ezzzp wrote:Mario Hezonja compared to his fellow rookies (the top 30 in total minutes):
So he was 15th among rookies in per 36 scoring at 12.2 ppg. Certainly not real impressive for a #5 pick.
Mario didn't have to come in and win Rookie of the Year, but it's hard to argue that he had a good rookie season. To say he was "raw", for me, is like saying he under-performed in the one area where he was supposed to have an advantage -- his skills. The word on Mario was he had been playing pro ball since he was 12, was playing against men, not college kids, in Europe's top league for one of its top teams, and had been training and honing his skills for years. He was supposed to be more "game-ready" than the 18-19 year old college kids in his draft. But the truth is, he wasn't. His ball-handling was sloppy, his shooting percentage wasn't that good, he was lost on defense for at least half the season (that improved as the season went on, have to give him credit there). The one skill set that impressed me was his passing. I hope Skiles can cultivate that and find a way to use it.
As I said in previous posts, I'm sure Mario will improve and probably become a nice player. But the great players show it in their rookie years, and that means, once again, we didn't get a great player. Maybe a good player, not a great player. At some point Hennigan is going to have to hit on a guy, or this rebuild will go on for years.
Incidentally, the Magic Facebook page had a post today about Mike Miller winning the Rookie of the Year in 2001 (as a #5 pick). He hit 148 3-pointers on 40.7% from 3-point range. Also could pass, run the court, had handles. Watching the highlights they posted, I forgot how athletic he was before he started having injuries.