H o o p s C o r n e r . c o m
-------------------- July 30, 2005 The All-Rookie Team… in July
by Tyson Wirth Nearly a month has passed since the fiasco known as the NBA draft, and Knicks’ fans have almost stopped booing by now. The Toronto faithful have stopped calling for GM Rob Babcock’s head (or at least they can’t be heard from the States anymore), and Dick Vitale has stopped lamenting the fact that college-proven studs like Salim Stoudamire and Ryan Gomes lasted until the second round. With cooler heads prevailing, it’s time to take an early look at a potential All-Rookie Team for the ’05-’06 season. Barring unforeseen and drastic climate change (injuries, holdouts, and/or trades), these five studs should have the best immediate impact in the upcoming NBA season. 5) Joey Graham, SF, Toronto Raptors. The former Oklahoma State star is unquestionable one of the most athletic players of the draft, and athleticism is what helps immediately. Anytime an athletic rookie comes in with little or no pressure, it’s usually run and hide for the rest of the league. And Graham could hardly bear less pressure: he wasn’t even his team’s top pick, he plays in freakin’ Toronto, and he won’t be relied on to be the first (or even second) offensive option. The knock on Graham is his range, but his last two years in college were spent shooting 40-84 from three-point land, a 47.6% clip. Look for Graham to remind us all of Andre Iguodala last year – a feisty forward with unlimited athleticism who does everything but score a ton. 4) Charlie Villanueva, PF, Toronto Raptors. Graham’s new teammate is actually poised to have an equally fine season, albeit through different circumstances. A lot of people were up in arms on draft night when the already Bosh-blessed Raptors took the UConn sophomore with the seventh overall pick, but it’s easy to see Bosh and Villanueva playing alongside each other on the front line, after Villanueva has gotten his feet wet. If he can improve his defensive awareness, the big man would be an ideal weak side teammate – in just over 25 minutes at post-heavy Connecticut the 6-11 forward average nine rebounds a contest. If he doesn’t learn to play alongside Bosh, however, his rookie season will take a hit. 3) Deron Williams, PG, Utah Jazz. The heady point man from Illinois should win the starting job from competitor Raul Lopez fairly early in the season, and from there he should do what he does best – run an offense. Not necessarily the slashing, scoring type that draft counterparts Chris Paul and Raymond Felton are, Williams will have plenty of weapons at his considerable disposal with Carlos Boozer, the underrated Matt Harpring, and Andrei Kirilenko back from injury to pad his assists totals. Maybe even Mehmet Okur will step up and help (just kidding – even optimism has its limits). As enduring as Jerry Sloan’s stay at the helm in Utah has been, it seems a safe bet that Jazz management might have consulted him before this pick. There’s a reason a genius like Sloan appreciates Williams’ game so much, and the rest of the league will find out all too soon. 2) Chris Paul, PG, New Orleans Hornets. It’s a tossup as to who’s the better point, Williams or Paul. But one advantage Paul will have in the race for Rookie of the Year is a lot of shots. New Orleans’ roster reads like a who’s who of guys trying to escape the approaching fingers of the CBA – and the few with “name power,” guys like Jamaal Magloire and P.J. Brown, aren’t exactly who you’d start building a team around. Still, the Hornets must start somewhere, and the man who’s been called the best point prospect since Jason Kidd is a good place to start. In just his sophomore season in the lumberjack-tough ACC, Paul averaged 15.3 ppg, 6.6 apg, 2.4 spg, 49.6% shooting, and a 47.4% success rate from three-ball land. His combination of quickness, scoring ability, and court awareness is unmatched in this draft. 1) Andrew Bogut, C, Milwaukee Bucks. Poor Pacers. Just when they appear poised to challenge for the NBA crown Detroit wins two conference titles in a row, Cleveland lands Lebron James, the Bulls surge back into the mediocre-good range, and now Milwaukee grabs a #1 overall pick of its own in the versatile center from Utah. Bogut is unanimously hailed as a tremendous passer, but the 20 year old Wonder from Down Under is no slouch in the other aspects of James Naismith’s invention either. Bogut averaged better than 20 & 12 for the Utes last year, while shooting 62% from the floor and being game-planned for each night as his team’s top option. He’s well-conditioned for a big man, but the defense needs to take a step up if he wants to one day boast of being one of the league’s best. For now, though, Milwaukee has itself almost a surefire Rookie of the Year candidate. And, as last year’s #1 selection and Rookie of the Year winner Emeka Okafor discovered, it’s not a bad deal to start in a low-pressure small-market situation. So there’s the list: Graham, Villanueva, D. Williams, Paul, and Bogut. They may not have the five best careers of anyone drafted in June. They wouldn’t be the top five picks if there were a re-draft. But they are the five most poised to make some noise as rookies. In a business where the draft introduces new stars-in-waiting like the above mentioned to fans every year, it’s nice to know that some constants remain. What constant do I speak of? Channing Frye didn’t make the list – Knicks' fans still have reason to boo. -------------------- Next: Back to school Previous: Season in review Articles index © 2001-2005 H o o p s C o r n e r . c o m, All rights reserved Terms of service Privacy policy Contact |
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