Rookie Report Midseason Marks

[kgreene829]

Hey guys welcome back to the "weekly" rookie report but fist a couple of updates. I figured that I don't have the time to do weekly updates so going forward I will do 3 a season one at the beginning on at the All-Star break and one at the end of the year. Also I am changing the name from Rookie Recap to Rookie Report just because I think it sounds better. I did not have time to look at every rookie so if I missed any notable rookies just let me know and I will add them as soon as I get the chance. So without any further delay lets take a look at these rookies.

 

Roger Stewart

 

Roger Stewart has cooled down after his great start but he is still putting up good numbers for a rookie 10.9 PPG and 8.6 RPG. Stewart has done this on 53.9% shooting from the field and 31.3% shooting from 3. This is ok from a power forward but what he really needs to improve is his free throws. Stewart is not good at getting to the line. When your entire game depends on you getting close to the basket and scoring you should be taking more than just 42 free throws a game. He is only averaging 2 free throw attempts per game. Not only that he needs to get better at making free throws. Stewart is only making 59.5% of his free throws which comes out to 25 which is under 1 free throw made per game. If Stewart can improve his ability to draw fouls and improve his free throw shooting ability he can be a great asset to his team in a similar way that Jimmy Butler. Stewart has already shown that he is elite defensively averaging 1.4 steals per game and 1.7 blocks per game. Stewart needs to step up his game if he wants to help his team make the playoffs they are currently tied for 8th in the conference but I can defiantly see him improving and pushing this team to a playoff win or two. I expect more from the first overall pick but I am not going to call him a bust yet I know that Stewart can be great and I can't wait to watch him develop.

 

Jose Foster

 

Jose Foster is on top of the world. Foster is doing everything that I expect from Roger Stewart and more. As a member of the 16-10 Knicks Foster has exceeded my expectations as I thought he would have trouble playing at the four being undersized but he has shut me up quick. Foster is averaging 19.7 PPG 8.1 RPG while shooting 58.4% from the field and 40.3% from 3, but this does not tell the whole story Foster spent this whole off week protesting the All-Star break he has made it clear that he does not mean any disrespect to the players who made it but this week break came at a terrible time. Foster was on a tear the 2 weeks before the All-Star break and is angry that this might stop his momentum. Foster was averaging 28 PPG and 8.8 RPG on 64.6% shooting from the field and 39.5% shooting from 3. Foster is currently shooting 82.4% on his free throw attempts and will no doubt be striving to be a member of the 50-40-90 club. As things stand Jose Foster is my pick for rookie of the year and as we move to the second half of the year I can't wait to see how Foster does in the playoffs. BING BONG.

 

Kevin Diaz

 

Kevin Diaz is putting up really good numbers averaging 16.8 PPG, 4.9 RPG, 3.2 APG, 1.2 SPG, and 0.7 BPG on 54.1% shooting. I don't have much to say about Diaz he had been a good player for a not so good Utah team. Kevin Diaz is showing just how deep this draft was that someone drafted 11th overall is putting up numbers like these. When I first looked at him my two knocks were his shooting percentage and his turnovers. While his shooting average has improved he has gone from 2 turnovers a game to 2.8. Something to monitor but I wouldn't worry too much. Kevin Diaz is a solid player that I think has a bright future.

 

Dennis Hall

 

Dennis Hall has continued to impress the 14th overall pick has helped push the Kings from a middle of the pack team to a title contender. I don't know what people thought about this Kings team before the season but I think they have passed all expectations at 16-10 and second in the western conference this is a team that has flown under the radar. Hall is averaging an impressive 17.9 PPG along with 4.6 RPG and 2.8 APG on 59% shooting from the field and an unbelievable 43.4% from 3. Hall was a player that didn't have that much hype going into the draft but had interest from a couple of teams in need of a small forward. In the end I think both Hall and the Kings are happy with the end result. Dennis Hall is looking like a great player that will end up being the face of Sacramento and a title contender for a while.

 

Ronald Lucas

 

Ronald Lucas is just another player that shows how deep this draft was. Lucas picked 27th overall by Cleveland has put up 16.7 PPG, 3.7 RPG, 2.3 APG and 1.5 SPG. He has to stop turning the ball over averaging 3.1 turnovers per game but other than that Lucas has been a great player for so late in the draft. Lucas has been a real bright spot on this team and while he might not turn into a superstar I believe he will end up being a great draft steal.

 

Moises Farr

 

In my first report I had a little bit of fun mocking the media for overreacting to early numbers and while I believe that Moises Farr still has some work to do before I can say he deserved to be the #6 draft pick I believe he will be able to make. Putting up 12.3 PPG, 6.5 RPG, 2.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, and 1.2 BPG on only 1.8 turnovers per game Farr has obviously improved OKC needs more production from Farr if they want to even think of making the playoffs. One of my biggest knocks of Farr early on was his shooting percentage which he has improved to 53.8% from the field, 41% from 3 and 92.5% from the free throw line. If Farr can keep these numbers up not only will he be the 10th player in NBA history to make the 50-40-90 club but he will be the first player to do it in there rookie season.

 

Mark Ross

 

Mark "The Boss" Ross has been on a tear. In the first rookie report he was averaging 26.3 points per game but since then he has been averaging 28.5 points per game. This is being done on 38 minutes per game 56% from the field and 36.7% from 3. Mark Ross had the most interesting circumstances when it came to the draft and it looks like he might be the most interesting rookie of the season.

 

Jesse Rodriguez

 

Jesse Rodriguez is the starting small forward on a very good Heat roster. While they have been struggling recently that is not on Rodriguez who is putting up really respectable numbers. Putting up 17.1 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 2.3 APG, 1.6 SPG, and 1.0 BPG on 55.7% shooting from the field and 35.3% shooting from 3. What I want to see Rodriguez improve on is lowering his 2.7 turnovers per game and improve on his consistency. Some games Rodriguez will torch opponents for 30 on great efficiency and other games he will struggle to put up 10. I think this is a kid with a bright future that just needs to settle down and find his rhythm. I kind of think of him as Tyler Herro from last year he was very inconsistent but if that is who he is going to play like I can't wait to see him in the future.

 

Benjamin Morris

 

Morris picked at 3rd overall was a little underwhelming at the beginning of the season but since then he has gotten better. Now averaging 14 PPG, 3.8 RPG, 2.7 APG, and 1.8 SPG Morris looks like he is starting to fall into a rhythm. He improved his shooting percentage from the field to 55% but on thing he needs to improve on is his 3 point shooting. Only shooting 26% on 100 shots is something you want to see him improve on. I also commented on improving his playmaking and with 2.7 assist per game I think this is a real improvement. While I think Morris still has some big steps left in becoming a star in this league his improvement so far has shown me that he has what it takes to reach his max potential.

 

Jordan Bridges

WARNING: This report is very stat heavy

When I first talked about Jordan Bridges I prayed for him because I thought he was playing center because their are no centers or power forwards on the roster getting minutes. After checking with the Coach of the Celtics though he is playing all 37 minutes at small forward. But getting back to talking about this monster if you were to look at his numbers you would think that he is a well established 3rd option on a contending team. Averaging a very impressive 21.4 points per game he is establishing himself as one of the better scoring rookies this year. But Bridges can do more then score he is averaging an unreal 7.3 rebounds per game and 2.1 blocks per game at only 6'5" this kid plays like he is 6'11". This kid becomes the favorite for rookie of the year in my eyes. Bridges is doing this on 56.7% shooting from the field and 50.8% from 3 on. Bridges is not putting up these numbers on a couple of shots per game he is shooting 344shots from the field and 236 shots from 3. This comes out to 13.2 shots per game with slightly more then 9 of these shots being from 3 point range. The highest 3 point percentage in a season is Kyle Korver in the 2009-2010 season for the Utah Jazz shooting 53.64% from 3 with only 110 3 pointers attempted. The only person to be more efficient on more 3's over the season then Bridges was 52.24% on 245 shots. This happened in the 1995-1996 season. Bridges has the chance to make history. Regardless he is going to break the rookie record for 3 point percentage in a season as that is 46.74% by Anthony Morrow who set the record in the 2008-2009 season. Surprisingly Bridges needs to do some work if he wants to break the record for most 3 pointers attempted in a season which is held by James Harden for taking 1028 in the 2018-2019 season which ended up being 13.2 3's per game. The most 3's taken per game by a rookie is 550 by Donovan Mitchell who took 550 3's which is an average of 7 3's per game. No matter how you look at it Bridges is on pace to break some records. While playmaking does not look like it is a strong suit with only 2.2 assister per game I would not be too concerned on improving that.

 

Fred Andrews

 

In my last article I commented on how losing was a new concept to Fred Andrews and I joked about him trying to go back to college if the Magic couldn't find a way to win. Well it looks like @SyndaKyt and the rest of the Magic thought I was being serious because the Magic are now the best team in the east and the second best team in the league. Fred Andrews has been averaging a near double double with 16.2 points per game and 9.0 rebounds per game which would be a great season for the 20 year old center. However part of the reason Andrews was drafted so high was his defensive ability and he has not disappointed with 2.8 blocks per game. I don't have much to say about Fred Andrews because it looks like @SyndaKyt already knows how to best use Andrews and the rest of the team.

 

Martin Bailey

 

Martin Bailey has a couple of things I want to point out but other than that he looks like a solid shooting guard who can end up being a great second option of Seattle. First thing I wanted to point out was him putting up 18 points per game. This is a great performance from someone selected with the 16th overall pick. I looked into it and surprisingly the 16th overall pick has had a couple of great players. Bailey has the chance to add his name to the list of good 16th overall picks along with John Stockton, Ron Artest, Hedo Türkoğlu, Nikola Vucevic, Jusuf Nurkic, and Terry Rozier. The other thing I wanted to point out was Bailey's efficacy. Bailey is shooting 60.1% from the field on 291 shots. The bottom line here is Bailey will be a great second option for Seattle for years to come.

 

Harold Walker

 

At the midseason mark Harold Walker continues to struggle I can guarantee you that Detroit was looking for more from the 8th overall selection but only averaging 8.6 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 1.8 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.7 BPG. Walker is having trouble making the jump to the NBA. I am not going to say that Walker is a lost cause but when you look at how people picked before and after him are performing you can't help but wonder if this was the right pick. I hope Walker can turn this around but hope only gets you so far.

 

Tyrell Wooldridge

 

In the last rookie report I called Tyrell Wooldridge Big Dick Tyrell but since then his production has dropped quite a bit. I still think that Wooldridge deserves this nickname because he is still averaging 18.2 points per game and before the all star break he dropped 31 points on the Magic. Yes the Pelicans did get blown out but Wooldridge kept fighting to the end. Wooldridge dose not give a shit that he was selected 25th overall he has the drive to be the best. The work he puts in is matched only by the likes of Kobe Bryant, Michael Jordan, and the rest of the greats. I am not comparing their skill just their drive and the work they put in to be the best. One thing is for sure you can't be a star in this league with just hard work you need natural talent and I can't wait to see what Wooldridge has in store.

 

Francis Doyle

 

Now we get into the players that are not getting minutes. Francis Doyle selected 5th overall by the Bucks was clearly a best player available pick. There was no need for a point guard in Milwaukee and that is why Doyle is only getting 4 minutes per game. I just wanted to remind everyone who forget that Doyle is still on this team. With the Bucks recent struggles I would move some things around so that Doyle can get a shot. I have 2 suggestions on how to help the Bucks. The first one is to play Wayne Smith at small forward and have Doyle or Long play shooting guard. My other suggestion is move Scott Allen or Joe Scott to small forward. It looks like the Bucks are only playing people at their designated position. So this is just a friendly reminder that you can play people one position up or down from their designated position.

 

Raymond Rivera

 

Well. Raymond Rivera has broken every single record and has lead his Lakers to an undefeated season to this point. Raymond Rivera is a nationally recognized brand that draws in money by the boatload for the NBA. Rivera is not only the rookie of the year favorite but also the favorite to win the MVP. Oh what could have been. No in reality Raymond Rivera still finds himself on the bench hoping to get just 1 minute in the NBA. Lakers fans are reminded that god is dead every time they turn on the game and see Rivera sitting at the end of the bench. I think that Rivera should be given the choice of which team he wants to sign with because the Lakers not using him is a crime and disgrace to this beautiful game. #FREERIVERA

[subsequent]

"Foster spent this whole off week protesting the All-Star break he has made it clear that he does not mean any disrespect to the players who made it but this week break came at a terrible time"

 

hahahahahaha

[SageBow]

#FREERIVERA