The NBA has officially announced plans for the 2021 All-Star Game, with all events taking place on the same day. One event that we will not have this season, however, is the Rising Stars Game, which is a shame, considering how many great players we would have managed to see in it. If the format was still USA vs. World, we could have seen Zion Williamson, Ja Morant and LaMelo Ball on the same team.
It’s mandatory television over there. Although people tend to have mixed feelings about the Rising Star Game because it doesn’t normally attract much interest, this year’s game would have been seen as a compromise. Perhaps the league will put one up next season and allow second-year players to still participate.
Now moving on to this week’s rookie rating. These ratings will reflect a rookie’s performance only weekly, not in the collective season, so they’re not Rookie of the Year’s ratings. With that fixed, here’s a look at this week’s best newcomers.
Ball managed to stay on the starting lineup, even though Terry Rozier and Devonte Graham were back completely healthy, which only shows the type of problem the newcomer suffered. Since being placed on the starting lineup, Ball has averaged 20.9 points, 6.9 bags and 6.3 assists, while producing a plus-minus 2.9 positive boxscore. Not only has he been efficient (44.6% in the field, 43.9% in depth) since the beginning, but the Hornets is 4.9 points per 100 possessions better when he’s on the ground, which means he’s also impacting in victories.
The Hornets have made a lineup of three guards with Ball, Rozier and Graham, but at some point one of them will have to leave the bench to have a more balanced initial lineup, and at this point it doesn’t look like it will or should be Ball. Although he is not a great defender, his size is an advantage over Graham, and his playing ability surpasses what Graham and Rozier can offer as the primary ball handler, as much as James Borrego may want to slow the hype train around. Ball, it is practically a no-brainer at this point that he should have a permanent place on the starting lineup.
In an unlikely victory over the Celtics, Bey became the first rookie in league history to make seven 3s in a game without losing, and his performance throughout the week earned him the Player of the Week honors. Entering the league, he was praised for the defense he could provide as he developed, and while this is still a work in progress, his offensive game has been excellent so far. He is ranked at the 85th percentile in the spot-up pitch league, he has a versatile post-up game when the Pistons want to feed him low and he has been tremendous in the transition. His game is one of the main reasons why Detroit won two games in the same week for the second time this season.
Consider this an official petition to put Edwards in the dunk contest this season. Throughout the season, he displayed his ridiculous athletics, diving into just about anyone who dares to get in his way and this one buried in Doug McDermott is no different. The Timberwolves are going through yet another lost season, with Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell struggling with injuries, but it has been the best thing for Edwards because it has given him a little freedom to develop at his own pace.
Quickley’s rise this season was one of the best stories in this 2020-21 campaign, and he continues to prove that everyone – including us – is wrong about the evaluation of the Knicks taking him in the first round. In reality, Quickley should have gone much further in this draft, as he has already developed one of the most lethal floaters in the league and can score on all three levels. He’s one of the many reasons why the Knicks seem like a legitimate playoff candidate as we approach the middle of the season, and we hope that at some point this season we can see what he looks like as a starter.
With Christian Wood on the side, the Rockets have used Tate more as a tracker, which gives them more versatility in attack, as he can jump for a jump or 3 points, as well as use his strength to finish on the rim. He takes away the lob threat that Wood offers, but with bigger defenders protecting Tate, he gives Houston an advantage because he can put the ball on the ground and create for himself, or take down a bouncer. Its versatility at both ends of the floor makes it even more surprising that it has not worked.
Haliburton has been so good this season, since his game creation, his ridiculous speed, his ability to perform some hard kicks and stop quickly to change direction, but if there is an area in the attack that he needs to improve on, it is to score the dribble. When he’s getting out of a pick-and-roll, about 40 percent of the time he jumps, but he’s not making a good pace. He occupies the 14th percentile in the league in this category, generating just 0.759 points for possession, which would not be a big deal if he did not go to that stroke so often. He needs to become a more consistent marker outside of dribbling to really unlock the next level of his game.
I’m hoping Campazzo will have a solid week to push himself into this rookie ranking to talk about the oldest rookie in the class, 29, who previously played professionally in the EuroLiga with Real Madrid, where he even played alongside Luka Doncic. This week, however, Campazzo showed exactly why the Nuggets signed him, looking like a smaller version of Nikola Jokic with the passes he is using. I mean, look at this:
This is just filthy. Not only does he get that Kyle Kuzma pass perfectly, but in slow motion it almost looks like he changed his mind at the last second to pass it on to Zeke Nnaji instead of RJ Hampton. He is an artist with the ball and has been getting more playing time in the past week, showing that he is gaining Mike Malone’s trust.
After losing a few games due to the league’s health and safety protocols, Maledon was put back on the starting lineup and showed off his 3-point shot in two games this week. Although Thunder is not the most competitive team this season, it has been incredibly beneficial for OKC to see their young players develop, and Maledon is certainly one of them. Last year, Maledon probably wouldn’t have had any running time, but after swapping Chris Paul and Steven Adams, Thunder allowed itself the ability to see what was going on with some of its young players in the future.
Since returning from an injury, which cost him his first year in the league, as well as 13 of the first 14 games this season, Windler has not looked terribly consistent and, after playing two games this week, has been prevented from playing the last game of the Cleveland due to knee pain. Still, he had an impressive double-double against the Trail Blazers this week, scoring 12 points and 10 hits, but his 3-point shot was difficult. He’s been getting heavy minutes, but he hasn’t always been able to impact the attack, something he will need to work on to maintain his place in rotation.
Williams had a big 3 point win in the Bulls’ return win over the Pistons, where he hit a 3 point corner to essentially freeze the game for Chicago. He also showed his strength in painting, overcoming Detroit’s bigs on an offensive board and a fierce dunk. This boy continues to impress with each passing day, and the best part for Chicago is that he is only 19 years old. it is good at such a young age should make the Bulls incredibly happy. Although he is not the most exciting player in his draft, he is certainly one of the guys with the tallest roof ahead.