We’re now about a month into the NBA season, and the rookies are starting to showcase their talents on a nightly basis. This rookie class could go down as one of the best when we look back years from now. A lot of rookies are playing big time minutes early in the year, which is a rarity. The race for ROTY is going to be an interesting one that also includes last year’s number one pick, Ben Simmons. Every month of the NBA season, I’m going to roll call all the rookies and see how they are progressing over the season. We’ll keep an update on who is at top for ROTY. ROLL CALL!
Markelle Fultz
Man, did Danny Ainge play this game well, or did he play it well? Celtics fans (including me) were in astonishment that Danny Ainge traded down to the third pick and passed one the top PG prospect. It made no sense to me that Danny didn’t want any of these PGs with IT and Marcus Smart becoming FAs at the end of the year. However, Danny was right again. So far, Fultz and the Sixers have created a conundrum that fans have no clue what is going on. He’s only played in four games and was shut down due to a shoulder issue. The whole shoulder injury was never clear to the fans, and it’s confusing that they waited until the season started to do treatments. Brett Brown said yesterday that Fultz is recovering well, and fans should be excited for him to come back. WE SHALL SEE!
Lonzo Ball
It still irks me that his dad is still the spotlight of the family when Lonzo is the one balling and has made it further in his basketball career than his father could ever dream of. We’re seeing a lot of struggle out of Lonzo so far, but I don’t think it’s cause for concern. He’s only shooting 30% from the field and under 30% in losses. Those are Marcus Smart shooting numbers, and that isn’t going to cut it for the Lakers. They gave up on Russell early, and now he’s averaging 20+ PPG for the Nets. Lonzo has a lot of expectations by the Lakers and the public, but it doesn’t seem to bother him at all. I’m curious to see how his game progresses with more playing time and confidence in his shot.
Jayson Tatum
Jayson Tatum, I want to apologize to you straight up and admit my wrongs. You are the best rookie so far, and I don’t think anyone is even close. After the Gordon Hayward injury, the Celtics have been winning game after game, and Tatum is one of the biggest reasons for that. He starts every game and has been one of the leading scorers on the team. He’s shooting 50% from the field, which is incredible for a rookie. His rebounding and defense have been the spark plugs the Celtics were missing from their team last year. Kyrie has taken him under his wing, and I can’t wait to see these two in green and white for years to come.
Ben Simmons
Since Simmons didn’t play last year, he still has his rookie status, and so far, he’s proved to NBA fans that he’s what they said he was. Simmons is an incredible playmaker at his size and is currently leading all rookies in points and minutes. His shooting ability is still lacking, but it doesn’t seem to affect his game at all. I think, in order for him to take the next step, he needs to have a consistent jump shot, so he can make plays off ball and spread the floor. As of right now, he’s an early favorite to win ROTY by most of the media.
Dennis Smith Jr.
There was all this hype about Lonzo Ball and Markelle Fultz as the best PG prospects in years. Well, NBA experts, I think you guys guessed wrong. Dennis Smith Jr. has a chip on his shoulder due to not receiving the hype as much as the other two. He also should feel offended by the Knicks taking Ntilikina over him. Smith is second in rookie scoring (behind Simmons) and has bounce that I haven’t seen from the PG position since D Rose on the Bulls. Dallas has found their PG of the future, and they need to build around him. He has the capability of becoming the best PG of this draft class.
Kyle Kuzma
Many of us (including me) had no idea who Kyle Kuzma was or what he was going to be. Well, turns out, he’s the clear cut best rookie the Lakers drafted this year. When Larry Nance Jr. went down with an injury, Kuzma stepped in, and I don’t think he’s giving that job back. Despite being drafted late in the first round and being part of the Russell trade, Kuzma is third in rookie scoring, and if Lonzo starts cooking, these two are going to be a joy to watch. Kuzma moves extremely well for his size and is a match-up nightmare for both 4s and 3s. Who would’ve thought a Laker rookie not named Lonzo would be the Lakers best player?
Josh Jackson
Despite pretending to shoot fans in the crowd and slandering them, Josh Jackson is exactly what I thought he was going to be. This was the last player I wanted the Celtics to draft, and we can see why. He’s not going to be a great offensive player. Jackson does, however, have a chance to be great in transition due to his demeanor on defense and quick hands. It’s hard to judge him completely due to how bad Phoenix is, but I expect more out of him offensively. Defensively, I think he’s the best rookie defender, so far, averaging almost a steal and half per game. He has the tenacity, drive, and length to be a top wing-defender in the NBA, and I want to see him make that step later in the season.
Other Notable 2017 NBA Rookies
Lauri Markkanen (CHI)
He’s surprising me with his ability to score and rebound. I thought he would be a bust, but he seems to be the best player on the Bulls right now.
Frank Ntilikina (NY)
Despite the slander he’s getting for being drafted before Smith, I still think he has a chance to be the Knicks PG of the future. More playing time with Porzingis will create a chemistry between the two, and the Knicks can begin building around them.
Mike James (PHX)
I still have no idea who this guy is, but he’s 27 years old and is one of the leading scorers on the Suns. He seems to be one of the replacement options for Bledsoe, even though they’re planning to move Booker to the PG position. He’ll be interesting to keep track of as the oldest Rookie in the NBA.
Donovan Mitchell (UTA)
Mitchell is becoming one of the major offensive weapons for the Jazz (scoring nearly 15 points per game) and will be a fun rookie to watch on a team that isn’t going far.
De’Aaron Fox (SAC)
The Kings are going to be at the bottom of the barrel for some time. It’s clear that there isn’t much talent on that team, and that stems from the trade of DeMarcus Cousins last season. Fox and Buddy Hield look to be the only bright spots in the organization. I’m intrigued to see how the rookie performs as the main source of offense on a team that will probably finish in the bottom three this year.
Thanks for reading!
JTA (@jtapersources)