately became their defensive anchor while pouring in 17 points and 10 boards a night. Averaging a double-double for the season would already make him one of the best big men in the game. Doing it as a rookie makes him the most exciting big man in the game. KAT’s most impressive stats by far are his shooting percentages; right now he’s shooting 54% from the field, 37.5% from three point range, and 85% from the free throw line. The three most talented big men in basketball right now are DeMarcus Cousins, Anthony Davis, and then Towns. People will be talking about KAT’s “future” for the next five years when they should be focusing on his present because it’s already really, really, really good.
2) Kristaps Porzingis (PF/C, NY)
PorZinGod! Zingis Khan! Darth Zingis! The Zinger! Whatever nickname you have for the young Latvian sensation, he has come into the league and destroyed everyone’s “Big European who can shoot” bias. He is a rebounding, shot blocking, and shot making sensation. Right now Porzingis is averaging 14 points, 7.7 rebounds, and just under two blocks a game. He’s only playing 28 minutes a game and doesn’t always get the ball fed into him like some of the other big men on this list, but he’s been very productive and efficient when given the opportunity. Coming in with such low expectations to a downtrodden Knicks fanbase desperate for hope has been beneficial to Porzingis. Everything he does is greeted with cheers and excitement. But now that he’s established how well he can play, it is very obvious he isn’t used to playing this much or being called upon so much. As Porzingis gets used to being a big time part of a pro team, there will be no measuring where his ceiling as player even begins.
3) Jahlil Okafor (C, PHI)
There are a lot of very vocal critics when it comes to the process in Philadelphia and how they are going about building their team. The main focus has been to acquire a big time talent through a high pick in the draft. While Michael Carter-Williams, Nerlens Noel, and Dario Saric were lottery picks, they just aren’t the type of talents you can build a franchise around. Jahlil Okafor is the first potential true superstar that the 76ers have acquired (unless you're still holding a candle for Joel Embiid, that is). His offensive game is extremely polished and should only get better as his jump shot and athleticism/stamina improve. Okafor’s 17 points a game this season almost seem like he is underachieving because of how he can dominate on the offensive side of the ball. Yet, he’s a top five center when it comes to scoring (oh and he’s only 20 years old also). While Porzingis gets away with some bad play because of low expectations, Okafor gets graded a little harsher because everyone’s been assuming he’ll save a franchise since he was 16 years old.
4) Emmanuel Mudiay (PG, DEN)
Mudiay cannot shoot the basketball and he turns it over way too much. Other than that, there are very few things I do not absolutely love about him. He plays solid defense, has great vision, has athleticism that is off the charts, and already looks comfortable running a basketball team from the point guard spot. Mudiay reminds me of a young John Wall, but without all the fuss of being the number one overall pick in the draft. It might be a year or two before Mudiay fully takes off, but he has the ability and potential to average over 10 assists a game, which puts on the threshold of potential superstar status.
5) D’Angelo Russell (PG/SG, LAL)
Russell has shown many flashes that he was worthy of the number two overall pick in the draft. But because the situation in Los Angeles is so messed up right now, between Kobe sucking all the air of out the room and Byron Scott just hating rookies, Russell hasn’t always had the chance to shine or he’s been so visibly frustrated that you can see him get mentally taken out of the game. Despite going from being a starter to coming off the bench a few times, Russell is still averaging the fourth most points and third most assists among all rookies. Like Mudiay, it will take a few years before we see the best of D’Angelo Russell. I just hope that the situation in Hollywood improves enough to allow him to properly develop.
All-Stars
The draft usually doesn’t give you more than five guys who you think might end up one day being All-Stars. This year there a lot more guys who have shown that, with the right coaching and good situations, they could rise to All-Star level.
6) Nikola Jokic (C, DEN)
7) Justise Winslow (SF/PF, MIA)
8) Frank Kaminsky (PF/C, CHA)
9) Devin Booker (SG, PHO)
10) Myles Turner (PF/C, IND)
11) Stanley Johnson (SG/SF, DET)
12) Bobby Portis (PF/C, CHI)
Best of the Rest
These are all guys that have contributed at least a little bit to their teams and look like they have the potential to be in the league for years and years to come.
13) T.J. McConnell (PG, PHI)
14) Cameron Payne (PG, OKC)
15) Larry Nance Jr. (PF, LAL)
16) Jerian Grant (PG/SG, NY)
17) Jonathan Simmons (SF, SA)
18) Mario Hezonja (SG, ORL)
19) Bryce DeJean-Jones (SG, NO)
20) Willie Cauley-Stein (PF/C, SAC)
21) Rondae Hollis-Jefferson (SF, BKN)
22) Trey Lyles (PF, UTA)
23) Kelly Oubre Jr. (SF, WAS)
24.) R.J. Hunter (SG, BOS)
Honorable Mention
26) Julius Randle (PF, LAL)
Randle is technically not a rookie because he played fourteen minutes last year before breaking his leg in the first game of the season, but he might as well be. He’s averaging 11 points and 10 boards a game and has managed to be the best big man on the Lakers, excuse me, The Kobe Traveling Circus Team this year.
All-Star Rookie Awards
Rookie of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns
Runner up: Kristaps Porzingis
First Team All Rookie:
Emmanuel Mudiay
D'Angelo Russell
Kristaps Porzingis
Jahlil Okafor
Karl-Anthony Towns
Second Team All Rookie:
T.J McConnell
Stanley Johnson
Justise Winslow
Myles Turner
Nikola Jokic
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