2021-22 Rookie Thread

[God Squad]

It seems like Jalen Green is having a harder time getting his scoring...which is completely unexpected...and if the scoring isn't happening...he's otherwise a net negative...

At 6"4, I guess it's hard to pull off scoring against taller more athletic guards

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He almost killed this man lol. I'm not worried about his scoring per say, although he needs to up the efficiency. For Green I worry about other ways he can impact the game aside from scoring.

[God Squad]

They fall on different spectrums though because their transferability which is most key today is sound.

The old saying goes do two things well you can stay on the court and not look out of place.

One was physical wise the other is rounded skill but both are very much advanced for their age in multiple areas of basketball.

Should be a lesson down the road of evaluating talent.

Mobley is actually not raw at all for a big by age demos. As Wiseman went 1 last year and Mobley is far more advanced on skill.

I agree about Mobley and Barnes and some peoples evaluating. I was just pointing out that both were deemed massive projects and both are showing right out the gate, and not slight flashes but legit " ohh I get it now" types.

Oh for sure 100%. Could be the style over substance thing or looks over results. Like the flashy stuff takes over actual foundational skill.

Watching Mobley especially he flashed best player in the draft consistently for me. I’ve lowered my expectation of Green (smaller on an NBA court and doesn’t have the well rounded game at his position which is vitally important).

I was fully up in the air with Giddey and Barnes though lol but both have legit quality to them.

I do give scouts more benefit of the doubt in this one because the top top end isn’t clear cut, deep yes, but there’s a lot of ranges to pick prospects from.

Don't get me started on Giddey and Barnes. Both were extensively scouted by the Raptors on multiple occasions. But I was only focusing on moving up for Mobley or taking Suggs at 4. I knew nothing except for youtube on both Barnes/Giddey and those videos didn't paint them in a good light. Then when I read Barnes and Giddey had broken jumpers I was totally out.

I'm glad most scouts don't evaluate the way I do lol. Theres no direct science to drafting/scouting per say, but it seems player development and knowing what skills they have can be transferable is very important.

[Vampirate]

I agree about Mobley and Barnes and some peoples evaluating. I was just pointing out that both were deemed massive projects and both are showing right out the gate, and not slight flashes but legit " ohh I get it now" types.

Oh for sure 100%. Could be the style over substance thing or looks over results. Like the flashy stuff takes over actual foundational skill.

Watching Mobley especially he flashed best player in the draft consistently for me. I’ve lowered my expectation of Green (smaller on an NBA court and doesn’t have the well rounded game at his position which is vitally important).

I was fully up in the air with Giddey and Barnes though lol but both have legit quality to them.

I do give scouts more benefit of the doubt in this one because the top top end isn’t clear cut, deep yes, but there’s a lot of ranges to pick prospects from.

Don't get me started on Giddey and Barnes. Both were extensively scouted by the Raptors on multiple occasions. But I was only focusing on moving up for Mobley or taking Suggs at 4. I knew nothing except for youtube on both Barnes/Giddey and those videos didn't paint them in a good light. Then when I read Barnes and Giddey had broken jumpers I was totally out.

I'm glad most scouts don't evaluate the way I do lol. Theres no direct science to drafting/scouting per say, but it seems player development and knowing what skills they have can be transferable is very important.

Honestly it's too early to say What any of these players ceilings are. Suggs could one day just become a deadly shooter which along with what else he has turns him into quite the player.

Discussing floors for a rookie is a good idea, discussing ceilings are another thing.

[xBulletproof]

Wow. Read through this and almost no mention of Duarte.

21 pts, 5 rebs, 3 assists, on 48%, 52% and 100% in his first 2 games.

The players are giving him the ball with the clock under 6 seconds. And Brogdon even gave him the ball when they were just a few feet apart on a fast break, when he could have kept it himself. Positions you don't put a rookie, or player you don't trust in. He's even hit a couple big 3s with the game on the line in the last minute or two.

The players clearly trust him and coaches too. I doubt he will keep up 21 ppg, but he is so good at even just making the right reads and plays.

[basketballRob]

Wow. Read through this and almost no mention of Duarte.

21 pts, 5 rebs, 3 assists, on 48%, 52% and 100% in his first 2 games.

The players are giving him the ball with the clock under 6 seconds. And Brogdon even gave him the ball when they were just a few feet apart on a fast break, when he could have kept it himself. Positions you don't put a rookie, or player you don't trust in. He's even hit a couple big 3s with the game on the line in the last minute or two.

The players clearly trust him and coaches too. I doubt he will keep up 21 ppg, but he is so good at even just making the right reads and plays.

He may very well win the ROY. Kind of like what Brogdon did a couple years ago when he was a much older rookie.

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[PhilBlackson]

What's word on Cade's timeline to return?!

We've seen exciting flashes from a lot of the rooks, I wanna see how Cade looks in actual NBA games. Personally feel like he's actually going to look better than he did in his brief stint in the SL.

[Jadoogar]

Best rookies so far are quite easily.

Mobley
Barnes

Surprisingly the two that were most raw and needing multiple years development. Waiting on Cades debut though.

Duarte needs to be on the list.
I get people's hesitancy due to his age but he's been one of the best rookies so far

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[PD28]

Cade is still my front runner for ROY - I can't see him not play well. I'm not gonna lie tho, the fact that the Pistons aren't being very transparent about his injury concerns me.

[whitehops]

i've watched bits and pieces of barnes but i managed to watch the majority of the game yesterday. he played well, and i love his activity level. he seems like he's everywhere, always trying to make a play around the ball. in a weird way being a role player off the bench in college probably helped him develop his off-ball game. it'll be cool to see how he progresses with the ball in his hands.

i'm not worried about jalen green's scoring, like at all. the kid is way too talented, it'll just take some time to adjust to having most of the attention of an nba defense trying to stop him. even look how quickly anthony edwards figured it out. he looked like a bust leading up to the all star break and then looked like an all star after it. green's success will all come down to how much he can do besides score, like it always has.

What's word on Cade's timeline to return?!

he doesn't have one. he's been ruled out for their road trip (the next three games) and Oct. 30 is the soonest game he hasn't officially been ruled out for. the whole situation is a bit of a mess, you should see the thread on the pistons board about it haha.

[aminiaturebuddha]

Franz should be in the top 2 or 3 rookies so far. He plays good defense and has a complete offensive game.

He could eventually be a 20 ppg. player.

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I really liked Wagner at Michigan, but he had a tendency to get too passive at times. If he stays aggressive and involved in every play, he has a ton of talent. I really hope Orlando develops him well.

[God Squad]

Best rookies so far are quite easily.

Mobley
Barnes

Surprisingly the two that were most raw and needing multiple years development. Waiting on Cades debut though.

Duarte needs to be on the list.
I get people's hesitancy due to his age but he's been one of the best rookies so far

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You're right on both accounts. He should be on the list and I didn't put him on because of the age difference, and the fact that Barnes and Mobley were deemed projects while Duarte was supposed to be ready. But I didn't think he'd be "that" ready lol.

[basketballRob]

Best rookies so far are quite easily.

Mobley
Barnes

Surprisingly the two that were most raw and needing multiple years development. Waiting on Cades debut though.

Duarte needs to be on the list.
I get people's hesitancy due to his age but he's been one of the best rookies so far

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You're right on both accounts. He should be on the list and I didn't put him on because of the age difference, and the fact that Barnes and Mobley were deemed projects while Duarte was supposed to be ready. But I didn't think he'd be "that" ready lol.

Franz is right in that top 4.

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[JonFromVA]

It seems like Jalen Green is having a harder time getting his scoring...which is completely unexpected...and if the scoring isn't happening...he's otherwise a net negative...

Is he still shooting a lot of step back 3s? A player has to get that shot to an elite level before you can count on it game in and game out and Houston is playing two guys who love that shot.

[basketballRob]

Duarte
Mobley
Barnes
Franz

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[PD28]

It seems like Jalen Green is having a harder time getting his scoring...which is completely unexpected...and if the scoring isn't happening...he's otherwise a net negative...

Is he still shooting a lot of step back 3s? A player has to get that shot to an elite level before you can count on it game in and game out and Houston is playing two guys who love that shot.

Green is one of the most athletic players I have every seen but he's super weak and light weight right now. Raptors shut his ass down in preseason by just putting quick defenders on him that had 20-30 pounds on him. I think his rookie season will be filled with poor shooting games where he can't contribute offensively and games where he hits 6 threes and drops 30 points. He'll be the least consistent rookie but also be the rookie to drop 40 points at some point lol.

[Madhouse]

Jalen Green seems to me to be that type who struggles for the first 1-2 years with his efficiency and then either becomes a major bust or a superstar. I don't think he ever is going to be a solid player. He needs to gain weight and mature.

[yoyoboy]

You'd notice Mobley is still pretty raw if you watched these past couple games. It could take him a couple years before he really develops some grown man strength. His touch is a bit inconsistent right now. He's not as assertive as he could be yet. And he's still trying to figure out where he needs to be on both ends. So it's exciting that he's still managing to be pretty productive in spite of all that. His passing, length, and defensive mobility are what really jump off the screen.

Nice to see Barnes playing really well. I think he has a great chance to win ROY.

[Section_306]

All I can say is that I still have faith in Sam Darnold and nobody will persuade me towards some other ideological foundation

[Bruin]

You'd notice Mobley is still pretty raw if you watched these past couple games. It could take him a couple years before he really develops some grown man strength. His touch is a bit inconsistent right now. He's not as assertive as he could be yet. And he's still trying to figure out where he needs to be on both ends. So it's exciting that he's still managing to be pretty productive in spite of all that. His passing, length, and defensive mobility are what really jump off the screen.

Nice to see Barnes playing really well. I think he has a great chance to win ROY.

One thing that impressed me with Mobley is that I expected him to struggle against physical bigs early on, but he debuted against Steven Adams and more than held his own

The talent and skill is there and once he builds some more weight, he’s gonna be tough

[kane0801]

Mobley is elite