After such a talent-filled draft, a lot of bettors are excited about the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year props. Will Andrew Wiggins shine in Cleveland? Is Jabari Parker truly the best NBA-ready talent? Is Nerlens Noel going to be a factor after a year off? Here’s how we rank the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year race:
1. Jabari Parker
It all starts with Parker, the star out of Duke who went to Milwaukee as the number two pick in the 2014 NBA Draft. Almost everyone in professional basketball felt that Parker was going to be one of the first three players picked in the draft, and when Kansas big man Joel Embiid came down with an injury, it opened up the No. 2 spot for Parker. Cleveland later traded Wiggins to Minnesota in order to land Kevin Love, so Cleveland already got some value for Wiggins. Minnesota, though, might not get as much value when compared to Milwaukee with Parker.
The big thing to keep in mind about Wiggins is that he already has been bothered by back problems. Parker is in better physical shape and has a body that is currently stronger, especially in the chest and shoulders. Wiggins can jump really well, but Parker is more powerful, and that’s going to accrue to his advantage as the season goes along. Parker’s physical strength is one of his better qualities. He is likely to be able to finish at the rim better than Wiggins can, at least in the first half of the season.
2. Andrew Wiggins
Wiggins was originally thinking that he was going to a Cleveland team to be the central savior of the franchise. Then LeBron James announced that he was going to be a Cavalier, making Wiggins think that he had hit the jackpot in terms of getting the right new batch of teammates at the beginning of his career. Then he was traded to the Minnesota Timberwolves and doesn’t even have Kevin Love to go to, since Love also went to Cleveland in that three-team deal.
Wiggins knew he was unwanted by the Cavs for several weeks, but NBA league policies prevented the trade from being able to be completed for a long while (not until just after August 20). Wiggins has undergone an emotionally difficult stretch, and he will have to be the one to lift the Timberwolves this season. Ricky Rubio is a great point guard to play with, but Minnesota’s three-point shooting and paint scoring will both take big hits as result of Love’s departure. Wiggins needs to play off Rubio and explore ways to get the most makeable shots possible. Driving to the rim will come with time. So will an improved jump shot. Wiggins needs to be able to use floaters and finger rolls as ways of finishing plays.
3. Marcus Smart
This is a highly talented, athletic, and muscular player who can dribble, shoot, and attack the basket. Smart is a multi-tool player whose worst tendency is that he loses focus and control. He can be so good when he’s on, but he does take vacations during games and is easily flustered. Smart also flops on defense, and he’s going to have to learn not to oversell calls in professional basketball. What will be interesting to follow with Smart is how he plays when Rajon Rondo eventually returns to the active roster for the Boston Celtics. That’s going to determine whether he remains a strong Rookie of the Year candidate or not.
4. Julius Randle
This is a young, strong, and wide power forward. Randle is thick and muscular, meaning that he’s going to be very hard to uproot from the low post when he gets a good spot. He has a lot to learn and must take a few seasons to develop, but he could potentially become a guy who does a lot of the same things Zach Randolph does. Randolph has his own style, but Randle could very easily become a bowling ball in the paint who seals out opponents on the boards and is just about impossible to work past on defense. Randle could benefit this season from the fact that Kobe Bryant is on his team. If defenses extend and devote enough attention to Kobe, Randle could get a lot of good shot opportunities within six or seven feet of the basket.
5. Nik Stauskas
This is a player who made such meteoric progress from the 2012-2013 season to the 2013-2014 season in college basketball. Stauskas was a much smaller and less physically powerful player in the previous season. He was relatively weak and did not command the basketball. He was a spot-up shooter who liked to find a place on the court and get the ball from then-Michigan point guard Trey Burke before Burke went to the NBA with the Utah Jazz. Stauskas was not that good off the dribble, and he couldn’t finish near the basket. In the 2013-2014 season, though, all of that changed. Stauskas underwent grew a lot and gained muscle as well. He developed an effective crossover dribble and took control of the ball a lot more, starting more of Michigan’s halfcourt movements. He could be a great fit for the Sacramento Kings, which need all the help they can get.
