The NBA rookies Thread

[LogicMan]

Ball looks like a better version of this IMO

 

[Mecca]

Ball looks like a better version of this IMO

I think the Lakers would love for him to defend like Rondo did.

I actually think this is a fair statement.

Imagine what Ball could do with 3 prime future HOFers?

 

[flyerhawk]

Ball looks like a better version of this IMO

LOL. Rondo was a really good PG. Never an elite player but a really good player. I don't think the Lakers would be super upset with getting a consistent all star level player.

And if he develops an outside he could be elite

I read an article about how Kemba Walker hasn't had a dunk in 4 years. And yet he's quietly one of the best guards in basketball. It's all about leveraging your skills and not trying to do what you can't.

 

[bksballer89]

 

[Bolts]

I bet Wilt and Oscar couldn't do it while wearing 2 different jerseys throughout the game though.

 

[wildturkey]

LOL. Rondo was a really good PG. Never an elite player but a really good player. I don't think the Lakers would be super upset with getting a consistent all star level player.

And if he develops an outside he could be elite

I read an article about how Kemba Walker hasn't had a dunk in 4 years. And yet he's quietly one of the best guards in basketball. It's all about leveraging your skills and not trying to do what you can't.

Depends. If he is that and LA doesn't really have more around him, there's going to be TONS of people pissed. Especially if Jayson Tatum looks like the best player so far or really, any of the other rookies keep playing so well. This rookie class has been unusually good so far. Point is, if all Ball is is a Rondo or Rubio and that's what you got at #2, people are going to be upset. That's why its important for your organization to not overhype kids and talk about retiring jerseys at the introductory press conferences. *glances at Magic Johnson*

 

[flyerhawk]

Depends. If he is that and LA doesn't really have more around him, there's going to be TONS of people pissed. Especially if Jayson Tatum looks like the best player so far or really, any of the other rookies keep playing so well. This rookie class has been unusually good so far. Point is, if all Ball is is a Rondo or Rubio and that's what you got at #2, people are going to be upset. That's why its important for your organization to not overhype kids and talk about retiring jerseys at the introductory press conferences. *glances at Magic Johnson*

Yeah the hype certainly didn't help Lonzo. Neither did his father.

 

[Mecca]

Simmons, Kuzma, Mitchell....

Oh.

My.

#Boys2Men

 

[mr.hockey4242]

Ball blows

 

[Shaqdaddy11]

Ball blows

I agree he's underwhelming so far but give it time. He hasn't even played 10 games so far.

 

[Black Adam]

I agree he's underwhelming so far but give it time. He hasn't even played 10 games so far.

agreed...

kid IS only a rook, after all...

 

[trojanfan12]

I agree he's underwhelming so far but give it time. He hasn't even played 10 games so far.

Seeing as how he has numbers that are virtually identical to Jason Kidd's first season...I'd say he's doing just fine.

Especially considering he is younger and has only 1 year of college under his belt compared to Kidd's 2 years.

Like quarterback in the NFL, pg is the most difficult position to learn in the NBA...especially in the West.

 

[Mecca]

Seeing as how he has numbers that are virtually identical to Jason Kidd's first season...I'd say he's doing just fine.

Especially considering he is younger and has only 1 year of college under his belt compared to Kidd's 2 years.

Like quarterback in the NFL, pg is the most difficult position to learn in the NBA...especially in the West.

Kidd had to do less because he had Jim Jackson and Mashburn putting up 24 and 25 ppg each.

Jones, Mcloud, Harris and Tarpley 10 ppg and up.

Shit, even Scotty Brooks was at 8ppg.

That's a ton of fire power.

No surprise his attempts/ppg were average.

Lonzo doesn't have as much help.

So, fairly or unfairly, he is expected to do more.

Unfortunately, that is not his game.

Someone used the Rondo comparison....maybe in jest?

My response is...

Put 3 prime future HoFers with Lonzo and see if the picture looks a bit different.

 

[trojanfan12]

Kidd had to do less because he had Jim Jackson and Mashburn putting up 24 and 25 ppg each.

Jones, Mcloud, Harris and Tarpley 10 ppg and up.

Shit, even Scotty Brooks was at 8ppg.

That's a ton of fire power.

No surprise his attempts/ppg were average.

Lonzo doesn't have as much help.

So, fairly or unfairly, he is expected to do more.

Unfortunately, that is not his game.

Someone used the Rondo comparison....maybe in jest?

My response is...

Put 3 prime future HoFers with Lonzo and see if the picture looks a bit different.

Agree. He is basically learning to play the way he is going to play for the rest of his career. While he does need to improve his shot, it's not like the Lakers are ever going to be depending on him to score. They want him running the offense correctly so that everyone else can score.

Rondo is a fair comparison in that he's a pass first pg who can't shoot. I expect that Lonzo will end up being better than Rondo though because he's having to work harder and take more lumps than Rondo did.

Lonzo is part of a young core learning to play together while Rondo was basically just deciding which HoF'er's turn it was to get the ball. I think it ultimately hindered his growth and may be at least partially why he never did improve his shot.

 

[LogicMan]

agreed...

kid IS only a rook, after all...

Kid is going to be good. You can see it. They need to get him a shooting coach thats all

 

[shopson67]

It is real simple. This thread is titled: The NBA Rookie thread. The simple question is which rookie would you rather have on your team? From what I am seeing, Ben Simmons is the best of this group. I would not trade him for any or even any 2 of the other rookies in this discussion.

Simmons is clearly playing the best of the guys listed (with apologies to Bell), but what is this group? He's not in this draft class, but rookie eligible.

I don't think this thread is exclusively about "who would you rather have" but instead about tracking the progress of this rookie class (or rookie-eligible).

Ball has been OK, but has a lot of work to do. Kuzma is overshadowing him in LA IMO.

 

[trojanfan12]

Kid is going to be good. You can see it. They need to get him a shooting coach thats all

Agree. I'm hoping that he will continue to work on his shot during the season when he can and then really step it up by working with a shooting coach in the off-season.

I really like how he sees the floor and keeps everyone involved in the offense. The Lakers team scoring is very balanced right now. They have 7 players averaging in double figures and they're all between 10.6 and 16.4 points per game.

 

[trojanfan12]

Simmons is clearly playing the best of the guys listed (with apologies to Bell), but what is this group? He's not in this draft class, but rookie eligible.

I don't think this thread is exclusively about "who would you rather have" but instead about tracking the progress of this rookie class (or rookie-eligible).

Ball has been OK, but has a lot of work to do. Kuzma is overshadowing him in LA IMO.

The other thing to remember is that it's also about what each team needs from each player. Simmons definitely looks like the best of the bunch at the moment, but many of the other guys are playing well and providing what their teams need.

Kuzma is overshadowing Lonzo right now because of scoring and because no one saw him coming. So you have the combination of his scoring and being a surprise.

However, when you consider the way Lonzo runs the offense and the opportunities that provides for his teammates to score...I don't think it's too much to state that at least some of Kuzma's production is attributable to Lonzo and the way the ball moves in the Lakers offense.

 

[shopson67]

His competition at the forward spot will include:

• Ben Simmons
• Jason Tatum
• Lauri Markkanen
• Josh Jackson
• among others who may or may not emerge to have decent seasons

I'd bet against Kuzma being 1st team out of that group... but he is having a nice start, albeit on a poor team.

Rookie first team isn't typically that position-based. Past two years both had 2 centers (and definite centers, not PF/C), once in place of a guard and once in place of a forward.

NBA Awards - All-Rookie 1st Team - National Basketball Association - ESPN

Kuzma: 15.4/6.3 .563 18.09 PER
Simmons: 18/8.2/9.8 .516 21.18 PER
Markkanen: 16.3/9 .431 16.41 PER
Tatum: 13.6/6.3 .494 16.40 PER
Jackson: 10.4/3.4 .404 9.38 PER

Can't really use the poor team argument either, as only Tatum's Celtics have more wins than Kuzma's Lakers amongst these forwards.

 

[LogicMan]

Tatum was vicious tonite in crunch time. Dude is an assasin. And he talks like he has no pulse. Ice Ice baby