2016-17 Rookie Watch thread

[JellosJigglin]

This season has started off as I think many of us predicted when it comes to the rookies, its going to definitely be a down year for this rookie class (draft class). Either than no one really blowing anyone away, no one is really showing flashes of great potential really. I think once you get past the top 3 picks, there is really no one that really gets you all that excited. Some solid starters and role players but no all stars.

Brown and Ingram are two guys that you can at least see the flashes. Ingram is arguably LAs best defender already, you know sooner or later that jumper is going to start to fall again. Give him a couple years and he should put his offense together and will be a good 2 way player with all star potential. Brown playing better than I thought he would to start the year, shows potential on both ends, cant deny the physical attributes, hes another guy that may make a all star game or two.

Once Simmons finally plays, I think he is going to struggle defensively and to score while not in transition or off an offensive board. But just like the other two guys you will see the all star potential with him.

Dunn should be a solid PG that is a really good defender, just dont see all star with him. Hield I thought was a massive reach, when his shot isnt falling doesnt really bring anything else to the table, still think hes going to be Jodie Meeks 2.0. Murray is another guy I thought would be a bust for where he was taken in the draft is really struggling.

Embiid is going to run away with ROY this year. Really a big drop off this year compared to last year's group.

It's a long season. Last year we had some 19 year olds that came out and kicked the door down: KAT, Okafor, KP. But some of those guys really struggled as the season wore on. And then you started seeing some guys come on a little bit later: DLo, Booker, Mudiay, Jokic, Winslow somewhat.

If you're only referring to superstar potential, you're lucky if there's more than 1 in a rookie class, and some don't even have that. We're 2 weeks in, there will be some players who break out later.

[Chuck Everett]

Jamal Murray was never going to have a great rookie year with Mudiay, Gary Harris, Jameer Nelson and Will Barton in front of him. He's going to have to earn his minutes, those are actually good veterans in front of him.

[Kabookalu]

It's funny that Sabonis and Poeltl's basketball careers have been so similar to each others in a way. Both were power forwards before college. They're both pretty good at defending the perimeter for big men, have good shots, have good post games, and don't have great wingspans for a center (Sabonis moreso, Poeltl's wingspan for a center is average). And then out of necessity, their college clubs needed them to be centers, and they abandoned their perimeter games to exclusively become dominant low post scorers, rarely taking outside jumpers.

I've said before that if Porzingis and Bender came to the NCAA instead of staying overseas, they'd be forced to be centers, and everyone would be seeing them as centers instead of power forwards. With Sabonis, people kept seeing him as a center until the Thunder played him at his natural position at PF, and so far he's looked good. Poeltl is our center through and through, which is frustrating to me because he's getting bullied down low, and all our announcers talk about is bulking him up to get stronger so he can handle the current crop of rising centers. He's perfectly fine as a PF, his body is built for it.

[RingsDontLie]

Impressed with Joel, but the questionable durability is still there...and I feel like every step he takes is a potential land mine. But if he can continue to progress and stay injure free before the end of the season, then maybe the ghost of prime Greg Oden will leave his body.

Ingram is definitely the best of the 2016 draft class however. He looks very comfortable out there running the offense. He has the definite ability to be a playmaker and has excellent passing skills. His defense is excellent and his length is going to bother a lot of elite wings in this league. I see him making some difficult shots...he's extremely talented and were talking Durant/Jordan/Kobe/Lebron level talent.

Might be a while before he dominates. Luke has him on a short leash, especially when utilizing him in the system.

[Goudelock]

Impressed with Joel, but the questionable durability is still there...and I feel like every step he takes is a potential land mine. But if he can continue to progress and stay injure free before the end of the season, then maybe the ghost of prime Greg Oden will leave his body.

Ingram is definitely the best of the 2016 draft class however. He looks very comfortable out there running the offense. He has the definite ability to be a playmaker and has excellent passing skills. His defense is excellent and his length is going to bother a lot of elite wings in this league. I see him making some difficult shots...he's extremely talented and we're talking Durant/Jordan/Kobe/Lebron level talent.

Might be a while before he dominates. Luke has him on a short leash, especially when utilizing him in the system.

Posts like this are why other fanbases hate Lakers fans. Calm the freak down. No player should be compared to those guys in their rookie year.

[sv-x-as]

It's funny that Sabonis and Poeltl's basketball careers have been so similar to each others in a way. Both were power forwards before college. They're both pretty good at defending the perimeter for big men, have good shots, have good post games, and don't have great wingspans for a center (Sabonis moreso, Poeltl's wingspan for a center is average). And then out of necessity, their college clubs needed them to be centers, and they abandoned their perimeter games to exclusively become dominant low post scorers, rarely taking outside jumpers.

I've said before that if Porzingis and Bender came to the NCAA instead of staying overseas, they'd be forced to be centers, and everyone would be seeing them as centers instead of power forwards. With Sabonis, people kept seeing him as a center until the Thunder played him at his natural position at PF, and so far he's looked good. Poeltl is our center through and through, which is frustrating to me because he's getting bullied down low, and all our announcers talk about is bulking him up to get stronger so he can handle the current crop of rising centers. He's perfectly fine as a PF, his body is built for it.

Valanciunas after draft wanted to develop his game to be similar to Bosh. Raptors had other plans.

[Veyron]

Dragan Bender was good yday.

[Wilfried]

Impressed with Joel, but the questionable durability is still there...and I feel like every step he takes is a potential land mine. But if he can continue to progress and stay injure free before the end of the season, then maybe the ghost of prime Greg Oden will leave his body.

Ingram is definitely the best of the 2016 draft class however. He looks very comfortable out there running the offense. He has the definite ability to be a playmaker and has excellent passing skills. His defense is excellent and his length is going to bother a lot of elite wings in this league. I see him making some difficult shots...he's extremely talented and we're talking Durant/Jordan/Kobe/Lebron level talent.

Might be a while before he dominates. Luke has him on a short leash, especially when utilizing him in the system.

Posts like this are why other fanbases hate Lakers fans. Calm the freak down. No player should be compared to those guys in their rookie year.

It's not fair, but it's easy to see Embiid is a franchise changing talent, like those others.
I don't like the Oden comparison, it's just based on the fact that both are injured 7-footers.
Oden didn't have a slice of the offensive talent and gifts Embiid has.

[Slava]

Impressed with Joel, but the questionable durability is still there...and I feel like every step he takes is a potential land mine. But if he can continue to progress and stay injure free before the end of the season, then maybe the ghost of prime Greg Oden will leave his body.

Ingram is definitely the best of the 2016 draft class however. He looks very comfortable out there running the offense. He has the definite ability to be a playmaker and has excellent passing skills. His defense is excellent and his length is going to bother a lot of elite wings in this league. I see him making some difficult shots...he's extremely talented and we're talking Durant/Jordan/Kobe/Lebron level talent.

Might be a while before he dominates. Luke has him on a short leash, especially when utilizing him in the system.

Posts like this are why other fanbases hate Lakers fans. Calm the freak down. No player should be compared to those guys in their rookie year.

It's not fair, but it's easy to see Embiid is a franchise changing talent, like those others.
I don't like the Oden comparison, it's just based on the fact that both are injured 7-footers.
Oden didn't have a slice of the offensive talent and gifts Embiid has.

Oden might not have the same footwork as Embiid but he was a pretty damn good offensive player in his own right. He was insanely good with a fractured right hand in college competition and didn't seem to be bothered by NBA defenses either for the brief period he was healthy for.

[gaspar]

Read on Twitter

[Midnight_Suns]

Read on Twitter

That drive at the end

[GimmeDat]

Given that Bender is so young, his play so far has been a definite success imo. Suns scored with Chriss/Bender.

[Eta Carinae]

Dario Saric with a nice game. 14 points (5/9,/2/2,2/2), 12 rebs, 3 ast, 2 blk.
Only player who came up big in the end of the game and OT.

[TinmanZBoy]

just realized there is a rookie who has a PER=97.95

[CoreyGallagher]

Dario Saric with a nice game. 14 points (5/9,/2/2,2/2), 12 rebs, 3 ast, 2 blk.
Only player who came up big in the end of the game and OT.

Yeah, he's been playing much better.

Last 5 games he has shot 22-45 (48.9%), 7-10 from three (70%). Averaging 11.2 ppg, 6.2 rpg, in 27 minutes.

Watch on YouTube

[guille_4]

Willy Hernangomez had his first big NBA game:

14 points on 6/7 FG and 2/2 FT
6 rebounds
2 blocks
1 steal
+15

In 15 minutes.

Watch on YouTube

[Goudelock]

Watch on YouTube

Jake Layman - Garbage Time KING

[BNelley24]

Little tidbit, but I've really liked what I've seen out of Saric this year despite the few tough games he had. However, this off-season I really hope the 76ers training staff & Saric really go at it. The dude needs to put on some muscle and work on his vertical jump. I knew he wasn't the most athletic guy, but to make up for that he needs to increase his physical attributes.

[PerkinsFor3]

Juancho Hernangomez was really good against GSW. Defended KD quite well in the minutes they were matched up.

[Marcus]

Juancho Hernangomez was really good against GSW. Defended KD quite well in the minutes they were matched up.

Juancho was one of my favorite players during the summer league. You could just tell he understands the game and he's athletic enough to not be over matched.