2044 Rookie Ladder (227 views)

[👨🏼‍⚕️delapandemic🚑]

Looks like a step back from the last class, for sure.  Blake Griffin just turns the ball over too dang much to even make an appearance, despite his other solid atrributes.  3.4 as a big is reallllllly bad.  Gotta get that fixed ASAP.  Very unsure of where I landed on Steph/Jrue... as they both played SG exclusively in the PreSeason and seemed to mask some of their faults.  They may move a lot in future updates if they are playing PG. 

I see a pretty big gap between Harden and the rest right now, but there are a few very useful players in the class for specific needs.

Rookie Ladder - PreSeason Update/Initial Rankings

1. James Harden - Detroit Pistons

4th in P/TSA, 1st in scoring, and surprisingly very strong rebounding numbers.  His TOs are dicey, but fixable.

2. DeMar DeRozan - Vancouver Grizzlies

I... guess? Outside of TOs Of the Mar Of the Rozan looks solid.  7th in P/TSA, wants to shoot the ball (looking at you, Steph), and good defensive numbers. 

3. Hasheem Thabeet - Miami Heat

TOs aren't ideal, but he doesn't want to shoot... so his low P/TSA doesn't matter.  Elite rebounds and blocks (1st in the class by a large margin in blocks/stocks).  Seems to be on the Capela/DJ trajectory.

4. Ricky Rubio - Chicago Stags

Breaking my own rule here.  I usually say 3.0 TOs/36 is a cut-off for not being ladder worthy, but I think Rubio's skills look to overcome that hindrance.  Very efficient for a rookie PG, tons of assists... good steals #s for a PG, too.

5. Jrue Holiday - Chicago Bulls

As I said in the header... I don't know what to do with him.  As a SG I think he looks great... as a PG?  Very unsure.  Looks like an elite defender already.  Decent efficiency, but not superb.  Future Glue Guy of the Year?

6. Steph Curry - Washington Bullets

3rd in P/TSA, but volume is super low.  Defensive stats/rebounds look to be plumped by playing SG... same deal with his low TOs.  Need more data here.

7. Tyler Hansbrough - Dallas Mavericks

4th in boards, good effiency, decent defensive stats... and hyper-low TOs.  Clearly not a star, but clearly has a place in the league if those numbers hold and his shot blocking gets +30.

8. James Johnson - Spirits of St. Louis

Seems like a solid 3rd-type big of the future.  He's got some real strengths in volume, P/TSA, rebounding, and defensive stats.  He really needs to get that FT% pumped up and his handling to be a little better.  Tenuous hold right now, assuming Blake Griffin improves going forward.

Honorable Mentions:

Points:

Sergio Llull - Miami Heat

Wings:

Jodie Meeks - Washington Bullets

Marcus Thornton - Atlanta Hawks

Omri Casspi - Chicago Stags

Gerald Henderson - Tri-Cities Blackhawks

Bigs:

Luke Zeller - Virginia Squires

Blake Griffin - Charlotte Hornets

Jonas Jerebko - Cleveland Cavaliers

Aron Baynes - Seattle SuperSonics

Byron Mullens - Pittsburgh Condors

[troybarnes]

40k. Good stuff. Hoping Rubio's handling improves over the next few years because I think he can be a top tier PG if it does

[👨🏼‍⚕️delapandemic🚑]

Day 40 Update
Some movement and more separation at the top from the Top 3 from everyone else. Blake Griffin might be able to catch them later in the year, but they are all pretty far ahead right now.

1. James Harden - Detroit Pistons (previous: 1)
1st in scoring, 4th in P/TSA, 1st in PER. Low TOs at 1.8/36. Give him that man his other +15 and he should be looking elite.



2. Steph Curry - Washington Bullets (previous: 6)
The volume issues seem to be a thing of the past. Get this man his +30 (40, maybe even?!?)... and BOOM. Elite. 5th in scoring, 2nd in P/TSA, TOs are not unplayable... high steal rate.



3. Jrue Holiday - Chicago Bulls (previous: 5)
You idiots let Tim draft a defensive stud again. 5th in P/TSA, 1st in steals, very low TOs. Volume isn't great, but not awful. Ugh.



4. Blake Griffin - Charlotte Hornets (previous: HM)
Man of my word... the TOs came down, Blake gets his spot. Good scoring, decent efficiency... elite rebounding (2nd in the class).



5. Hasheem Thabeet - Miami Heat (previous: 3)
Averaging 2.0 blocks/36... no one else in the class is even above 1.1. Elite defender, lowish volume. Perfect 4.0 big man, but still a darn good 5.0 one.



6. Gerald Henderson - Anaheim Amigos (previous: HM)
Good efficiency, looks to be a great defensive wing with low TOs.



7. Byron Mullens - Pittsburgh Condors (previous: HM)
I am as surprised as you are... But, TOs are OK, 3rd in rebounding, volume is strong and efficiency isn't a big negative. Needs to get stocks up.



8. Wes Matthews - Charlotte Hornets (previous: NR)
Another surprise following the pre-season. Matthews is putting up elite percentages with a low TO rate. His volume needs to get pumped. His defense looks playable, too.



Honorable Mentions:

Points:
Ricky Rubio - Chicago Stags

Wings:
Jodie Meeks - Washington Bullets
Austin Daye - Chicago Zephyrs
Christian Eyenga - Spirits of St. Louis
Tyreke Evans - Maine RedClaws

Bigs:
Tyler Hansbrough - Pittsburgh Condors
Luke Zeller - Virginia Squires
James Johnson - Atlanta Hawks
Jordan Hill - Grand Rapids Drive

[👨🏼‍⚕️delapandemic🚑]

Day 80 90 Update

Sorry about the delay... I got excited about the draft and forgot about my responsibilities. The Top 2 continue to separate themselves from the pack... and then there are a bunch of somewhat efficient, but not exciting players with really little to separate them from one another. I really can't tell the difference between any of the HM Wings.

1. James Harden - Detroit Pistons (previous: 1)
Holds on to the top spot by virtue of his low TOs. 1st in PER, 1st in P/TSA, 1st in scoring volume.



2. Steph Curry - Washington Bullets (previous: 2)
Very efficient, could be Kyrie-like with upgrades. Defense is surprisingly good.



3. James Johnson - Atlanta Hawks (previous: HM)
Big jump for the UDFA. Could be small sample effect, but he's 3rd in P/TSA and is averaging 2.8 stocks (more than 1 in each category)/36. His spot here is really tenuous because his pedigree doesn't belie a star rookie... but we'll see.



4. Hasheem Thabeet - Miami Heat (previous: 5)
Still a defensive stud, still not great on offense... but that doesn't really matter for those that want to start him. TOs are really starting to creep up. If they don't decrease a tad he'll be liable to slip and fall down the ladder.



5. Jrue Holiday - Chicago Bulls (previous: 3)
Big slip for Jrue... but he still looks like a promising low-volume defensive wing in the future. Would like to see his efficiency tick up, or his stocks/36.



6. Blake Griffin - Charlotte Hornets (previous: 4)
Efficiency and scoring volume both slipped since the last update. The rest of the output remained stable. Has the pedigree to get back to Top 3-4 if he has a solid final 30 days.



7. Jordan Hill - Grand Rapids Drive (previous: HM)
The only difference between Hill and Griffin is pedigree at this point, as they have nearly identical stats at this time.



8. Ricky Rubio - Chicago Stags (previous: HM)
Rubio is back on the ladder by virtue of his decreased TOs and his increased scoring efficiency. Leads all rookies in 3p%, which is a real surprise.



Honorable Mentions:

Points:
Milos Teodosic - Spirits of St. Louis

Wings:
Gerald Henderson - Anaheim Amigos
Marcus Thornton - Spirits of St. Louis
Jodie Meeks - Washington Bullets
Wes Matthews - Charlotte Hornets

Bigs:
Tyler Hansbrough - Pittsburgh Condors
Byron Mullens - Pittsburgh Condors
Luke Zeller - Virginia Squires

[eric]

[👨🏼‍⚕️delapandemic🚑]

Rookie Ladder - Final
In probably the closest 1/2 finish we've had in the modern Rookie Ladder, Harden narrowly edges fan-favorite Steph Curry, the man so popular he single-handedly kept a GM in the league. TimPig please transfer 1k to the winning GM, Mike !! Congrats James (lesser congrats to Steph, but you did good too!)

1. James Harden - Detroit Pistons (previous: 1)
2nd in WS, 1st in scoring, P/TSA, and PER. Low TOs, decent rebounding. Not sure he'll ever be a stellar defender, but he'll at least be adequate.



2. Steph Curry - Washington Bullets (previous: 2)
2nd in scoring and PER and 3rd in WS and P/TSA. TOs are not elite, but he can grow and take care of the ball a little bit better. 2nd in steals among rookies.



3. Ricky Rubio - Chicago Stags (previous: 8)
Quite a 2nd half of the season for the Spaniard. 5th in P/TSA, TOs are very playable, 2nd in 3p%. 3rd in steals among rookies.



4. Jrue Holiday - Chicago Bulls (previous: 5)
Leads all rookies in steals and WS, solid P/TSA. Might not have the ceiling of those around him, but he likely has a high floor.



5. Hasheem Thabeet - Miami Heat (previous: 4)
Leads all rookies in block and stocks. 3rd in boards. Prototypical 4.0 D/R Big.



6. Blake Griffin - Charlotte Hornets (previous: 6)
Leads all rookies in rebounding, scoring at a decent volume, with decent P/TSA. Defensive stats need to be much better for him to reach full potential.



7. James Johnson - Atlanta Hawks (previous: 3)
Strong across the board in all the right areas for a big, except his FT% is low enough to hold him back. Might be overplaying his talent right now, but he put together a great rookie season.



8. Jordan Hill - Grand Rapids Drive (previous: 7)
2nd in rebounding among rookies. Like Griffin, his defensive stats leave a lot to be desired.



Honorable Mentions:

Points:
Milos Teodosic - Spirits of St. Louis
Eric Maynor - Denver Nuggets

Wings:
Gerald Henderson - Anaheim Amigos
Marcus Thornton - Spirits of St. Louis
Wes Matthews - Charlotte Hornets
Jodie Meeks - Washington Bullets

Bigs:
Aron Baynes - Seattle SuperSonics
Luke Zeller - Virginia Squires
Byron Mullens - Pittsburgh Condors
Tyler Hansbrough - Pittsburgh Condors

[killybing]

1k for every gerald henderson that didnt even make the ladder

[andrewluck]

30k

[skrouse]

44.4K