[Bankroll PJParticipant]

Just wanted to start a thread on what you guys saw from the rookies this week. I didn’t get to see many but here’s what I saw from the one’s I did.  

Lonzo Ball – Through 3 games he’s averaging 13, 9, and 9.  As a Lakers fan, I’m very satisfied with that. His shooting percentages are probably low, but he has shown that he can get shots off in the half-court and off the dribble.  He even hit a turnaround jumper over Josh Jackson which looked fluid. I think he’s a the real deal.

Kyle Kuzma – Luke Walton is bringing him along slowly, but he produces every time he gets on the court.  His defense is far behind his offense at this point, but the tools are there for him to at least be average on that side of the ball.  Additionally, Julius Randle is in Walton’s doghouse, so the minutes will be there for him playing both the 3 and 4.

Josh Jackson – Everything that was said about him before the draft is spot on.  He’s tenacious. A really good, but not outstanding athlete that loves to defend and attack the rim.  He has a knack for scoring and rebounding, but his shot may limit his ceiling.  He and DBook look like a great wing pairing for the future. 

Jayson Tatum – I only watched him opening night and he looked a bit timid but the talent still showed.  He’s a solid player all-around as he’s a willing passer, defender, and rebounder.  Opportunity will be there for both he and Jaylen Brown (love the way JB looks so far minus his shooting) this year, since Hayward, unfortunately, will be out for the season. 

Ben Simmons – I only watched his highlights, so I won’t say much but he looks special. 

 

 

 

 

  

[Dazzling Dunks and Basketball BloopersParticipant]

 Even though balls overall numbers look impressive, the efficiency has not been. The concerns I’ve had with his shooting form going into the draft have not been eased by his performance so far. It is virtually impossible for him to pull up for a jumper driving to his right. NBA defenses are already playing him right into his weakness and he is not adjusting well. He tried to compensate last night by shooting some awkward floaters but those are not shots he is going to make on a consistent basis. The only game so far where he has had any success out of the pick and roll was against Phoenix, who may be one of the worst defensive teams of all time. 

Ball does a lot of things really well on the floor, but unless he can find a way to completely overhaul his shot mechanics, I think his ceiling as an offensive player will be limited and it will be very tough for him to shoot even an adequate percentage from the floor.

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Not sure if y’all actually watched the games, but outside of Phoenix (which is basically a G-League team) Ball has looked awful. Analytics are one of the dumbest things to ever happen to basketball, but there’s a couple that hold merit like +/-, and Ball has had a – every game so far. Last night he was a -24 for the game and The Lakers were getting their asses handed to them before they sat Ball, then they come back and go up 5, and as soon as they put Ball back in the lead evaporates and they lose. That’s obviously not all his fault, but it is telling. The talk of him taking them to the playoffs and making others better is fucking insane. It’s only been one game, but Dennis Smith looked awesome, and he played half the game with a jacked up knee. If he can stay healthy he’ll be the best player from this draft by a wide margin. 

[Magic JordanParticipant]

 "Analytics are one of the dumbest things to ever happen to basketball, but there’s a couple that hold merit like +/-"

Proceeds to use one of the noisiest game to game metrics available.

 

[whiteflashParticipant]

 Hahaha, I actually agree with you but I do think it holds some merit. If every time a guy’s on the floor his team is losing there’s probably something to it. When you hear hoof prints, think horses, not zebras.

[SubZeroParticipant]

My guy De’Aaron Fox is looking great as I (and many others) knew he would. Speed kills and he’s one of the fastest guys in the league, plus his jumper has looked good from what I’ve seen and his handle looks great. He’s already finishing through contact over bigger guys which is encouraging as well. Sometime this year I’m sure he’ll take either Buddy or Hill’s starting spot

I don’t want to turn this into a Lonzo hate thread because I do like his passing (mainly cause it reminds me of how I like to pass), but can someone explain why people say he’s such a good leader? I know he does care but he never looks like he does, especially compared to Fox whose intensity you can feel through the screen. I’ve never seen him encourage or motivate a teammate through his words or his body language. I think people confuse being a good passer and good teammate with being a good leader. For example, last night when the Lakers were making their comeback, they did it with him on the bench. He came back in the game when they were up after leaving the game when they were down 15, and he looked and acted the exact same and they ended up giving up the lead and losing. His level of intensity was extremely low, especially given the situation. I do think he’ll be good, but I have many doubts about him being the next Jason Kidd.

Jordan Bell is confirming my worries that he’ll have a huge clutch block or steal in an important playoff game this season. Still mad the Bulls gave him away to the one team I didn’t want him to go to.

Haven’t watched any of John Collins because I don’t care to watch a minute of the Hawks this year, but from what I’ve read and seen he’s been pretty good for them

Ben Simmons is as good as advertised, but he needs to improve his finishing at the rim. He gets there pretty easily but he tends to make shots harder than he needs to…and obviously his shooting

[220Participant]

 Ben Simmons is getting more comfortable taking jumpers each game he has played. He took a few shoots from around the free throw line which is now his the farthest shots he has taken. Ben’s mechanics looks good he just seems reluctant to take jump shots. Ben also looked better finishing at the rim last night. 

[mowestenParticipant]

Ball doesn’t play hard enough or defend well enough to be the next Jason Kidd. With that said, I’m willing to have a wait and see attitude and not jump to conclusions either way.

 I’m not a fan of his intensity level though.

[whiteflashParticipant]

Kidd was also built like a tank and played harder (when he was younger) than anyone I’ve ever seen outside of maybe Rodman. Ball’s a stringbean who looks lackadaisical out there, though in his defense he did give Beverly a ‘bow when he was hounding him, which is maybe a positive sign.

[OhCanada-Participant]

Heres some guys who havent been mentioned.

OG Anunoby is literally a carbon copy of a rookie Draymond Green and I’ve been extremely impressed with his play in a limited role so far. The main differences between the two would be how much younger OG has entered the league as Draymond entered with 2 more years experience. Anunoby also needs to learn to use his size and be more physical although he likely will never be the intimidating or vocal presence Dray is. He plays with such maturity and his playmaking and shooting is fine but defensively and rebounding he hasnt been as solid as I expected although he still isnt 100% back from his injury physically. Time will tell how much he can develop within this current Raps system but he has made Caboclo and Siakam an afterthought.

John Collins is tremendously productive and racks up points and rebounds. He is so slight though and his progression will depend on how much his perimeter skills develop. Against most C’s he holds his ground surprisingly well as he doesnt backdown and always competes but against bigger C’s like his matchup with Dwight Howard he stands no chance so the best mlove would be to transition to PF.

Dillon Brooks is just a complete player and he scraps for everything. His efforts so far this year reminds me of a more offensively developed Landry Fields. Hes really proving he belongs in this league but I feel like his upside is limited. Not much competition right now in Memphis for minutes until Selden and Mclemore return from injury.

Jonathan Isaac started the last 2 games for the Magic at PF next to Vucevic and has played great. Like Anunoby his minutes have been limited and stats arent eye popping but hes been a glue guy for his team and isnt forcing his play. The Magic really need someone to beccome selfless and not look for his shots all the time just make good basketball plays. I feel like his upside is as high as any forward in this draft because of his abillity to effect the whole basketball court and as he bulks up and gains his teammates trust offensively he can sslowly become one of the leagues best two way players.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[TRC1991Participant]

Jarrett Allen is the backup C in Brooklyn and has been solid…He’s not going to wow you but he can switch onto guards and hold his own. Good value for where he was drafted. 

 

 

[HitsterParticipant]

 Fox has looked very good so far, how they run the backcourt going forward with Hill and Hield will be interesting to see. But there are 96 mins there so all can gert good playing time and it doesn’t matter who starts or not really.

Justin Jackson has got the Kings SF starting birth so it will be interesting to see how he goes on as the season progresses. The Kings have 10 of their roster on rookie deals so have to spread the experience around as much as they can especially when you consider Vince Carter is over 40 and maybe won’t play huge minutes.

 

[mowestenParticipant]

 Markaanan with the Bulls has played well. I really like his offensive game in college, but he has impressed with his rebounding early on.

 He’ll probably never be an overwhelming defender but I think he’s going to be much better then what I predicted. I kinda thought he would be Channing Frye, but he might have a lot more than that in him.

[mowestenParticipant]

 Tonight was my first chance to watch an entire game by Lauri Markkanen. He didn’t shoot it real well, but man he can play. Super impressed. Not to get too carried away here, but for a young guy, he is impressive. Rebounds it well, puts in on the floor better than I would have predicted and has a really nice pick and pop game already.

He can really shoot it man. And he rebounds it well. Really well. Has long arms, pursues the ball well. He doesn’t have a post game yet, or any kind of mid-range. But honestly might be the Bulls’ best player right now among the guys who are actually playing. Which probably isn’t saying much.

Might be the steal of the draft.

I’m not sure if I like any of the Atlanta Hawks’ players. Collins maybe. It’s hard to tell. Belinelli could help a playoff team off the bench because of his shooting. But jeez, the rest of that team is hot garbage.

 

 

[Sewok15Participant]

Based on the first 5+ games it looks like this class could be the best rookie class in a long time. Fox just looks special and his jumper seems much smoother. He should start ASAP because sky is the limit for him…He has Russ Westbrook potential upside from what I have seen. 

Ball has done about what I expected. He is a good floor general and has great vision but his percentages will take time to get to where they should be. He seems weak at times but is a solid athlete and smart player that lives basketball. He reminds me of Ricky Rubio in a sense. 

Tatum is going to get more minutes than planned and will benefit immensely. He is a natural scorer with solid defensive potential. He has some Caron Butler in his game.

Josh Jackson has been solid not spectacular. He has all the tools but I question his mental makeup still. His brother has even looked good as he was starting for the Kings last I checked.

Monk has struggled with his shot early but showed early flashes of being a very good NBA scorer. I like the confidence to attempt the self alley oop even though Gordon rejected him.

Fultz I won’t even touch right now since he shouldn’t have even been on the court to start the season. I want to see him when he is actually healthy enough to shoot the ball like a normal player.

Issaac, Lauri, and DS JR have all been better than I thought they would be initially. Donovan Mithcell looks great and will help the Jazz get over losing Hayward quicker than expected. John Collins looks like a double double machine. 

Kuzma looks like a quality NBA player. OG Anunoby is going to be really good and is already contributing for a playoff team. 2nd round picks Bell and Brooks out of Oregon are also solid rotation guys for two of the better teams in the league. 

People will have their preferences at the top but this was a really deep draft. I know it is early but I can’t help but compare it to 2004. This class doesn’t have the generational talent of a LeBron or the pure star power at the top but overall they are comprable. The funny thing is as good as this draft class is it seems like the top pick from the year before is destined to win ROY…Ben Simmons is balling. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Sewok15Participant]

Based on the first 5+ games it looks like this class could be the best rookie class in a long time. Fox just looks special and his jumper seems much smoother. He should start ASAP because sky is the limit for him…He has Russ Westbrook potential upside from what I have seen. 

Ball has done about what I expected. He is a good floor general and has great vision but his percentages will take time to get to where they should be. He seems weak at times but is a solid athlete and smart player that lives basketball. He reminds me of Ricky Rubio in a sense. 

Tatum is going to get more minutes than planned and will benefit immensely. He is a natural scorer with solid defensive potential. He has some Caron Butler in his game.

Josh Jackson has been solid not spectacular. He has all the tools but I question his mental makeup still. His brother has even looked good as he was starting for the Kings last I checked.

Monk has struggled with his shot early but showed early flashes of being a very good NBA scorer. I like the confidence to attempt the self alley oop even though Gordon rejected him.

Fultz I won’t even touch right now since he shouldn’t have even been on the court to start the season. I want to see him when he is actually healthy enough to shoot the ball like a normal player.

Issaac, Lauri, and DS JR have all been better than I thought they would be initially. Donovan Mithcell looks great and will help the Jazz get over losing Hayward quicker than expected. John Collins looks like a double double machine. 

Kuzma looks like a quality NBA player. OG Anunoby is going to be really good and is already contributing for a playoff team. 2nd round picks Bell and Brooks out of Oregon are also solid rotation guys for two of the better teams in the league. 

People will have their preferences at the top but this was a really deep draft. I know it is early but I can’t help but compare it to 2004. This class doesn’t have the generational talent of a LeBron or the pure star power at the top but overall they are comprable. The funny thing is as good as this draft class is it seems like the top pick from the year before is destined to win ROY…Ben Simmons is balling. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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