The next 'Big Things': Watch out for these Rookies

Every season, the draft always generates a lot of excitement. New hopefuls coming in, dreaming of becoming stars, always kindles interest. Especially if they’re inexperienced rookies. Many rookies who get drafted are more of hit and miss cases. They may or may not make it big. However, basketball pundits and aficionados around the world still spend a lot of time analysing which rookies will become the next big things.

Among the rookies drafted into the NBA this season, this article deals with the top 5 rookies in my opinion:

5. Jack Cooley

Cooley is a 22 year old, 6’9″ PF/C, playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. The undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame is a definite up-and-comer. His summer league statistics are as follows: 15.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG and 18.33 Efficiency.

He’s a physical player and a good rebounder, especially for his height. His strengths lie in his physicality and hustle. He’s also an efficient scorer, especially in the low post region. He’s a good shot blocker and can score with both hands. Although physical, he’s not that athletic and is a little too short to be a centre. His main drawback lies in his size. He may be able to defend NBA power forwards but could he withstand the Big men of the league? Can he hold his ground against the Centres?

4. C.J. McCollum

McCollum is a 6’4″ PG/SG who is the 10th draft pick and currently plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. He majored in jounalism at Lehigh University. McCollum is a decent ball handler with pretty good vision and can score as well. McCollum was undersized when he entered college and has been working hard to gain muscle since then. This might be an added advantage for the SG.

He led the Rookies in scoring at the Summer Circuit with 21 PPG. He also stacked up 3.4 APG and 4 RPG. A few points of concern were his overall shooting percentage. He shot 36.6% from the field and just 31% from behind the arc. These might work against him as the TrailBlazers need someone who can score both consistently and efficiently. Although he might not be Rookie of the Year material, he will make a good sixth man to the Trailblazers.

3. Victor Oladipo

The no. 2 draft pick plays for Orlando Magic at Shooting Guard. At 6’4″, he’s a little shorter than the usual shooting guards these days. He’s explosive, athletic, good at defense and is an efficient shooter. These attributes of his have earned him a comparison to Dwyane Wade. Oladipo was named the Sporting News “Men’s College Basketball player of the year”. Oladipo used to play for the Indiana University. However, he decided to drop out of his final year there and entered the NBA 2013 draft. He enters the league amidst controversy as he recorded the entire proceedings via Google Glasses and uploaded them on Twitter.

Oladipo played 4 games in the summer circuit and averaged 19 PPG, 5 APG, 4.3 RPG and 3 SPG. His combination of skills might be exactly why Orlando drafted him. Ever since Vince Carter’s departure, Orlando have been filling his gap with Hedo Turkoglu who, albeit being a decent SG/SF, is not quite as explosive as “Vinsanity”. Oladipo brings that to the table along with increased athleticism, as Turkoglu is 34 years old. He will probably turn a few heads this season.

2. Cody Zeller

Of all the videos of Zeller I have watched, one word kept recurring in my mind - Polished. He has a high basketball I.Q. He’s got great coordination for a 7-footer and is an all-round athlete. He runs the floor and plays with great energy. He’s confident, composed and is unselfish. He can make a very sound impact on the offensive end, but not as a scorer. He has a 37.5 running jump and that is AMAZING for a 7 footer – shows that he is a terrific athlete. However, on the defensive end, he has some shortcomings. He’s not much of a shot-blocker, and is overcome by bigger or stronger opponents. He’s predictable and at times, a tad too slow.

The No. 4 draft pick finished the summer circuit with 16.3 PPG, 9.3 RPG and 4 PF. Although he is capable of scoring, he’s not assertive enough. He lacks the alpha male personality and this might be a disadvantage for him. However, Charlotte Bobcats should probably thank the heavens that they got a player of his talent in the draft. Zeller definitely has the potential. But can the Big Man make it big?

1. Kelly Olynyk

The 13th overall pick of this year’s draft, Canadian born Olynyk is a classic example of the fact that the cream of the crop might not always be the top draft picks. He was drafted by the Dallas Mavericks, but traded immediately to the Boston Celtics and will probably be a perfect fit for them. He’s a 7 footer, and can play in both PF and C positions. He might be expected to fill a part of the void left by K.G and Pierce.

Olynyk is versatile and he is the perfect combination of size and skill. Olynyk is a polished shooter. He scored 18 PPG at 58%. He also grabbed 7.9 RPG. His mid-range game is surprisingly strong and complements his offensive skills in the low post.

The Celtics are currently rebuilding their team after the departure of Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce and Olynyk happened to be at the right place at the right time. There is one interesting point at play here – the Celtics are probably the only team which needed a good, talented, rookie in their squad. Every other major team already has young players competing for the top spot whereas, the Celtics, after trading KG and Pierce, are in need of fresh, young blood. The stage is set for Olynyk to showcase his talent.

He’s my prediction for the Rookie of the Year Award. Probably a little too early to predict, but he’s the only player to have shown that amount of promise.