NBA Rookie Report Cards: How the Top 10 Shake Out as Stretch Run Begins
2016-17's NBA rookie class has been forgettable.
Some of that’s due to unfortunate injuries, and some of it’s because of underperformance (Kris Dunn). Others, meanwhile, were known long-term projects coming in (i.e. Dragan Bender, Thon Maker).
With Ben Simmons (foot) and now teammate Joel Embiid (meniscus) out, the Rookie of the Year door has been cracked ajar. With only about 20 games left, here’s a look at how they’ve performed in recent weeks and how they rank heading down the stretch.
Their grades are based on recent performance and preseason expectations.
10. Willy Hernangomez, Center, New York Knicks (No. 35 in 2015)
1 of 10
With Joakim Noah likely out for the rest of the season, Hernangomez has a fantastic opportunity to soak up minutes. He fights the good fight in a role he should be able to have some success in for a long time.
Over New York’s last 10 games, Hernangomez is averaging 9.4 points and 8.3 rebounds in 23.5 minutes. His interior defense has fallen off in a larger role, but he’s a reliable inside scorer who can finish through contact and move bodies down low.
On paper, Hernangomez is also a solid piece to plug next to Kristaps Porzingis—if the Knicks hold firm on the belief that their best player shouldn’t play a majority of his minutes at center. Hernangomez is a garbage man on the boards and has good feel around the basket on offensive putbacks.
He’s also a decent pick-and-roll defender and more nimble than he looks. The 22-year-old can stick to some guards off the dribble, dance in no-man’s land and force tough shots without fouling.
None of this assures he’ll eventually start on a good team, but Hernangomez's future looks bright as a quality rotation big.
Grade: C+
9. Brandon Ingram, Small Forward, Los Angeles Lakers (No. 2 in 2016)
2 of 10
The hype that surrounds Brandon Ingram is a little excessive if you strictly look at how he's played over the past five months. Ingram will be a fine NBA player, maybe even a perennial All-Star. But he’s still only 19 years old, listed at 190 pounds and shooting just 37.3 percent from the floor.
Ingram ranks 81st out of 81 small forwards in ESPN’s real plus/minus, and the only Laker with a lower PER is Metta World Peace. But looking on the bright side, Ingram has shot 35.5 percent from deep since head coach Luke Walton inserted him in the starting lineup on a full-time basis Feb. 6.
More good news: The Lakers are essentially trying to lose every game the rest of the season; their 2017 first-round pick is top-three protected. Otherwise, it goes to the Philadelphia 76ers.
Ingram will have an opportunity to play through his mistakes, experiment with multiple positions and feel his way through a tough rookie year that should motivate him to bulk up over the summer.
Grade: C-
8. Caris LeVert, Small Forward, Brooklyn Nets (No. 20 in 2016)
3 of 10
The Brooklyn Nets acquired LeVert for Thaddeus Young on draft night. It’s unlikely the rookie ever sustains Young’s level of productivity, but that’s fine for Brooklyn so long as the 22-year-old develops into an intriguing role player.
Over half of LeVert’s shots have come from behind the three-point line, and he’s only made 29.1 percent of them. But in four years at the University of Michigan, LeVert was deadly behind the arc; he finished above 40 percent in his last three years.
Even though he’s surrounded by guys who aren’t the greatest passers, he stays in a ready position and gives teammates a nice target. Those shots will fall sooner or later.
On the other end, LeVert’s size (6'7", 203 lbs) is a nice fit in today’s NBA. He leads the Nets in steal percentage and will someday be versatile enough to handle both guard positions.
Beside a wing like Rondae Hollis-Jefferson, LeVert is someone who can switch screens and help Brooklyn form a fence along the perimeter.
Grade: C
7. Marquese Chriss, Power Forward, Phoenix Suns (No. 8 in 2016)
4 of 10
Chriss is a project who isn’t ready for the minutes or responsibilities the Phoenix Suns have handed him. But they don’t seem to be in a rush to get anywhere, and letting Chriss absorb the complexities of NBA defenses will help long term.
He’s lost in half-court situations on both sides of the ball. If he’s involved in a critical decision, chances are it’ll hurt Phoenix on the scoreboard. But so what? Chriss is a freak athlete who hustles in transition and lives above the rim.
The Suns are substantially better when he’s off the floor, but they’re also in the middle of a tank job. Chriss should get as many minutes as he can.
Grade: C-
6. Jamal Murray, Shooting Guard, Denver Nuggets (No. 7 Pick in 2016)
5 of 10
Jamal Murray has had some big moments. His shooting droughts are somewhat concerning, but he's just 20.
Coming out of Kentucky, Murray was heralded as a three-point sniper, yet he’s only shooting 34.3 percent on uncontested threes and 30.6 percent on pull-up attempts this year. Those numbers are discouraging, but he’s knocked down 44 percent of his catch-and-shoot tries over the Denver Nuggets' last 10 games, per NBA.com.
Murray is also one of only a handful of players on this list who are in situations that actually matter. The Nuggets are stiff-arming the eight seed from four or five teams that badly want it.
That’s added pressure, but it’s also a great opportunity for Murray to contribute in a winning situation and soak up experience in a playoff environment.
Grade: C+
5. Buddy Hield, Shooting Guard, Sacramento Kings (No. 6 in 2016)
6 of 10
Buddy Hield’s slow start only fueled concern over his high draft spot.
But the 23-year-old has done a tremendous job balancing his shooting numbers over the past few months—not enough to rationalize New Orleans’ thought process on draft night, but enough to catch Sacramento Kings owner Vivek Ranadive’s eye and convince him that Hield was a logical return in the DeMarcus Cousins trade.
It’s fair to say that Hield has exceeded expectations in Sacramento. It’s only five games, but he’s shooting 52.2 percent from the floor, 43.5 percent from beyond the arc and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line. Those numbers are sweet, but unfortunately, Hield does little else.
He’s logged four assists in five games since becoming a King, and his turnover rate is higher than his usage percentage (incredible considering how often he shoots the ball.) If Hield continues to shoot as he has, though, Sacramento will at least have a long-term starting wing moving forward.
Grade: C+
4. Malcolm Brogdon, Point Guard, Milwaukee Bucks (No. 36 in 2016)
7 of 10
Before Embiid went down for the year, the consensus runner-up for Rookie of the Year was Milwaukee Bucks second-round sensation Malcolm Brogdon. He’s been great, and the Bucks have been decisively better on both ends when he’s on the floor.
Brogdon is solid in every area. He dunked on LeBron James and lived to tell about it. His true shooting percentage nearly crossed .600 in February. That’s all wonderful and amazing for a second-round pick who has played more minutes than everybody in his class except the second overall pick.
But as a 24-year-old rookie, Brogdon’s short-term contributions are less impressive when you consider how close he is to reaching his ceiling. It’s not his fault the Bucks slid out of the playoff picture in January and, despite recent wins against the Toronto Raptors and Los Angeles Clippers, have a treacherous road trip coming up that should be the nail in their coffin.
The important takeaway here is that Milwaukee found a keeper. Backup point guard is a role it won’t have to worry about through Giannis Antetokounmpo’s prime. That’s a relief. Brogdon is the reason most teams aren’t carefree about throwing second-round picks in trades just for the hell of it.
Grade: B
3. Yogi Ferrell, Point Guard, Dallas Mavericks (Undrafted in 2016)
8 of 10
Ferrell is already 23 years old and, yada yada, nobody cares. He is a miracle and one of the great NBA stories to emerge this season.
Where would the Dallas Mavericks be without him? In 13 starts, he’s averaging 12.3 points, 3.0 rebounds and 5.0 assists in 32.9 minutes. Since Dallas signed him to a 10-day contract Jan. 28, Ferrell has made 39.1 percent of his threes and shot 60 percent within three feet of the rim.
Even more impressive, Ferrell’s numbers without Dirk Nowitzki on the floor are even better than when he’s beside him. Since the 32-point explosion against the Portland Trail Blazers, Ferrell’s only shot 31.8 percent from deep. But his emergence as a reliable pick-and-roll playmaker in Rick Carlisle’s offense has helped keep the Mavericks afloat as they try to squeeze their way into the postseason.
He’ll be in Dallas’ rotation next season and has proved to be a capable scorer at this level. Ferrell has only played 26 games this year (his first 10 were with the Brooklyn Nets), but a few Rookie of the Year votes shouldn’t shock anybody.
Grade: B
2. Jaylen Brown, Small Forward, Boston Celtics (No. 3 in 2016)
9 of 10
Jaylen Brown wasn’t supposed to contribute on a substantial level this season. He wasn’t supposed to slide right into the Celtics’ starting lineup and help improve areas where they’ve struggled (like defense and rebounding) or shoot threes and have enough confidence to capably guard LeBron James down the stretch in a playoff atmosphere.
But he has. Over Boston’s past 15 games, the 20-year-old is averaging 11.0 points, 4.7 rebounds and 3.9 free-throw attempts in 25.5 minutes. He’s shooting 49.5 percent from the floor and 41.4 percent from three.
Brown turned down the NBA’s invite to participate in the Slam Dunk Contest in favor of working on his game over the break. And with Avery Bradley hurt for most of February, Brown stepped into Boston’s starting lineup and added a necessary splash of athleticism to a group that can use his size (6'7", 225 lbs) and versatility.
He’s a menace in the open floor and seemingly improves his touch around the basket every week. Brown can already guard multiple positions and create his own shot in the half court.
When the season started, he looked to be two or three years away from entering Brad Stevens’ rotation in a meaningful way. Five months later, it wouldn’t surprise anyone if he was penciled into Boston’s starting lineup on opening night of his second season.
Grade: B
1. Dario Saric, Power Forward, Philadelphia 76ers (No. 12 in 2014)
10 of 10
The front-runner to win Rookie of the Year now that Embiid is gone just so happens to be his teammate. Since Jan. 1, Saric leads all rookies in total points, rebounds and three-point attempts. He’s fifth in assists.
A Swiss army knife in Philadelphia’s frontcourt, Saric is a stabilizing playmaker who can complement almost any skill set. His three-point shot is a bit of a concern, but Saric had made up for it by averaging 19.4 points, 8.4 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game since Feb. 8. (He was named the Eastern Conference Player of the Month in February.)
He’s a solid defender who can handle whatever pick-and-roll coverage Brett Brown asks him to execute. On the other end, at 6’10”, he can beat his man off the dribble and create good looks for teammates. He's an increasingly creative passer on the move with tremendous vision and unselfish tendencies.
Considering he’s played in every game this season, it shouldn’t bother anyone if Saric wins Rookie of the Year over his uber-talented teammate. He’s been that good.
Grade: B+
