NBA: Rookies On The Rise

Saturday, 26 December 2009 01:11 Eric Gillman, ClassActSports.com, NBA Analyst

The 2009-2010 Rookie class has been surprisingly good. Although it might not have the names (or talent) of the 2003 draft class (LeBron, Carmelo, Wade, and Bosh), it has produced some pretty solid players. The amazing thing is, two of the most talented players from their draft class haven’t even played. Blake Griffin has been plagued by injuries and has not seen any court time and Ricky Rubio is still in his homeland of Spain taking in the sun.

Often the top rookies come from teams that were at the bottom of the league last year. This year is no different with many of the top rookies getting a chance to prove themselves by playing for sub-.500 teams. This is simply because the teams that are fighting for a championship are not likely to need rookies to fill important roles, while the teams at the bottom are looking for players to get them to the top.

Of the top rookie performers thus far, some of them were expected to be stars, while others have been lesser known players that have delivered. Of the people on the list, we have a son of a former NBA player, a John Havlicek type of passer, a pair of Kings, among others consisting of:

Brandon Jennings (Bucks, 10th Overall) - In only his 15th game, Jennings had one of the greatest rookie performance of all time. His miraculous 55-5-5 night consisting of 55 points, 5 assists, and 5 rebounds as a rookie is already a classic. Most importantly, the Bucks won that game and are actually competitive this year without Michael Redd for most of it. This was no fluke game though as the Rook has averages a smooth twenty points to go with six assists a night. If you happened to be sleeping under a rock, or a basketball, these are highlights from his incredible night:

Tyreke Evans (Kings, 4th Overall) – Evans seems to be the only other rookie who can compete with Jennings for rookie of the year. More than just winning rookie of the year, former Memphis guard Tyreke Evans has established himself as a force in this league. Similar to what Derrick Rose looked like when he entered the league, Evans averages of 20-5-5 (points-assists-rebounds) so far shows he will be a star for years to come.

Omri Casspi (Kings, 23rd Overall) – The lesser of the Kings rookies has really impressed people with his dead-on shooting. He shoots the ball at 50% while shooting almost 47% from downtown. Although his statistics don’t show it, he is also a good defensive player and gives small forwards trouble with his athletic 6’9” frame.

Jonny Flynn (Timberwolves, 6th Overall) - Former Syracuse guard, Jonny Flynn, got his chance to control the Timberwolves offense by his lonesome when his rookie counterpart Ricky Rubio stayed in Spain. Flynn has been solid all season, but as of late has really made a name for himself by showing flashes of greatness in almost every game. His season averages of about 15-2-4 do not show the promise Flynn has shown in games early in his career. Just take a look at the clip and you’ll see what I mean.

Stephen Curry (Warriors, 7th Overall) - Curry was a well known player out of Davidson college for taking a relative unknown (no pun intended), to being a national title contender. He also has his father Del Curry for getting some extra attention. The question was, can his great collegiate play translate into the NBA? We see great college shooters every year that struggle when they reach the NBA. However, Curry has proven otherwise. His vision and effort on the defensive end have made him stand out among the rookies. Oh yeah, he can really shoot the ball too.

Taj Gibson (Bulls, 26th Overall) - Gibson is already making his presence felt in the NBA especially on the defensive end. He is averaging around seven rebounds a game and a block so far and those should go up as we continue through the season. He is also averaging a modest nine points per game. He has recently received a larger role for his tough play and should turn out as a solid NBA player.

Jonas Jerebko (Pistons, 39th Overall) - The Swede has come along strong of late for the Pistons. Tayshaun Prince got injured and the struggle for his replacement ended quickly when Jerebko started getting playing time. When Prince comes back, Jerebko should still have a significant roll in the Piston rotation. In the meantime, he has the fans at the Palace at Auburn Hills chanting “Detroit Basketball.”