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The NBA has officially announced its plans for the 2021 All-Star Game, with all events taking place on the same day. One event we won’t be getting this season, however, is the Rising Stars Game, which is a shame considering how many great players we could have seen there. If the format was still USA vs World, we could have seen Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball in the same team.
This is the must-see TV here. While people tend to have mixed feelings about the Rising Stars game, as it usually doesn’t generate much interest, this year’s game would have been date viewing. Maybe the league will put one on next season and allow this year’s sophomores to continue participating.
Now let’s move on to this week’s rookie rankings. These rankings will reflect a rookie’s performance on a weekly basis only, not the collective season, so they are not Rookie of the Year rankings. With that sorted out, here’s a look at this week’s top rookies.
Ball managed to stay in the starting lineup despite the healthy returns of both Terry Rozier and Devonte Graham, which is a testament to the rookie’s type of tear. Since joining the starting lineup, Ball has averaged 20.9 points, 6.9 boards and 6.3 assists, while producing a plus-minus positive box score of 2.9. Not only has he been effective (44.6% of court, 43.9% of depth) from the start, but the Hornets are 4.9 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the ground, which means that it also has an impact on victory.
The Hornets run a three-guard lineup with Ball, Rozier and Graham, but at some point one of them will have to come back to the bench to have a more balanced starting lineup, and at this point, that doesn’t is not the case. looks like it will or should be Ball. While not a great defender, his size is a plus compared to Graham, and his ability to play trumps what Graham and Rozier can offer as a primary ball manager, so James Borrego may want to slow down the hype around Ball. , it is obvious at this stage that he should have a permanent place in the starting line-up.
In an unlikely win over the Celtics, Bey became the first rookie in league history to make seven 3s in a clear game, and his performance throughout the week earned him Player of the Week honors. . Coming into the league he was praised for the defense he could provide as he developed, and although this is still a work in progress, his attacking play has been superb so far. He ranks in the league’s 85th percentile for point shooters, he has a versatile post-up game when the Pistons want to feed him low, and he’s been formidable in transition. His game is one of the main reasons Detroit won two games in the same week for the second time this season.
Consider this an official petition to get Edwards into the dunk contest this season. Throughout the season he has shown his ridiculous athleticism, outwitting just about anyone who dares to get in his way and this dunk on Doug McDermott is no different. The Timberwolves are going through another lost season as Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell battle injuries, but it’s the best thing for Edwards as it has given him a bit of freedom to develop at his own pace.
Quickley’s rise this season has been one of the best stories of this 2020-2021 campaign, and he continues to prove that everyone – including us – is wrong about the Knicks’ assessment that took him to the first round. In reality, Quickley should have gone much higher in this draft, as he’s already developed one of the league’s deadliest floats, and he can score all three levels. He’s one of the many reasons the Knicks have looked like a legitimate postseason contender heading into mid-season, and hopefully at some point this season we’ll see what he looks like. in the starting formation.
With Christian Wood sidelined, the Rockets are increasingly using Tate as a sieve, giving them more versatility on offense as he can come out for a jumper or a 3-pointer, as well as use his strength to finish in. the rim. It takes away the lob threat that Wood provides, but with bigger defenders guarding Tate, it gives Houston an advantage as he can put the ball down and create for himself, or take down a jumper. Its versatility at both ends of the floor makes it even more breathtaking that it isn’t drafted.
Haliburton has been so awesome this season, in the way he plays, his ridiculous speed, his ability to land tough shots and stop at pennies to change direction, but if there is an area in attack on which he must work is to score. the dribble. When he comes out of a pick and roll about 40% of the time he takes a jumper, but he doesn’t do them at a good pace. He ranks in the league’s 14th percentile in this category, generating just 0.759 points per possession, which wouldn’t be a big deal if he didn’t go so often. He has to become a more consistent goalscorer outside of dribbling to truly unlock the next level of his game.
I was waiting for Campazzo to have a good week to climb into this rookie ranking to talk about the oldest recruit in the class as a 29-year-old who had previously played professionally in EuroLeague with Real Madrid, where he even play. alongside Luka Doncic. This week, however, Campazzo showed exactly why the Nuggets signed him, looking like a smaller version of Nikola Jokic with the assists he gets. I mean, look at this:
It’s just dirty. Not only does he get that pass from Kyle Kuzma perfectly, but in slow motion it almost looks like he changed his mind at the last second to pass it to Zeke Nnaji instead of RJ Hampton. He’s an artist with the ball, and he had more playing time last week, which shows he’s gaining the trust of Mike Malone.
After missing part of games due to league health and safety protocols, Maledon was put back into the starting lineup and showed his 3-point shot in two games this week. While the Thunder aren’t the most competitive team this season, OKC has been incredibly beneficial to see their young players develop, and Maledon is certainly one of them. Last year Maledon probably wouldn’t have had any running time, but after trading Chris Paul and Steven Adams, the Thunder allowed themselves to see what he has with some of his young players at the to come up.
Since returning from an injury, which cost him his first year in the league as well as 13 of the season’s opening 14 games, Windler has not looked very consistent, and after appearing in two games this week, he has been excluded from the last Cleveland game. due to knee pain. Still, he managed an impressive double-double against the Trail Blazers this week, putting in 12 points and 10 boards, but his 3-point shot struggled. He’s had heavy minutes, but hasn’t always been able to make an impact on the offense, which he will need to work on to keep his place in the rotation.
Williams made a big win with a 3-pointer in the Bulls’ comeback victory over the Pistons, where he sank a 3-point corner to essentially ice the game for Chicago. He also showed his strength in the paint, edging out the Detroit bigs for an offensive board and fierce dunk. This kid continues to impress with each passing day, and the best part about Chicago is that he’s only 19. this good at such a young age should make the Bulls incredibly happy. While not the most exciting player in his draft, he is definitely one of the guys with the highest cap going forward.
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