There are still plenty of games to be played before the season comes to an end. Though this year's crop of rookies hasn't impressed like the previous year's crop, there is still some intriguing talent. Here's a look at this year's Rookies.
- Andrea Bargnani - Toronto Raptors
Stats: 11.4 ppg, 3.9 rbpg, 25 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 16.0 ppg, 5.5 ppg
- LaMarcus Aldridge - Portland Trail Blazers
Stats: 8.0 ppg, 4.5 rbpg, 1.1 bspg, 20 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 14.0 ppg, 7.9 rbpg, 1.9 bspg
- Adam Morrison - Charlotte Bobcats
Stats: 12.9 ppg, 3.1 rbpg, 38% FG, 31 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 14.6, 3.5 rbpg
- Tyrus Thomas - Chicago Bulls
Stats: 4.6 ppg, 3.2 rbpg, 1.1 bspg, 12 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 13.4 ppg, 9.3 rbpg, 3.2 bspg
- Shelden Williams - Atlanta Hawks
Stats: 4.8 ppg, 4.8 rbpg, 0.5 bspg, 17.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 9.6 ppg, 9.6 rbpg, 1.0 bspg
- Brandon Roy - Portland Trail Blazers
Stats: 15.9 ppg, 4.2 rbpg, 4.2 apg, 34.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 16.1 ppg, 4.3 rbpg, 4.3 apg
- Randy Foye - Minnesota Timberwolves
Stats: 9.1 ppg, 2.6 rbpg, 2.6 apg, 21.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 14.8 ppg, 4.2 rbpg, 4.2 apg
- Rudy Gay - Memphis Grizzlies
Stats: 10.5 ppg, 4.3 rbpg, 0.9 bspg, 0.9 spg, 26 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 14.1 ppg, 5.8 rbpg, 1.2 bspg
- Patrick O'Bryant - Golden State Warriors
Stats: 1.9 ppg, 1.3 rbpg 7.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 8.7 ppg, 6.1 rbpg
- Mouhammed Saer Sene - Seattle Supersonics
Stats: 1.4 ppg, 1.3 rbpg, 0.4 bspg 5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 9.8 ppg, 9.1 rbpg, 2.8 bspg
- J.J. Redick - Orlando Magic
Stats: 5.6 ppg, 0.9 threes per game, 15 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 13.1 ppg, 2.1 threes per game
- Hilton Armstrong - New Orleans Hornets
Stats: 3.0 ppg, 2.5 rbpg, 10.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 10 ppg, 8.3 rbpg
- Thabo Sefolosha - Chicago Bulls
Stats: 3.3 ppg, 1.9 rbpg, 11.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 10.0 ppg, 5.8 rbpg
- Ronnie Brewer - Utah Jazz
Stats: 4.2 ppg, 0.7 spg, 11.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 12.8 ppg, 2.1 spg
- Cedric Simmons - New Orleans Hornets
Stats: 3.1 ppg, 2.7 rbpg, 13 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 8.3 ppg, 7.3 rbpg
Others:
16. Rodney Carney - Philadelphia 76ers
Stats: 6.4 ppg, 17.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 12.8 ppg
20. Renaldo Balkmen - New York Knicks
Stats: 3.8 ppg, 3.6 rbpg, 0.7 spg, 0.7 bspg, 13.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 9.9 ppg, 9.3 rbpg, 1.8 bspg, 1.8 spg
21. Rajon Rondo - Boston Celtics
Stats: 5.4 ppg, 3.2 rbpg, 3.3 apg, 1.4 spg, 20 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 9.5 ppg, 5.6 rbpg, 5.8 apg, 2.5 spg
22. Marcus Williams - New Jersey Nets
Stats: 7.6 ppg, 3.2 apg, 17.5 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 15.2 ppg, 6.4 apg
47. Paul Millsap - Utah Jazz
Stats: 6.7 ppg, 5.0 rbpg, 1.0 bspg, 18 minutes per game
Projected Stats at 35 mpg: 13.0 ppg, 9.7 rbpg, 1.9 bspg
Hawks :(
Why oh why do the Hawks keep drafting redundant players? The number of SG/SF and SF/PF players they have now must reach into the thousands. And the most recent two top the cake.
Faced with a glaring need for a reputable point guard, they chose Marvin over Paul, Williams, and Felton. At this stage, even Jarrett Jack looks like he would work better in the Hawks lineup.
Then, the Hawks passed up Brandon Roy and Randy Foye in 06, when teams behind them were making trades for quality point guards.
Joe Johnson is great and all, but a combo of him + Lue/Claxton/Johnson is not going to work anytime soon.
RE: Hawks
At the time, I didn't mind the Shelden Williams pick for Atlanta. In fact, I still don't mind it. I think there's a place for him on that team and no one was certain Roy would be able to play the point position in the NBA. That being said, I still think and I thought at the time that Roy should've been a top two pick easy, so there's no excusing that. But, I was also surprised about Marvin Williams. I loved Chris Paul in college and predicted he'd get rookie of the year.
The Hawks won't have a first round pick to screw up this year, unless they get lucky and get a top three pick. Otherwise, they've traded it to Phoenix as part of the Joe Johnson deal. There aren't a whole lot of point guards available for this draft anyway. Maybe Acie Law. Of course, Darren Collison could surprise the world and declare.