Post by verysilentone on Feb 6, 2024 2:41:01 GMT
NBN Rookie Rankings : First 30 Days of the Season
Every year the rookie draft brings a new level of excitement to the GMs around the league. This year was no different as many GMs were blowing up the phones of the Celtics and Clippers, who seemingly owned 50% of the first round selections. How did these teams do? Today, we look at the top ten performing rookies in the early first quarter of the season.
(*All stats and rankings are from after sim 6. Alexander Sarr was left off because he had only played 5 games through the 6th sim.)
The number 1 spot belongs to the man who is the reigning Rookie of the Month
1. Carrington Carlton
17.4 PPG/ 5.2 RPG/ 9.2 APG/ 2 SPG/ 4.2 TPG
The guard from Pitt was targeted early on by the Hawks GM, who mentioned that he sees him as potentially an all-time great. He was initially disappointed to drop out of the top 4, but Carrington was a great consolation prize. The Baltimore native is averaging 17.4 points and 9.2 assists per game. He is also grabbing over 5 rebounds a game and averaging 2 steals, as well. Carrington has a few places where he needs to improve. As with many young guards, he struggles with turnovers at over 4 a game. He is also shooting less than 30% from beyond the arc. Despite this, he is having a tremendous season thus far. The 6’5 190 guard does have a strong pedigree. He is the cousin of NBA veteran Rudy Gay, so we should expect him to continue to work hard and improve his game.
2. DJ Wagner
18.2 PPG/ 5 RPG/ 3.9 APG/
At number 2, we are going with the player drafted number 3. Wagner was touted as the best scorer in the draft and he has not disappointed. Averaging over 18 points per game is very promising for a rookie especially one on a competitive team. Wagner has been more efficient than many of his classmates. The New Jersey native has felt right at home with the Knicks and has become a very intriguing player at a position that desperately needed an infusion of talent in the league. Wagner needs to bulk up a bit to become a better defender, but he should be an exciting scorer for many years to come. He also comes from NBA bloodlines, as both his father and grandfather are former professional basketball players.3. Nikola Topic
13.9 PPG / 5.7 RPG/ 7.4 APG
The 2nd overall pick comes in at number 3. I think what stands out here is his ability to take care of the ball. There were concerns that he would turn the ball over a lot early in his career, but at 2.4, he has done a very good job keeping the number down. He has also surprised a bit with his scoring. The Celtics are a rebuilding team, so there aren’t very many options ahead of him, but 14 points per game is much better than was anticipated. Topic does a pretty good job finding open teammates and is also a solid rebounder from the point guard position. He has also surprised a bit defensively with his 2 steals per game. Topic still has quite a ways to go. He needs to become a more efficient scorer and probably continue to improve defensively, but he has been put in a tough position in Boston and he has done well early on.4. Adem Bona
17.5 PPG/ 10 RPG/ 2.3 APG/ 1.2 SPG/ 1.1 BPG
We all expected to see a Clippers center here, but we were probably looking for the #1 pick in the draft and not the 16th. This is another prospect who stayed “home” as the UCLA sophomore didn’t have to go very far. He was probably hoping for a franchise that would give him more of a certain playing spot, but he has gotten plenty of opportunities despite being on the same team as the top prospect. He has taken the spotlight away from his classmate, who may be having some issues with management. GM bigman was quoted as saying, "Sarr sucks though." I'm not sure if that was motivation or if there is trouble in paradise. He falls just outside of the league leaders in minutes despite his almost 7 foot frame. Bona’s 17 points per game is 3rd among rookies and his 1.1 blocked shots is 2nd. You probably will want him to continue developing as a rebounder and shot blocker, but he is off to a good start, especially given where he was drafted. You definitely want to see him cut down on those turnovers though./cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/72644452/1669572186.0.jpg)
Holland has become a reliable scorer early in his career
5. Ron Holland
15.3 PPG / 5.3 RPG/ 2.6 APG / 1.1 SPG/ 2.2 TPG
Rounding out the top 5, is a Trailblazer, both because he plays for Portland and also because he is the latest big name player to forgo college and enter the G-League. Holland was selected 4th overall and joined fellow G-League Ignite alum, Scoot Henderson with the Blazers. Like Henderson, Holland is going to have to work on his 3 point shooting, as he is shooting just 26% early on. He has been a reliable scorer for the team in his rookie year and there is a ton of potential for him to continue to grow. He is a solid rebounder at the position and should continue to improve his numbers with his tremendous athleticism. As projected, his turnovers have been a bit high to begin his career. 6. Aday Mara
9.4 PPG/ 11 RPG/ 3.2 APG/ 1.4 BPG
Our second New York Knick on the list is also our 2nd UCLA Bruin on the list. Aday Mara was the 28th selection in the draft, but he finds himself playing 30 minutes per game for a playoff team. He should only continue to improve with the two veterans in front of him there to show him the ropes. Mara is averaging close to a double double and is the leading shot blocker among rookies. He is not scoring very efficiently and it is likely due to his lack of strength. His size gives him some advantages, but at just 235 pounds, he needs to bulk up to do more damage down there. He is a good distributor for someone his size and at just 19, he has a lot of time to improve his overall game. 7. Kel'el Ware
9.3 PPG/ 9 RPG/ 2.9 APG/ .7 SPG/ .9 BPG
Next, we have the starting power forward for the Rockets. He came in as one of the strongest rebounders in the class and he has not disappointed in that regard. He has not been a scoring option with the Rockets as he is surrounded by a good mix of veterans and young talented players. Ware’s question mark was his work ethic and motor and it looks like he is putting in the work in Houston. He averaged over a block and a half a game at Indiana and also shot 44% from 3. Interestingly, he has only attempted 5 so far this season, so that is definitely something to watch. He should have 3 point range, but he has been hesitant to attempt them so far, but if he continues to play the 4, he will need to show a willingness to take and make those shots. He has a unique skill set for a man his size and should be an anchor down low for Houston.8. Kevin McCullar Jr
11.5 PPG/ 5.7 RPG/ 2.6 APG/ 1.3 SPG
We shift our focus from the 11th overall pick to the 9th pick from the second round. McCullar is an older prospect, which is one of the main reasons that he fell. He had an outstanding college career at Texas Tech and Kansas and he is one of those guys that seemed like they were in school for 25 years. In college, he just did a little bit of everything. He rebounds well for his size. He is able to find his open teammates and he is a pesky defender. He is doing a bit of the same in Washington. He is currently shooting better than he ever did in college and that could help him to take his game further than we believed coming into the draft. He really needs to improve at the free throw line. Not many guards can get away with shooting 60% from the stripe.9. Hunter Dickinson
8 PPG/ 7 RPG/ 2.4 APG/ 1.2 SPG
Coming in at #9, is another high profile transfer who found his way to Kansas. Unfortunately, or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, Dickinson has already been transferred to his second professional team in his early career. Dickinson is a great interior scorer and has elite size. He is currently the backup center for a very young Grizzlies team. He really needs to improve on his ability to block shots as he is sending back less than .5 a block a game. He should continue to see his minutes increase as the season continues. His previous team, the Magic, had a bit more depth on the interior, but now Dickinson seems himself in a much shorter rotation. 10. Isaiah Collier
10.4 PPG/ 3.4 RPG/ 3.4 APG/ 1.4 TPG
We wrap things up with the young point guard, who is a native of Atlanta. Collier was one of the highest rated prospects in his high school class and did not disappoint in his one season at USC. He was projected to have some issues turning the ball over, but has been able to limit them here early on. He is coming off the bench, but still scoring in double figures and he has shot a bit better than expected. He was touted as one of the best playmakers in the draft class, so we can expect him to continue to grow there, but the consistent offensive production off the bench and the improved shooting has certainly been a pleasant surprise. Collier finds himself in a good position as he still has Lonzo Ball in front of him, so he should be given an opportunity to develop while he goes through the growing pains. The Wizards were thought to be a candidate for contraction last season, but they now have their starting backcourt here on the list of top rookies.
glad you had it all set up -- I think I got most everybody. Cropped at 30.
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