Sorry for the delay in my blog posting. I’ve had a busy last few weeks. I was out of town and also got married so things have been hectic. Anyway, I want to kick off the new NBA season by talking about some of the individual players to watch this season and what I expect these players.
First I want to talk about the rookies. Most people expect Greg Oden to win Rookie of the Year honors and rightfully so. Some even think it is Michael Beasley. However, I think the rookie of the year will be unanimous this year and that honor will go to OJ Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies.
Mayo is NBA ready. He’s a natural scorer and has an all around game rivaling some of the superstars in the league. While he’ll have his rookie ups and downs his overall stats will be better than what we saw from last year’s super rookie Kevin Durant.
Durant line from last year was 20.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.4 assists, .98 steals, .94 blocks, while shooting at a 43% clip. I believe that Mayo will average around 18 points a game but will do it more efficiently than 43% and his all around game will be better than Durant’s. I expect Mayo to average 2 steals a game and shoot about 45% from the field.
Another player that has caught my attention is NJ Nets Center Brook Lopez. Lopez probably will come off the bench this season but I see some real “big man” talent there. If he gets the minutes, I think he’s a double double lock and will block some shots as well. It remains to be seen how long the Lopez will continue to come off the bench. If he gets the opportunity to start he’ll make some noise at the Center position. Greg Oden is the cream of the crop here but Lopez shouldn’t go forgotten.
Derrick Rose is still on my list of great players out of this rookie class. I don’t include him in the conversation ONLY because it is so hard to succeed in the NBA as a Point Guard in the first year. I think Rose will live up to his draft status but his learning curve is much higher because of the position. He’s got a lot to learn. That’s not to say Rose won’t be relevant this year. I think he’s going to put up some good numbers. I just don’t think it will be OJ Mayo level numbers.
This is how I see it unfolding this year in the Rookie of the Year award. Feel Free to argue…
1. OJ Mayo
2. Greg Oden
3. Michael Beasley
4. Derrick Rose
5. Marc Gasol
6. Brook Lopez
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2 comments:
Good stuff I think you said it perfectly!
I think Mayo has a good chance to win it but most people will want it to go to Oden. Rose will have his moments of greatness, but few. Gasol could be a sleeper here. Beasley is on a team with talent which helps out a lot. Here is my finish:
1. Beasley
2. Mayo
3. Oden
4. Rose
5. Gasol
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