NBA Rookies Are Shining!
By Razor Sharp Sports
So here we are the unofficial final week of the 1st half of the regular season in the NBA. We are past the half way point in games, as most teams have played between 50 and 54 games of their 82 game schedule. I think it is safe to say that we are seeing one of the best rookie classes that we have seen in a long time. I don’t know if this class will continue to play up to that level through the years but they have been impressive so far this year.
Taking a look at the rookie classes over the past 5 years and their performances, this year’s class tops them all by far. So far this season the rookie class has 11 players that are averaging double digits in scoring. The next highest year was back in 2004 when 7 players averaged double digits. This year, there are 7 rookies that are averaging over 12 points per game. Over the 4 years prior combined there were only 9 players that averaged over 12. There are actually 4 players this year that are averaging over 14 points per game. Over the past 4 seasons prior, there wasn’t a year that had more than 3 players that even averaged over 12 point per game. This years top scorer is Memphis’ OJ Mayo. Mayo’s average is currently 19.4 points per game. Only Kevin Durant’s 20.3 points last season has been higher over the last 5 years. The third highest scorer among rookies over the past 5 years is also from this year in Chicago’s Derrick Rose.
So if you have been watching football and haven’t had a chance to watch the NBA yet this season, here are the new names in the NBA that you should be watching. Of course, OJ Mayo and Derrick Rose lead the Class of 2008. Other impressive numbers have been put up from Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook (14.9 points/game), LA Clippers Eric Gordon (14.4) and Miami’s Michael Beasley (13.3). The rest of the group averaging double digits are DJ Agustin from Charlotte, Brook Lopez with the Nets, Mayo’s teammate in Memphis Marc Gasol, Trailblazers’ Rudy Fernandez, Jason Thompson at Sacramento and Beasley’s teammate in Miami, Mario Chalmers. There are also 7 more players that are averaging 7 points or more. Minnesota rookie Kevin Love is averaging 9.3 points, but leads all rookies in rebounding at 8.7 per game. Expect those numbers to go up with the season ending injury to the teams leading scorer and rebounder Al Jefferson.
Hats off to the NBA Class of 2008 so far. You have done and outstanding job so far. Now we enter the second half of the season and this is where things get tougher. None of these kids have ever played this many games in a season and we will see who will be ready to continue their success. We also start heading into the Playoff hunt and all of a sudden the veterans start playing a little more defense and the physicalness of the game picks up. It gets a little tough to make a pick for the weekend right now because, first of all, most teams will play another game prior to the weekend which could effect the weekend’s action. Secondly, we don’t have a solid line to make a selection.