Happy New Year Basketball Fans,
It has been a world wind season so far in the NBA. The Omicron variant has wreaked havoc on the players this past month – causing game cancellations, rule changes and a new injury report classification called “covid protocol”.
From the beginning of this pandemic the NBA has served as an early indicator on when this covid virus penetrates our defenses. The league was the first to shut down on March 11th, 2020, when Rudy Gobert of the Utah Jazz tested positive. They were one of the first leagues to implement a “bubble environment” at Walt Disney in Orlando – crowning Lebron James and the LA Lakers as the Bubble Champs. So, when you see the NBA go from 16 players testing positive in the first 6 weeks of the season to over 120 (almost 30% of the entire league) in December alone. You know there is a serious problem!
After deliberation and consultation with the health experts and accountants (Lol), the show goes on.
As fans, I think we all want to continue watching this game we love!
As we now turn the page on 2021 and move into the New Year…
Here are the Top 5 NBA Rookies so far this season:
#5 Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder
Season Stats: 11 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 6.4 APG
The 6’8″ Australian Guard has started all 31 games he has played this season. He has paired well with his Canadian teammates Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Luguentz Dort to form a promising trio for the future. The solid individual play of the three have not yet translated into a winning record. They are one of the worst teams in the Western Conference. Giddey’s length in the back court has served him well pulling down 7 boards a game. His court vision and playmaking ability have proven to be spot on, however his shooting percentages across the board need to improve to take him to that next level.
#4 Franz Wagner, Orlando Magic
Season Stats: 15.9 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 2.7 APG
The 6’10” German Forward has started and played in all his teams 38 games this season. He is the only Rookie in this Top 5 that has not missed any games and with added responsibilities while many of his teammates were out with Covid, Franz has proven to be able to step up his game a notch. He has been extremely consistent throughout the season using his size when driving to the bucket and has shot the ball well from the 3PT line (37%) and charity stripe (83.6%). Even with Wagner’s success the team has struggled and have the worst record in the entire NBA.
#3 Cade Cunningham, Detroit Pistons
Season Stats: 15.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, 5.3 APG
Starting the season with an injury contributed to a slow start for the 6’6″ #1 Pick of the 2021 NBA Draft. As Cade started to show glimpses of why he was the consensus top rated Rookie coming out of College, he tested positive for Covid and was shelved again in December. After missing 4 games in covid protocol, Cunningham returned to action with a solid outing contributing to his team’s victory over the defending NBA Champions, Milwaukee Bucks. Cade is stat stuffer however his efficiency needs to improve, and he must do a better job protecting the ball. He gives up way too many turnovers. Detroit is the 2nd worst team in the NBA behind the Orlando Magic.
#2 Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
Season Stats: 14.8 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 2.5 APG
At 6’11” this long, mobile Big has amazing foot work. Mobley is an elite individual and team defender who provides exceptional help defense for his teammates. He has a nice touch around the bucket and has a decent long range shot from the 3-point line. Evan has stepped in nicely from game 1 and has been a great asset to his team, contributing to them winning games. His team has the best record of any of these Rookies in the Top 5.
#1 Scottie Barnes, Toronto Raptors
Season Stats: 15.5 PPG, 8.2 RPG, 3.3 APG
Standing 6’7″ with an insane 7’3″ wingspan, Scottie brings incredible energy every minute he is on the floor. He is a relentless on-the-ball defender who can provide scoring, without running too many plays for him. His points have come organically in the flow of the game in both half court and transition. He is scoring at an efficient clip and has exceptional court vision for a Rookie. Barnes is a willing passer and can help run the offense allowing FVV to play off the ball at times. The fact that he is not the vocal point of the offense and is still able to produce great stats, play elite defense and get his teammates easy looks with his Magic Johnson like passes, makes him the #1 Rookie going into the 2nd half of the season.
Let me know if you agree or disagree with my Top 5 NBA Rookie selection in the comments below.
