The ROTY/Rookie Discussion Thread, Part III

[nurseryc]

Simmons got a full year of NBA level coaching, training, conditioning, nutrition all while pocketing 7+ million which is huge. Simmons got a year of head start to get used to plays, team travel etc. Mitchell didn't have any of that last year. Which is why people are saying it isn't fair to qualify Simmons a rookie.

This whole "oh well he didn't play one game, so he's a rookie still" ignores so much.

Would you be saying this if Ben played for your favourite team?

How can you claim a full year of conditioning and training when the guy was injured for the vast majority of that time?

He did not travel with the team, he sat at home in a moon boot fantasising about playing basketball. If that is more valuable to his development than an extra year in college then why don't all the top prospects follow this practice?

I guess you consider Joel a veteran cos he's been in the league the same amount of time as Gary Harris, Kyle Anderson, TJ Warren and Marcus Smart.

I believe if Simmons didn’t lose a whole year to injury then he would have had an even greater rookie season. It didn’t benefit him by any means having a serious injury for a year. What a joke!

The only place people have Mitchell winning ROY is on this forum by posters. All the voting agencies have Simmons as the runaway favourite to win.

[michaelm]

Simmons got a full year of NBA level coaching, training, conditioning, nutrition all while pocketing 7+ million which is huge. Simmons got a year of head start to get used to plays, team travel etc. Mitchell didn't have any of that last year. Which is why people are saying it isn't fair to qualify Simmons a rookie.

This whole "oh well he didn't play one game, so he's a rookie still" ignores so much.

Would you be saying this if Ben played for your favourite team?

How can you claim a full year of conditioning and training when the guy was injured for the vast majority of that time?

He did not travel with the team, he sat at home in a moon boot fantasising about playing basketball. If that is more valuable to his development than an extra year in college then why don't all the top prospects follow this practice?

I guess you consider Joel a veteran cos he's been in the league the same amount of time as Gary Harris, Kyle Anderson, TJ Warren and Marcus Smart.

I believe if Simmons didn’t lose a whole year to injury then he would have had an even greater rookie season. It didn’t benefit him by any means having a serious injury for a year. What a joke!

The only place people have Mitchell winning ROY is on this forum by posters. All the voting agencies have Simmons as the runaway favourite to win.

Which can and probably should change if Mitchell keeps having 40 point games and Utah keep blowing out opponents, including Golden State.

I don't care whether Simmons is ROTY or not, winning it last year doesn't seem to have helped Malcolm Brogden much since.

I would like to see Simmons win titles and perhaps be MVP though, and I don't see him being ROTY or not having much influence on those eventualities.

[Luke]

The only place people have Mitchell winning ROY is on this forum by posters. All the voting agencies have Simmons as the runaway favourite to win.

Yes, but Mitchell is gaining ground quickly. One month ago you could win 340 $ putting 10 $ on him. Now you can win only 30 $.

The gap is closing fast, and there is still a lot of basketball to play...

[PhilBlackson]

The only place people have Mitchell winning ROY is on this forum by posters. All the voting agencies have Simmons as the runaway favourite to win.

Yes, but Mitchell is gaining ground quickly. One month ago you could win 340 $ putting 10 $ on him. Now you can win only 30 $.

The gap is closing fast, and there is still a lot of basketball to play...

Especially if he has a few more 40pt nights which he of course is totally capable of doing, that will get some buzz going about him if he gets his name in the conversation with AI and Jordan.

[nurseryc]

Simmons mid range game is absolute money

[commentatorer]

It is bizarre that a guard who is the favorite to win ROTY has not made a single three 50 games into his NBA-carreer. Has this ever happened before?

Even in Michael Jordan's 4th year he attempted 53 and made only 7

I hope Simmons never makes a 3, because if he makes a 3 it will encourage him to attempt more, and the biggest problem in the NBA is players wasting their athleticism by settling for lazy treys.

John Stockton made 2 threes in each of his first two seasons. Crazy how the league has evolved.

Yep and John Paxson was known for being a specialist perimeter spot-up shooter, yet attempted only 96 threes in 1990-91 (and made .438 of them) in 82 games.
Even though he was an excellent 3-point-shooter, he was positioned for long 2-pointers.

[Damkac]

How it took them so long to realize that 3pt shot is better than long 2?

[WaveTheWheat80]

Even in Michael Jordan's 4th year he attempted 53 and made only 7

I hope Simmons never makes a 3, because if he makes a 3 it will encourage him to attempt more, and the biggest problem in the NBA is players wasting their athleticism by settling for lazy treys.

John Stockton made 2 threes in each of his first two seasons. Crazy how the league has evolved.

Yep and John Paxson was known for being a specialist perimeter spot-up shooter, yet attempted only 96 threes in 1990-91 (and made .438 of them) in 82 games.
Even though he was an excellent 3-point-shooter, he was positioned for long 2-pointers.

What does that have to do with the price of tea in China? The evolution of the value of the three point shot is not new.

[mediocrityrules]

Can there be joint winners? They’re both exceptional talents.


Sent from my iPhone using RealGM Forums

[Cappy_Smurf]

The only place people have Mitchell winning ROY is on this forum by posters. All the voting agencies have Simmons as the runaway favourite to win.

Lol. What are you even talking about? This forum has Simmons over Mitchell 155 -144 right now. And like someone else said, the betting odds have Mitchell a lot closer now than they were. Where is this magical place where Simmons is a runaway favorite? It looks to me that both this forum and betting agencies are close to being in agreement that it's fairly close with Simmons a slight favorite at the moment. It might be a little closer on this forum, but it's not some night and day difference like you're selling it.

[millslapper]

Royce O' Neale, undrafted Rookie out of Baylor getting better and better, looks like a legit 3 and D wing (+ playmaking ability) for the modern NBA. First rookie of the bench with a statline >60%FG, 18PTS,5R,5A,3S, 100% 3P (4/4) all time
(i know, thats some kind of homerism, but he got me screaming with his dagger play steal & dunk at the end.

Watch on YouTube

[stitches]

Royce O' Neale, undrafted Rookie out of Baylor getting better and better, looks like a legit 3 and D wing (+ playmaking ability) for the modern NBA. First rookie of the bench with a statline >60%FG, 18PTS,5R,5A,3S, 100% 3P (4/4) all time
(i know, thats some kind of homerism, but he got me screaming with his dagger play steal & dunk at the end.

Watch on YouTube

Great find by the Jazz FO. And we have him on a minimum contract for two more years if we want him.

Also...for the purposes of the thread - ROYce O'Neale... it's inevitable - it's in his name...

[markjay]

Josh Hart last two games:
14.5 points per game
12.5 rebounds per game
.871 ts%
Back-to-back double doubles

Third best rookie on the team!

[LakersSoul]

Josh Hart last two games:
14.5 points per game
12.5 rebounds per game
.871 ts%
Back-to-back double doubles

Third best rookie on the team!

Lonzo Ball
Josh Hart
Kuzma
Thomas Bryant

The Lakers really hit a homerun this draft. Lonzo and Hart will be a strong defensive and rebounding point guard duo that leads the league in pace and fast breaks. They should lead the league in rebounding by guards by a wide, wide margin in the future. Kuzma is Kuzma. I hope the Lakers can give more minutes to Bryant because he could be another special talent that can stretch the defense too.

[gaspar]

Read on Twitter

[LakersSoul]

Josh Hart last two games:
14.5 points per game
12.5 rebounds per game
.871 ts%
Back-to-back double doubles

Third best rookie on the team!

Lonzo Ball
Josh Hart
Kuzma
Thomas Bryant

The Lakers really hit a homerun this draft. Lonzo and Hart will be a strong defensive and rebounding point guard duo that leads the league in pace and fast breaks. They should lead the league in rebounding by guards by a wide, wide margin in the future. Kuzma is Kuzma. I hope the Lakers can give more minutes to Bryant because he could be another special talent that can stretch the defense too.

One more point on Hart, he had the most minutes on the team today. He played a tough 39 minutes guarding Westbrook and George at times. He also was money from the outside, shoting 5 for 6 and 2 out of 3 from deep. Love this kids play. He is a strong defender, rebounder and really attacks the rim and knocks down a good number of his shots. Just a smart and dependable player.

Right now, Hart is making KCP and Ennis expendable. He already has taken over all of Ennis' minutes, thank god. Now, Hart is making KCP expendable for next year at rookie salary.

[Capn'O]

Read on Twitter

Glad to see him starting to cook a bit. He was a guy I really wanted if the Knicks had hit in the lotto.

[Young gun 6]

Josh Jackson with 23/5/1/1/1 on 10/14 and 3/4 with very solid Defense and +14 when on the court. Might make a late push for 2nd all nba rookie team

[LakersSoul]

Josh Jackson with 23/5/1/1/1 on 10/14 and 3/4 with very solid Defense and +14 when on the court. Might make a late push for 2nd all nba rookie team

The competition is tough right now for All-Rookie Team:

Right now:
1st:
Simmons
Mitchell
Tatum
Markkanen
Kuzma

2nd:
Lonzo
Fox
DSJ
JCollins

I say Jackson, Allen, Hart and Bogdanovic are fighting for that last spot based on recent play.

Others:
Ntilikina
Adebayo
OG
Jordan Bell
Dorsey
Brooks

[cl2117]

The Celtics had 5 rookies play 112 minutes in total yesterday: Tatum (36), Ojeleye (28), Theis (20), Nader (20), Yabusele (8).

Kadeem Allen made it on the floor as the 6th rookie, but saw sub 1 minute. Plus they had a sophomore playing 34 mins in Jaylen Brown and Rozier, in his third year, playing 36 mins. It was a great day for anyone who loves when the kids get some run. They all played pretty well to boot.

Tatum had a good game (17 points). Ojeleye was strong on D and kept shooting after some early struggles to knock down 2 key threes. Theis is one of those really old rookies (25 years old), but he’s been really strong all season as depth off the bench and is INCREDIBLY cheap ($815k this year). Nader was solid off the bench and almost had a mammoth dunk. Yabusele knocked down a 3 and didn’t look totally lost.

It was just a really nice game to watch as someone who wishes there were more of an occasion to see the young guys from the end of the bench. Nothing to write home about, but definitely fun to watch.