Which rookie has impressed you the most so far this season? Yao Ming 59% Caron Butler 11% Dajuan Wagner 11% Drew Gooden 8% Jay Williams 5% Amare Stoudemire 4% Other 2% Total Responses: 128893
another poll link Who has been the best rookie big man so far this year? Yao Ming 52% Drew Gooden 23% Amare Stoudemire 11% Nene Hilario 8% Other 3% Dan Gadzuric 2% Pat Burke 1% Total Responses: 6666
I disagree that Gooden has the all around better numbers. If you do the leaders by 48 min and the efficiency rating (which i feel are the two most important factors for the best player), you'll find that Ming leads the catagory by a good bit. Per 48 minutes is important as Gooden's mpg is right at 29 and Mings is at 21. Thats a good bit more time to play and boost your scoring, not to mention they have no real goto man. Ming is taking a backseat and he still is kicking butt.
Boozer 17 mpg 7.7 ppg .58 bpg 4.5 rpg 0.6 apg 66%FT 54%FG Ming 20 mpg 10.4ppg 1.4bpg 5.8rpg 1.1 apg 70%FT 64%FG Not only that, but you also have take into consideration things like 27 point/18 rebound games. Then there's also the fact that the Cavs lost 15 straight games. I'm sorry I don't see how a case could even begin to be argued for Boozer, eventhough he has done well recently. Yao hasn't played in as many games after he broke out as he had when he was struggling. Eventually the stats he put up from those past games are going to be dwarfed and the averages will shoot up. There's no question Yao will win rookie of the year.
Boozer had to work his way into the starting lineup behind Tyrone Hill. Tyrone got hurt and he moved right in and kept the job. Just like Yao. There is one difference though. He's not only proven that he can play at a high level, but he was a second rounder to boot, so he's proven everybody wrong. That's pretty impressive. How many second rounders can put up 15 and 15 so soon. His numbers are just as strong as MIng's when he gets minutes. The only thing he doesn't bring is Ming's energy. But nobody can do that. So I think he's been the most impressive rookie. And yes, they do lose, but you can't hold that against Boozer. He's beating that terrible duke rap so far. And that's pretty impressive too.
I would have to go with Drew Gooden. He always consistent and coming off the bench most games. He only starts when some one is injured. If Yao becomes consitent then I would go for him.
Boozer has done pretty well in his last few games, and his fg% is impressive, but to say that he's at the same level as Yao is just wrong. Look at the competition he's up against when he had those good games. He doesn't dominate his competition like Yao does and isn't the defender Yao is. Coming out of the second round is pretty suprising, but so was mobley in his rookie year...does that mean Mobes was better than Carter and Pierce, on the simple fact that he was from the second round? Its good to be pleasantly suprised by a player, but don't exaggerate his play(saying he's as good as Yao with the minutes) simply because he's an underdog. Yao is helping us win, Boozer is not helping his team do anything, but continue to lose. I think that says A LOT about a player, perhaps more than anything.
I'm thrilled our boy is getting the recognition. After he bested the Twin Towers, the detractors are becoming believers. I hate to be a punk about this, and I'm not even a Duke-hater, but I'm kinda glad Jay Williams is lagging in this poll. Everyone thought he was going to be the next best thing since pre-lubed prophylactics. Of course he's on a bad team in a system that doesn't fit him. But when I read a recent article about how he would trash-talk Gilbert Arenas in college ("you should be afraid of me"---spoiled brat), and then get lit up by Arenas in both college and the pros, well, I'll take humble Yao Ming any day. Of course Francis probably says things to opponents that make Jay's comment seem like nothing. Still...
To be fair, the title of the thread is "Most Impressive Rookie This Season." Were it "Best Rookie", I think you couldn't help but vote for Ming. But since Boozer came out of the second round, I can see people thinking that was more impressive since he had more working against him.
Dajuan Wagner is averaging over 20 points per game. Ming is averaging 10 points per game. Just an objective observation... Ming contributes more defensively and with passing than does Wagner, but 20ppg is pretty stout for a 19 year-old.
No joke, Dajuan's point averages are insane. And he shoots around 30-40% too! I tell ya, rookies these days.
Wow Wagner is avg 20 ppg. SO! He's a freaking guard jacking up 19 shots and playing 39 min a game on a 3 win team. Ming is a C playing on a winning team that has been guard oriented for the last few years. Not to mention Ming is a marked man every time he gets on the floor. Don't you think opposing players get up for playing Ming? No one, not even his biggest supporters thought he would be performing at such a high level this soon. He's had to over come so much in such a short time. It's amazing what he is doing out there. If you're not impressed with what he's been doing then your not paying attention or you're a anti Minger still in denial. Ravin Lunatic how can you say “But since Boozer came out of the second round, I can see people thinking that was more impressive since he had more working against him”. That is ridiculous; no one has had more working against him than Ming, no one.
I think that Ming is the Most Impresive/Best rookie this season. Now if there is an award for Most Surprising Rookie than that would be Boozer. It's all just wordy and people will have different opionions on it like the MVP in baseball. It's not really the best player but the one most valuable to a winning team.
Wagner may well be the next AI. Poor FG shooting % will not help support his ppg. Another notable Rookie that has impressed is Boki. He has impressed with the poise with which he has taken the bench by storm. Conversely, Mike Dunleavy Jnr is so far the most depressing (and unimpressive) rook this season (but I still believ he will have a fine NBA career - I loved his game at Duke). Oh by the way, Yao Ming garnered a little over 103, 000 of the 169, 074 votes. (61%).
That's what I think too. A rookie jacking up 19 shots per game with 38% fg%. Can only happen in Cleveland. Ming, on the other hand, is almost the anti-Wagner (or Wagner is the anti-Ming): high fg%, low fg attempts on a winning team. . . . and Boki. . .
Just to expand on the title of this thread: How about Most Impressive Rookie Season in NBA History??????
Allow me to rephrase then...less was expected of Boozer, so people are more impressed by his good play than they are from a player that was picked #1 overall.
No one need apply except Bird and Magic, and possibly Russell. No one has ever won a title and Finals MVP in their rookie year except Magic Johnson. However, Bird won ROY that year though. Magic was coming to a 47 win team with Jabbar. Bird didn't have as good a team, but he was the sole new starter to turn e a 29 win team into 61 wins. He lost in the Conf Finals, though. No other players come close to that. Russell won a title playing half a season, but he had the reigning MVP as a teammate and Heinsohn won the ROY in that year. I take Bird's year over that, and Magic takes the cake.
