got milk? Rookie Power Rankings NO. 1 :: DREW GOODEN, PF, MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES Stats: 8 GP, 16.4 ppg, 6.6 rpg, .465 FG%, 29.6 mpg Notes: Scoring, rebounding and minutes all continue to climb ... Coach Lowe may want to consider starting him: In five starts this season, Gooden is averaging 17.2 ppg and 7.4 rpg ... Gets to the free-throw line far more than any other rookie (4.4 FTA per game, next highest is 2.8), a sign of his aggressiveness on offense. NO. 2 :: JAY WILLIAMS, PG, CHICAGO BULLS Stats: 7 GP, 11.0 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 5.4 apg, 1.43 spg, 31.1 mpg Notes: What a difference one game can make ... Had monster outing in win over Jason Kidd and the Nets on Nov. 9 when he went for a triple-double (26 points, 14 rebounds, 13 assists), becoming the first rookie to do so this season ... Still struggling from field (.377 FG%), as well as charity stripe (.455 FT%), but already a steadying presence at the point ... Runs Bulls offense with confidence. NO. 3 :: PAT BURKE, C, ORLANDO MAGIC Stats: 7 GP, 8.0 ppg, 3.9 rpg, .565 FG%, 24.4 mpg Notes: A big reason why the Magic share the top spot in the Atlantic ... Perhaps most impressive part of his game is that his shooting percentage continues to rise ... Twenty-eight-year-old rookie has started all seven of the Magic's games at center ... Member of the Irish national team at World University Games in 1993 and 1995. NO. 4 :: AMARE STOUDEMIRE, PF, PHOENIX SUNS Stats: 6 GP, 8.3 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 1.33 bpg, 25.0 mpg Notes: Already one of the game's better rebounders, and tops among rookies ... His prowess on the offensive boards is something the Suns have lacked over last few seasons ... Fits in very well with athletic Phoenix squad ... Still struggling from the field (.333 FG%) ... Turns 20 on Nov. 16 ... Went to six high schools before reaching NBA. NO. 5 :: CARON BUTLER, F, MIAMI HEAT Stats: 5 GP, 12.2 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.6 apg, 37.6 mpg Notes: After fast start, scoring average has slipped recently ... Loss to Sonics on Nov. 9 was first time this season Butler didn't reach double-figures in scoring ... Shooting just .367 from field over last four games ... Turnovers (3.2 per game) also a problem ... Solid touch from long-range and overall athleticism should keep him in starting lineup for most of season. NO. 6 :: NENE HILARIO, F-C, DENVER NUGGETS Stats: 6 GP, 8.3 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.3 apg, 1.5 spg, 1.17 bpg, 23.0 mpg Notes: Shooting has cooled some (.488 FG%), and struggling from charity stripe (.500 FT%), but quick hands and mighty hops will keep him in Nuggets rotation ... Should actually benefit from Juwan Howard's return, as veteran big man will help show him the ropes ... Collected seven offensive boards (12 overall) in Nov. 9 win over Memphis ... Big reason why Nuggets aren't the cakewalk most envisioned heading into season. NO. 7 :: GORDAN GIRICEK, G, MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES Stats: 8 GP, 11.4 ppg, 2.8 rpg, .471 3P%, .864 FT%, 22.8 mpg Notes: Still very streaky ... After going four games without reaching double-figures, Giricek hit for 21 against the Warriors on Monday ... Minutes should increase with recent injury to Michael Dickerson ... Giricek and Suns' surprising Casey Jacobsen are emerging as top rookie three-point shooters ... Also gets to the free-throw line a lot (2.8 attempts per game) for a rookie two guard. NO. 8 :: DAN GADZURIC, C, MILWAUKEE BUCKS Stats: 6 GP, 4.7 ppg, 6.2 rpg, 1.83 bpg, .600 FG%, 20.8 mpg Notes: Big reason why Bucks had such solid trip to Big Apple, as Gadzuric totaled 18 points and 20 rebounds in back-to-back wins over Knicks and Nets ... Has supplanted Ervin Johnson as Bucks' starting center ... Far and away, leading shot-blocker amongst rookie class ... An asset in the transition game. NO. 9 :: EMANUEL GINOBILI, G, SAN ANTONIO SPURS Stats: 7 GP, 7.3 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 1.57 spg, 22.3 mpg Notes: Still struggling to find his shooting touch (.380 FG%, .263 3P%), but otherwise fitting in very well with Spurs ... Being used as a part-time starter, as Steve Smith has a strained groin ... Making highlight reels for his deft passing touch ... Still needs to get to line more, especially with his ability to drive ... Has his own Web site, www.manuginobili.com. NO. 10 :: JUAQUIN HAWKINS, F, HOUSTON ROCKETS Preseason Stats: 5 GP, 4.6 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.00 spg, 25.6 mpg Notes: Unlikely contributor has gone from 29-year-old afterthought to sometimes-starter in Houston ... Rockets like his energy and defense at small forward position ... Best outing came in win over Toronto on Nov. 2, when he played 39 minutes, scored eight points, had six boards and dished out four assists ... Only three turnovers in first five games. http://www.nba.com/milk_rookie/power_rankings_021112.html
What's interesting about that list is that 5 of the 10 came to the NBA via the Euro Leagues! Go Hawk. I love great defense!!!
funny, when I looked at it I thought...wow, top 5 players and 7 out of 10 played high school ball and NCAA ball (discounting Amare) in the States. then you have 2 out of the 3 players who learned away from the States being 25 yrs old. Like, so what, they should outperform like Hawkins is. Then Hilario is really just a raw piece of athleticism with limited fundamentals, just like Amare. So??
Your disdain for the Euro Leagues has been duely noted - with frequency. One major flaw has always existed in your logic - If the Euro Leagues didn't develop quality players, then there wouldn't be any influx of players from that league regardless of where they went to high school or college. More simplistically stated. A player goes to a US high school and a US college and fails to get an NBA contract. That player goes to Europe to develop his skills. That developmental process was every bit as instrumantal in that players growth as his US experience was. There's a reason the Euro players get contract offers before the YMCA league players and LA Summer League players who also went to a US high school and a US college.
If you would have posted that Giricek, Burke, Hawk and Gadzuric were going to be better rookies than Yao after the draft...can you imagine the blasting you would have gotten.
Every year we sign the best undrafted rookie. Hopefully we won't cut J-Hawk at the end of the season, like we cut Oscar.
GATER, I have no disdain for quality players, or quality leagues. Don't put words in my mouth. I have disdain for exaggeration of marginal players. Sure Euro Leagues are competitive and put out players. But where is Welsch and Nachbar and the others. They are going to get most of their development here. I have disdain for people saying the US cannot teach fundamental bball anymore. In your words, one major flaw in that reasoning is Gooden is handsdown the most fundamentally ready player this year. As for you saying I have a fundamental flaw in Europe as a development league...dude...I'm just saying there is huge exaggeration going on. Part of that development is the age of the players. Did Pat Burke learn how to play in Greece, or is he just getting wiser like Hawkins at equal age. Look at it this way, if marginal players not ready at age 21 stayed in the NCAAs until age 25 or age 29, they'd be just as well along. But the NCAAs just kick them out, so saying the Euro leagues are better development that our minor leagues is really not that impressive of a statement to me, especially since the Euro mainly attract more for the money that the CBA and USBDL can't pay. As for 19 yr olds like Nowitski, Garnett, Kobe, do you think the US major leagues (NBA) is better for development than the Euro leagues. see my point. Europe producing 25-30 yrs olds is fine and dandy, but that is as much about the maturity of the players as anything...witness how ready Tinsley was at age 24 as a rookie. Anyhow, 7 people played HS and NCAA in the States 2 of the 3 who didn't are 25 yr old rookies. One is streaky and the other is not a good shooter, and the 3rd is raw athleticism like Amare.
