Even the most talented young basketball players in the world are forced to deal with a learning curve when they arrive in the NBA as they adjust to playing in the world’s best basketball league. Skill, athleticism and intelligence all matter but even then it takes time for young players to adjust to the physicality of a man’s game and the 82-game grind that makes up the NBA regular season schedule not to mention the dangers of fame and fortune once they have made the jump to the pro ranks. The 2015 NBA Draft class is in that transition period right now but there is no denying that some of this year’s rookies have progressed quicker than others. Here is a look at the top NBA rookies that have fully arrived already.
Karl-Anthony Towns
Minnesota Timberwolves
The top pick from the 2015 NBA Draft has been an absolute monster since stepping foot on an NBA floor, living up to his status as the No. 1 pick and another franchise cornerstone for the Timberwolves to build around. Towns ranks second among all rookies this season with 15.9 points per game, first in rebounds with 9.2 per game and he ranks in the top-10 overall in double0doubles this season. Towns has all of the raw tools to be a star at the NBA level but it’s his dedication to his craft and love of the game that has made the difference in his quick transition from top pick to NBA star and Towns is clearly an exception to the rule as a rookie that has already arrived on the big stage.
Jahlil Okafor
Philadelphia 76ers
It took a little longer for Okafor to arrive and it’s no surprise that his numbers picked up big time once he finally got some help from a decent point guard in Ish Smith. Okafor has looked absolutely dominant over the past couple of weeks with 16.6 points, 5.9 rebounds and 1.1 assists per game and there has been a big difference between his play with and without Smith in the lineup. Okafor might not ever physically dominate the way that Towns can but he has all of the tools to be a star at the NBA level and it is clear that Smith’s presence has helped speed up his arrival.
Kristaps Porzingis
New York Knicks
Porzingis was booed relentlessly when the Knicks made him the No. 4 pick in the 2015 NBA Draft but the narrative surrounding his arrival in New York has changed dramatically since he began pounding the offensive glass and throwing down monster dunks. The lanky Latvian is playing a complete game for the Knicks and while his play at the offensive end of the floor has put him on the highlight reels the fact that he has thrived at the defensive end is just as important. Porizingis has held his opponents to 47.6-percent shooting at the rim while averaging more than 2.0 blocks per game since late November and now it’s clear to the basketball world what Phil Jackson saw in him when he made him a top-five pick. Porzingis has averaged 13.6 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.1 assists and 1.0 three-point shot per game this season and while his overall numbers should only continue to get better it is clear that he has arrived at the NBA level.
D’Angelo Russell
Los Angeles Lakers
A lot of people had hoped that the Los Angeles Lakers draft Jahlil Okafor with the second pick of the 2015 NBA Draft. The logic was that the Lakers already had quality in the back court with Jordan Clarkson and Lou Williams. However, the Lakers had other plans as they picked up Russell and he’s been a stellar performer since. He did have a slow start to the season but head coach Byron Scott has had more faith in him recently and with more playing time, Russell has delivered. Although he’s averaging just 11.3 points and 3.4 assists on the season, a recent outing of 27 points, four assists, three steals, two rebounds and two steals in just 29 minutes of action shows that his ascension is only a matter of time.
