The Underrated NBA Rookies of the Year by Lauren Beasley
As usual we had a great group of impressive rookies in the NBA this season; they are all spread out between the east and west coast.
Now more than likely we all know Cleveland Cavilers rookie guard Kyrie Irving will probably win the award this year and he certainly deserves it. Irving played and started in 51 games this year, averaging nearly 31 minutes and leading the team in scoring with 18.5 points per game.
Now as much as I agree that he deserves it, there are still some other great rookies on my draft board that did great things this season, who I believe should not be left out.
For starters I will start with Iman Shumpert of the New York Knicks. He had a great rookie season with the Knicks. He became an influential piece to the Knicks, as an athletic scorer and lockdown defender. Unfortunately during a first round playoffs game against the Miami Heat, Shumpert suffered a knee injury while dribbling in midcourt. An MRI later revealed that Shumpert tore the ACL and meniscus in his left knee and would miss the rest of the season. But there is no question that this young man was one of the reasons for the Knicks success and is great upcoming player.
I was also very impressed with Isaiah Thomas of the Sacramento Kings. He was the final pick in the draft. To some people he came out of nowhere and turned out to be the reliable, steady point guard the Kings needed. Thomas finished sixth among rookies in scoring (11.5 ppg), fourth in assists (4.0). With him at point guard it allowed guard Tyreke Evans to play shooting guard which benefited the Kings even more. I like Thomas’s potential and I think he will end up being a key piece to the Kings.
Probably the most underrated rookie this season is Kawhi Leonard of the San Antonio Spurs. Leonard's numbers won't blow you away), but his impact on the top-seeded Spurs can't be overlooked. And the fact that Gregg Popovich puts Leonard in the same breath with defensive specialist Bruce Bowen tells you just how important the rookie has been. He continues to be a key piece to the Spurs success and as they go farther in the playoffs, his role will be even more important especially defensively.
Secondly here are some of the players in the middle of my Rookie Board, who I felt had good season but not good enough to win the Rookie of the Year award.
Kenneth Faried, of the Denver Nuggets lived up to his manimal moniker after the Nuggets dealt away Nene. He is an aggressive athletic player who brings some intensity to the Nuggets.
Klay Thompson of the Golden State Warriors did the same for the Warriors after Golden State dealt away Monta Ellis and was easily the best rookie scorer down the stretch, showing he's got ridiculous potential.
Marshon Brooks of the New Jersey Nets, whom the Nets landed on Draft night after the Celtics took him with the 22nd pick, has been one of the bigger revelations of the Draft. He is prolific scorer and although he missed some games with various foot injuries, he still did some great things for the Nets.
Lastly some of the players I liked but to me didn’t have the best seasons as rookies because of injuries or because of their team play are: