2008 NBA Summer League: Top RookiesBy: Aran_Smith

Top 10 Rookies

Jerryd Bayless — 29.8 ppg, 48.5 fg%, 4.8 rpg — Bayless was dominant scoring nearly 30 ppg and leading all scorers in Vegas by a wide margin (over 7 points). His ability to get by his man and to the rim at will makes him extremely difficult to defend and his outside shot opens up his ability to drive. His final game in particular, he torched a solid defender in DJ Strawberry to the tune of 36 points including the final 11 points of the game plus the game winner. Bayless has a Kobe Bryant type of arrogance and focus to his game that should ultimately make him a star at the NBA level. He may take some lumps before reaching stardom as a combo guard, but he enters a dream situation playing alongside Brandon Roy, a big point guard who will allow Jerryd to defend point guards while playing off the ball on offense.

Donte Greene — 22.6 ppg, 42.5 fg%, 3.6 rpg — Greene was the only summer leaguer to register a 40 point game. His 22.6 ppg was good for second overall in scoring. After going 28th overall in the draft, Greene appears ready to make a lot of teams regret passing on him. Greene’s great length and athletic ability along with his tremendous shooting stroke give him the perfect skills to excel at the NBA level, which were not showcased at Syracuse and within the college game. In college, Greene worried scouts with his apparent lack of a motor and laziness, but the talent is obviously there for him to be a standout pro.

Anthony Randolph — 20.8 ppg, 7.8 rpg, — Randolph dazzled for the Warriors who knew they had taken a talented forward but were surprised with his level of development. Randolph broke out with a 30 point opener and despite missing a game after turning his ankle came back and impressed outshining sophomores Wright and Belinelli. His ability to make plays using his quickness off the dribble and excellent ball handling ability gives him real promise for playing time and production in his rookie season. Randolph will have his work cut out for him to stay on the court next season as Nellie is not patient with rookies, but his summer league performance is cause for real excitement for Warrior fans. Randolph also tabulated over 1 assist and 1 steal per game as well as knocking down 84% of his free throws.

JJ Hickson — 19.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 53.4 fg%, — As much as we knocked the pick, Hickson deserves a lot of credit with his tremendous summer league performance. Hickson showed nice polish around the basket with good footwork and shot fakes. He also showed a high motor running the floor and fighting for rebounds. He was very impressive, and is in the right situation and could end up being one of the more productive rookies in the league next season. He still has some holes that will need to be addressed: free throw shooting (50%) and turning the ball over (3.4 to per game).

Kevin Love — 18.0 ppg, 13.5 rpg, — Love was superb under the boards racking up a SL high 13.5 rebounds per game. He also looked solid in the post making moves around the basket. His skill level is extremely advanced for a 19 year old and the fact that he can spot up from outside and knock jumpers will make defenders have to move out on the floor to defend him. The jury is still out on just how effective he can be against longer and more athletic post players at the next level, but worst case scenario he should be solid at hitting shots and grabbing boards. Love’s 18.0 ppg was good for 16th overall, although his sub-50% fg shooting could have been better.

OJ Mayo — 18.8 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 40.7 fg%, 48% 3p — The most impressive stat for Mayo was his 12-25 (48%) shooting from 3 point range. Mayo is an instant offense type of small 2g, and although he lacks the speed of Gilbert Arenas, he has a similar type of pure shooting stroke and scorer’s mentality. Mayo will need to work hard at shot discipline and learn not to force shots when he’s not open, but the Griz added a player with the potential to become an All Star in the future. Another area that needs a lot of focus is his ball protection, and although it’s summer league and the wide open style makes for a great deal of turnovers, his 4.8 to per game is a bit excessive.

Marresse Speights — 18.2 ppg, 10.2 rpg, 2.2 bs — Speights looked excellent playing alongside sophomores Young and Smith. He has a lot of upside and also has a more advanced than advertised skill level. His body improvement over the past few months is cause for excitement for the Sixers. Speights had a number of monster jams, as well as some solid moves in the post. This was an excellent draft to have a mid first round pick to take an upside bigman and teams such as Washington (McGee), Cleveland (Hickson), Phoenix (Lopez) and Philadelphia really benefited.

Jason Thompson — 16.2 ppg, 8.6 rpg, 49.0 fg%, — The Kings took a chance with a player many projected much lower, but Thompson looked every bit worthy of their 12th selection in the SL. His ability to play inside and out, facing up and knocking down shots or taking his man off the dribble make him extremely versatile. He also has the strength and toughness to be a force under the basket. While Hawes isn’t as old as Thompson, he’s got a year of NBA experience under his belt, but Thompson has more lift and athleticism and appears to be the better prospect.

DJ Augustin — 19.7 ppg, 56.3 fg%, 1.3 apg, 4.0 to — Augustin apparently was concentrating on creating offense for himself as opposed to others. He was extremely effective shooting the ball at 56.3 % from the floor. Augustin finished 6th overall in scoring, tops for point guards but sat the final two games due to injury. His 4.0 rebounds per game was also a surprise. His a/to was the one real negative of his performance.

Robin Lopez — 14.0 ppg, 7.8 rpg, 43.6 fg% — Lopez’s solid performance was enough to get an invite to the USA Select team. While Lopez didn’t stand out with any one performance, his consistency throughout and hustle made him deserving of the final spot on this list. Lopez should be an excellent addition for Phoenix as his skills, particularly rebounding and shot blocking are already at a level which will allow him to contribute. He’ll need to work on increasing his offensive game, but for now that won’t be what’s asked of him.