Once a rookie is drafted, he must participate in preseason workouts and is generally expected to fade into obscurity on the bench during the regular season.
The life of a rookie is a difficult one that rarely reaps any sort of benefits until at least their sophomore year if not later. This year, however, the NBA has been graced by an exceptional rookie class that is making huge contributions each and every night. Hours are filled with studying film, listening to veterans’ tips, lifting weights and getting in shape for the more physical and demanding professional level.
This year, the surprise has come from the sheer mass of rookies that are playing a major part in the league.
The top picks are not making any noise in the league — at least not yet. Number one overall draft pick, Blake Griffin, averaged an impressive 13 points and eight rebounds per game in exhibition play and was said to have the potential to be considered an elite player in the game. Some think Griffin might be the key in turning around the disaster that is the LA Clippers.
Then, in true Clipper fashion, Griffin broke his kneecap. Griffin was initially ruled out indefinitely, though since his initial prognoses, it looks like the former college player of the year will be out for at least six weeks.
Then there was the fifth overall pick in Ricky Rubio. Rubio was a highly touted point guard out of Spain who, when drafted, was deemed as the starting point guard for a rebuilding Minnesota Timberwolves team. Rubio, however, decided the NBA was not for him and packed his suitcases back to Spain.
Out of the first five draft picks, Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet, James Harden, Tyreke Evans and Rubio, only Evans is having a significant impact for his team. Evans is averaging 17 points a game in about 33 minutes of playtime.
Everyone except those in the top five have had the biggest impact and look like they are going to be the determining factors in how well teams will do down the stretch.
The biggest surprise has been Brandon Jennings who was picked tenth overall by the Milwaukee Bucks. Jennings signed with an Italian team where he played one year after high school, then became automatically eligible for the draft despite not playing in college. The point guard is averaging 26 points per game in just about 33 minutes of action. His most impressive performance this season was when he scored 55 points against the Golden State Warriors on Saturday night.
There always seems to be one player that has people worried about whether their college skills will translate to the more competitive NBA. This year, that player is Stephen Curry. During his three-year tenure at Davidson, Curry made a habit of drawing double-teams and still burning them for an average of 27 points per game.
Many feared Curry’s string-bean stature and loose style would not make for a good NBA player. Those critics have been proven wrong. Curry is averaging nine points a game, shooting 50 percent from behind the arc and contributing two steals and four assists per game.
The biggest question for this season had to be how the former Tar Heels would fare in the NBA. Four ‘Heels were selected during the draft and many questioned if they could handle a slower, more methodical half-court game after playing in a fast paced full-court Roy Williams offense for the previous few years.
Each player thought he was ready to compete. Tyler Hansbrough, Ty Lawson and Wayne Ellington were each selected in the first round and Danny Green was selected in the second round.
Lawson has been the most impressive thus far serving as the back up to Chauncey Billups. In just about 21 minutes of action per game, Lawson is averaging ten points. He also is offering a big spark off the bench for the Nuggets. Lawson’s most impressive moment probably came on Friday night when he drove the lane and went up and dunked over the LA Lakers 7-foot D.J. Mbenga.
Hansbrough suffered an injury in preseason but has played on a limited basis in the last three games. He is already averaging 11 points per game. That number is sure to rise as the season continues.
Of course, there will be bumps along the road and stretches where the rookies will have to go through learning curves. This year’s rookie class looks to be one of the best in NBA history and that is going to become even more evident over their careers.
You can reach this columnist at sports@theeagleonline.com.
