NBA Rookies Impressive So Far

March 17, 2010 • Robert Hampton  
Filed under Sports

Every NBA draft is different. Some years are awesome such as the 1985 draft in which Michael Jordan and Hakeem Olajuwon (combined eight championships) were picked numbers two and three, respectively. Other years, such as the 1999 draft, the NBA ends up with journeyman and injury prone Michael Olawakandi as its # 1 overall pick. However, the draft that took place in 2009 has passed the eye test. The only real glitch is the #1 overall pick Blake Griffin being out the entire year with a knee injury.

As is usually the case, the most talented rookies are on some of the worst teams because those teams get higher draft picks. Such is the case for the Sacramento Kings starting point guard Tyreke Evans. Coming out of the university of Memphis and from under the wing of John Calipari, who is known for breeding great point guards, he is huge for a point guard at 6’4 and over 200 pounds. He is not only leading all rookies in scoring at over 20 points per game but many analysts predict him to be the rookie of the year.

Stephen Curry played basketball at a small school called Davidson. However, it was clear that scouts were paying attention to him as he was selected 7^th by the Golden State Warriors. This team was thought to be perfect for him because of their fast-paced style of play. He recently had an eight game streak in which he averaged over 26 points a game. Dejuan Blair has been the steal of the draft and is leading all rookies in rebounds coming off the bench in limited minutes for the San Antonio Spurs.

Finally, Brandon Jennings didn’t accept the ticket to Music City Hall, where the projected top 15 or so picks go in order to shake the commissioner’s hand live on ESPN during the draft. This was because there had been a lot speculation that a lot of teams with high picks might not draft him, and leave him sitting and waiting in humiliation. However, he was selected 10th by the Milwaukee Bucks.

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