SI Roundtable: Assessing the Rookies

[Haakzilla]

...more press for the Blazer's "PGOTF"

Fact or Fiction: Anthony Davis will be the 2012-13 NBA Rookie of the Year.

Lee Jenkins: Fiction. It's much harder for big men to assert themselves early than guards. Davis is with a young team, in a brutal conference, and he spent only one year in college. I'll go with Portland point guard Damian Lillard because he is older, he'll have the ball in his hands and he's the rare rookie with a lot of experience running the pick-and-roll. The Blazers will bounce back this season and Lillard stands to receive much of the credit.

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[Mediocre Man]

SI has no credibility anymore because Ben Goliver works there now. At least that's what some Blazer faithful keep telling me

 

[RR7]

SI has no credibility anymore because Ben Goliver works there now. At least that's what some Blazer faithful keep telling me

no blazer faithful has said that specifically to you. But you can keep fishing for it.

 

[dviss1]

Well I'll say this, Paul Forrester has lost any credibility he might have had after this:

aul Forrester: Fact. But the voting might be closer than expected. Davis should make an immediate impact on the Hornets' defense and record. But the Rookie of the Year award often is swayed by stats, and while Davis could be a better offensive presence than many predict as a rookie, players such as Golden State's Harrison Barnes and Cleveland's Dion Waiters will have more of a green light to score. And 20 points stand out a lot more in a game than 12 rebounds, three blocks and 10 points. Still, if a healthy Eric Gordon can help Davis engineer a 15-game or so improvement for the Hornets, that will be hard to ignore.

C'mon now...

[video=youtube;vYQaZyVVt9o]

 

[MickZagger]

Waiter was the one guy I DIDN'T want.

 

[dviss1]

Waiter was the one guy I DIDN'T want.

Me either!

 

[Haakzilla]

Damian Lillard on playing against top PG's in the NBA: "I'm going to make them show me why they are who they are."

 

[THE HCP]

^That's a carrying the ball violation!

 

[Mediocre Man]

^That's a carrying the ball violation!

No it's not. His hand is on top of the ball

 

[Rhal]

^That's a carrying the ball violation!

Isn't that how LBJ starts his "crabwalk" travel?

 

[dviss1]

^That's a carrying the ball violation!

That is absolutely NOT a carry. To carry a ball (speaking from a ref's point of view) the Ballhandler MUST have his hand MORE
open than a handshake. Even if it is at handshake level (straight up and down) it is NOT a carry.

Most fans do not know this.

Section II—Dribble
d. A player who is dribbling may not put any part of his hand under the ball and

This means your hand can be on the side of the ball. Anything more open than a handshake IS under the ball.

 

[PtldPlatypus]

Well I'll say this, Paul Forrester has lost any credibility he might have had after this:

...players such as Golden State's Harrison Barnes and Cleveland's Dion Waiters will have more of a green light to score....

C'mon now...

Exactly what is the problem with what he said? He never said that Waiters would be ROY, would be any good, would score 20 ppg, or anything else like that. All he said was that Waiters will have more scoring opportunities than Davis will. And he will.

 

[dviss1]

Exactly what is the problem with what he said? He never said that Waiters would be ROY, would be any good, would score 20 ppg, or anything else like that. All he said was that Waiters will have more scoring opportunities than Davis will. And he will.

The whole context was in the rookie of the year conversation. Waiters should not and will not be in this discussion. This is my point.

 

[BrianFromWA]

I disagree that 20ppg is 'sexier' than 12/10/3. Three people in history have accomplished the latter as a rookie. You may have heard of the Admiral, Shaq and Alonzo Mourning. In just the last 10 years there's been LeBron, Melo, Durant, Tyreke, and Blake Griffin. Not to say that 20ppg doesn't put you in some sort of rarified air, but if these two were pulling this off you'd get an article a day from Hollinger and the like talking about PER and win shares and how volume scorers aren't as valuable as athletic big men who put up double doubles and play hellacious D.

 

[Boob-No-More]

I disagree that 20ppg is 'sexier' than 12/10/3. Three people in history have accomplished the latter as a rookie. You may have heard of the Admiral, Shaq and Alonzo Mourning. In just the last 10 years there's been LeBron, Melo, Durant, Tyreke, and Blake Griffin. Not to say that 20ppg doesn't put you in some sort of rarified air, but if these two were pulling this off you'd get an article a day from Hollinger and the like talking about PER and win shares and how volume scorers aren't as valuable as athletic big men who put up double doubles and play hellacious D.

That all may very well be true, but when it comes to ROY voting, it doesn't matter. A sexy scoring average will sway more voters. Adam Morrison with a PER = 7.9 and a -1.5 WS came in 4th in ROY voting because he averaged 11.8ppg (second among rookies that year). He wasn't even in the top 15 rookies in PER, but most ROY voters don't even know what PER means.

BNM

 

[dviss1]

I disagree that 20ppg is 'sexier' than 12/10/3.

I'll take 16/6/3 and R.O.Y.