One month ago, if I were to ask you who you thought would be the top five rookies in the NBA, you probably would have answered: Kevin Durant, Al Horford, Luis Scola, Marco Bellinelli, and Corey Brewer. Or perhaps Al Thornton might have slipped in there, maybe Joakim Noah, as well.
Strangely, I don't think anybody would have seen Jamario Moon making such an impact, or Sean Williams for that matter; and none of us believed that Yi Jianlian would contribute right away. Well, actually many of you did. But I didn't.
Nonetheless, one month of action gives us a much better sample size than we had coming into this season to use to rate these players. Before the season began, we were essentially putting our chips down based on college and international basketball — both games being much different than NBA-styled hoops.
Will the ratings change after another month of basketball, or two, or three? Certainly! But it doesn't mean we can't throw them out there. Here are the top 10 rookies of the season so far:
1. Kevin Durant — While averaging over 20 points, which is almost double the production of any other rookie, the kid has also proven that he's the most gifted of his peers. His stone-cold three-point winner against Atlanta is the most important shot that any rookie has taken this season, but his 40% shooting just isn't going to cut it in the future. Thankfully, horrible shot selection is something that can be taught, unlike his natural gifts that other rookies could only dream of having.
2. Al Horford — Big Al is doing exactly what the Hawks expected of him. He's averaging 8.7 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.3 blocks, and 1.1 steals so far this season. No, his stats aren't overwhelming, but they are solid — and that's all you need from a guy playing nearly 30 minutes per game in his first month in the NBA. The sky is the limit for Horford.
3. Jamario Moon — He's the only rookie that is starting for a divisional leader — and he's doing a great job. Bryan Colangelo and Company have trusted him with over 30 minutes per game, and he has consistently responded — like his 15 point, 9 rebound, 6 block, and 3 steal game against the Bulls on November 25.
4. Sean Williams — His stats aren't incredible, but his highlight reel dunks and blocks are. He has been the best big man for New Jersey so far this year and will only get rewarded with more playing time as the season goes along.
5. Yi Jianlian — He hasn't been spectacular, but unlike most rookies he has at least been consistent in his play. If he can improve his scoring to around 15 ppg this year, he'll be considered a great pick at sixth overall.
6. Luis Scola — Maybe he should be higher, or perhaps he should be a bit lower. In my opinion, Scola has been a bit of a disappointment. He has had some huge games, but is only averaging 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds. In the end, however, I suppose you could give him a pass based on the fact that he's not only adjusting to the NBA game, but also to North America in general.
7. Juan Carlos Navarro — J.C. has proven that he's more than simply a three-point shooter. Sure, this spicy Spaniard exploded for two 28-point games, but he also had one game where he managed 11 rebounds! Now that he's the starting SG, look for Navarro to improve on his 10.7 ppg.
8. Jeff Green — The "other" Seattle rookie isn't doing nearly enough to earn him a higher spot. He's been "okay" for the un-SuperSonics this year — averaging 9.7 points and 5.6 rebounds. Unfortunately, the Sonics were expecting a bit more — maybe it'll happen later on.
9. Daequan Cook — This Miami guard got his opportunity when Dwyane Wade was out. He's played beyond expectations thus far, but ended up getting benched for a few games when Wade returned. Nonetheless, it looks like Cook is earning his time back with the team — putting up 12.7 points in the last three games for the Heat.
10. Nick Young — Offensively, he has been extremely impressive. Young will have a great opportunity to continue to prove himself in the absence of Arenas. If he can improve on his defense, his minutes will follow — as will his improved spot in the rookie rankings.
Others: Glen Davis, Corey Brewer, and Al Thornton.
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