9 NBA Rookies Exceeding Expectations in 2015
Though injuries have put a cloud over the 2014 NBA rookie class, there are a handful of bright newcomers worth highlighting. Many of them have gone above and beyond what's expected of them.
For a lot of these young players, team fit has been huge. Each of the following prospects landed in a great position—one that's allowed them to find the floor and play to their strengths. A couple of them even spent time in the D-League before getting the call-up and capitalizing on their opportunity.
These are the NBA rookies who've exceeded expectations based on where they went (or didn't go) in the draft and their development out of college.
Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves, SG/SF
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2014 Draft pick: No. 1
Even after all the hype and going No. 1 in the draft, Andrew Wiggins has still managed to exceed expectations in Minnesota.
He's already hit the 30-point mark three times in 2015, and he now has more 20-point games (18) than the rest of this year's rookies combined, via ESPN Stats & Info.
The only NBA players to score more points before turning 20 years old: Carmelo Anthony, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kobe Bryant, Stephon Marbury, Dwight Howard, Cliff Robinson and Kyrie Irving.
It hasn't just been the numbers—Wiggins really passes the eye test out there, having flashed everything from step-backs, pull-ups, spin moves, post-ups, spot-ups and above-the-rim finishes.
In terms of shot creativity and one-on-one offense, he's come a long way from his first month at Kansas.
With 6'8" size, lightning-quick feet and long arms, Wiggins has also showcased his lockdown defensive potential, as well as the versatility to cover ball-handlers, 2-guards and wings.
The fact that he's averaging 15.6 points on only 33.3 percent shooting in the mid-range and 34.7 percent from downtown shows just how much room there's still left for him to improve. Once he starts knocking down those jumpers with a little more consistency, we could be talking about one of the game's premier two-way scorers.
And it looks like it might happen sooner than anyone would have originally anticipated.
Jordan Clarkson, Los Angeles Lakers, PG/SG
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2014 Draft pick: No. 46
Jordan Clarkson fell all the way to No. 46 in last year's draft, and it might have been the best thing for his career. He's gotten an ideal opportunity to play no-pressure minutes in L.A., where he's suddenly looked like the Lakers' most dangerous playmaker, averaging 14.4 points and 3.8 assists over the team's last 11 games.
At 6'5", Clarkson has 2-guard size and scoring instincts, only he handles the ball and can run pick-and-rolls (.86 points per play), with the ability to draw the help and hit the screener or pull-up in the mid-range (42.1 percent on pull-ups).
Up one with under two minutes to play against the Jazz Wednesday night, Clarkson took a ball screen and nailed a jumper off the dribble (his fifth of the night) right over Trey Burke.
He's even taking care off the ball (one turnover per game, two per 36 minutes) after registering a shaky 3.4-2.7 assist-to-turnover ratio last year at Missouri.
Though capable as a shooter, having hit 15 threes in 34 games, Clarkson will need to keep working on that range, as well as his shot selection. More simple passes and fewer tough shots could improve his overall efficiency (41.7 percent field-goal clip).
But there's no doubt Clarkson has a future in the pros. Given how few assets the Lakers are working with, they have to be thrilled with what they found late in 2014's second round.
Jerami Grant, Philadelphia 76ers, SF/PF
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2014 Draft pick: No. 39
Regardless of whether he went first or second round, Jerami Grant didn't quite project as a rookie ready to produce.
At 210 pounds, he looked like he'd be outmatched at power forward, and having made zero three-pointers his final year at Syracuse, you'd think transitioning to the wing would take time. He even tied for last at the 2014 NBA combine during spot-up shooting drills.
But with better spacing in the pros and a green light to shoot them, he's managed to knock down 28 threes in 41 games at a terrific 40 percent clip. He's made 43.5 percent of his catch-and-shoot jumpers overall, and it's ultimately allowed him to serve a purpose offensively, given his inability to create or finish in the paint (42.1 percent).
Still, Grant's athleticism has translated to easy buckets here and there—17 of his 48 two-pointers are dunks—as well as some big-time defensive plays. He averages a block a game in only 19 minutes. Grant actually swatted eight shots against the Knicks back on January 21.
ESPN Insider Kevin Pelton tweeted that Grant's emergence might have had something to do with the Sixers' willingness to trade K.J. McDaniels.
I'm in agreement. Grant isn't anywhere close to reaching the surface of his potential, and he's still finding ways to produce as a raw, unpolished rookie.
Jusuf Nurkic, Denver Nuggets, C
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2014 Draft pick: No. 16
Jusuf Nurkic, who averaged around 15 minutes a game as a teenager overseas last year, was viewed more as a long-term project than short-term option for Denver. But through about four months of the season, it looks like he's shown glimpses of each.
Nurkic currently leads all rookies in player efficiency rating. At 6'11", 280 pounds, he's fit right into the NBA paint, where he makes up for youth and raw offense with strength, length and a good feel for the rim.
Even at 20 years old, as a back-to-the-basket scorer, Nurkic has shown the ability to knock defenders off balance with one shoulder before turning and finishing over the other. His post game isn't overly advanced, but he's been able to get position and deliver with simple jump hooks.
Nurkic has also shown promise as a potential pick-and-pop threat down the road, having hit 14 of 37 jumpers in the mid-range.
But he's ultimately done his most damage on the glass, where he's pulling in 13.3 boards per 36 minutes, and he's a top-10-ranked player in the league in defensive rebounding percentage, per RealGM.com.
Nurkic has been pretty disruptive around the rim defensively as well, blocking 2.6 shots per 36 minutes.
He'd be a top-10 pick if teams could redo the 2014 draft. Loaded with two-way talent, consider Nurkic the early favorite for biggest steal.
Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers, PF/C
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2013 Draft pick: No. 6
After missing a year-and-a-half of ball to rehab a torn ACL, it's taken Nerlens Noel some time to get going again. And quite frankly, there was a point in December where he'd really hit a wall.
But Noel bounced back, and he's gotten better by the month, as we've seen his scoring average gradually rise from November to February.
He's getting more comfortable with his jump hook, particularly using his left hand. And he's even started knocking down jumpers, an extremely encouraging sign for a big man who only has 228 pounds to throw around on the interior.
Noel has hit nine jumpers in nine games so far this month. Having made just 14 over his previous 46 games, the new touch has become a noteworthy development.
“All these thousands and thousands of reps we’ve gotten up over this past year-and-a-half when I wasn’t playing...I just didn’t have the confidence I needed,” Noel told NBA.com's Max Rappaport. “But now it’s coming around, and I’m just making sure that I can go out there and knock them down.”
Even better news for Sixers fans: He's starting to figure it out on defense. Noel blocked one shot a game in November, 1.5 in December, 2.0 in January and he's blocking 2.8 this month.
He also has the highest steal percentage of any player 6'10" or bigger. Noel offers more than just rim protection—he has the ability to disrupt or switch on pick-and-rolls, as well as create turnovers with his quick hands and reach.
Noel's ceiling isn't quite as high as Joel Embiid's, the Sixers' 2014 top pick, but he still offers a unique dimension of versatility the Sixers could build with moving forward.
Langston Galloway, New York Knicks, SG
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2014 Draft pick: Undrafted
Langston Galloway got the call-up from the D-League in January, and he hasn't looked back since. Galloway has not only emerged as one of the New York Knicks' key members of the rotation, but after signing a deal with a partial guarantee for 2015-16, Galloway may have even secured a spot in the team's future.
Having gone undrafted this past June, it's a surprise just to see Galloway on an NBA roster. But he's capitalized on the opportunity he's received in New York, where he's averaging 11.8 points and three assists through 19 games.
Though a tweener on paper at 6'2", Galloway is a strong, physical guard who's spent time at both backcourt positions. But he's done most of his work off the ball, making 1.8 shots per game at a 39.2 percent clip as a catch-and-shoot player outside 10 feet.
Galloway was a dangerous long-range threat at St. Joseph's, having made 343 threes in four seasons. His accuracy has slipped (33.8 percent from downtown with the Knicks), but he's still making 1.4 triples per game.
With the ball, he's shown he can get to the basket, as well as pull up in the mid-range (makes one pull-up jumper per game). Galloway isn't exactly a natural facilitator, but his ability to handle it and create has led to drive-and-kick assists.
Regardless of how much stock you've put in Galloway's numbers since January, his toughness might ultimately hold the most value in New York. He plays with a live, active motor at both ends of the floor.
The Knicks are likely to fill their roster this summer with a number of pricey free agents. It wouldn't be a shock if they brought back Galloway, who's proven he can bring something to the table on a cheap rookie contract.
Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic, PG
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2014 Draft pick: No. 10
Elfrid Payton has gone from facing Sun Belt Conference defenses straight to the NBA as a starter, where he's averaging 5.8 assists per game to lead all rookies.
Though his scoring arsenal hasn't exactly translated, he's done a nice job as a table-setter on a young team. Payton has strong passing instincts when it comes to finding shooters off drives or out of pick-and-rolls, and he's demonstrated the poise to make the simple play if there isn't anything available.
However, he may have actually made more noise so far at the defensive end, where his length and quickness have translated to 1.5 steals per game. Payton can really be a pest out on the perimeter. He just held Goran Dragic to 3-of-10 shooting Wednesday night.
At this stage, a shaky jumper, which has only connected on four three-pointers and 12 shots between 16 and 24 feet, has limited him offensively.
If Payton wants to solidify himself as the franchise floor general in Orlando, he'll have some work to do over the next two years. But he's more than held his own this season without much support to lean on.
K.J. McDaniels, Houston Rockets, SG/SF
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2014 Draft pick: No. 32
Pick No. 2 of the second round in the 2014 draft, K.J. McDaniels has come out of nowhere to emerge as the second-leading scorer among active rookies, averaging 8.8 points per game.
But the Philadelphia 76ers traded him to the Houston Rockets at the deadline. McDaniels, who'll be a restricted free agent this summer after signing an unorthodox one-year deal last October, will likely command a little extra dough in 2015-16, something the rebuilding Sixers probably weren't interested in giving up.
Unfortunately for McDaniels, there aren't as many minutes to go around in Houston as there were in Philadelphia.
He's a terrific athlete who can really get off the ground. McDaniels picks up two buckets a game within 10 feet off cuts, lobs, drives and transition opportunities. And though not quite lights-out on the perimeter, he's looked capable as a shooter, having hit 43 threes in 54 games.
Still, McDaniels is bound to have NBA success on defense. After leading the ACC in shot-blocking a year ago, he's currently swatting 1.3 shots as a wing (No. 1 in NBA among shooting guards) while showcasing the versatility to guard multiple positions.
McDaniels still projects more as a role player, but after getting passed on 31 times, it's safe to say he's exceeded expectations.
Nikola Mirotic, Chicago Bulls, SF/PF
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2011 Draft pick: No. 23
Having played overseas since getting drafted back in 2011, it was tough to predict Nikola Mirotic's immediate role and impact.
So far, he's been shuffled around the Bulls lineup as a starter, bench scorer, small forward and power forward. And though his production might have fluctuated throughout the year, it's pretty obvious the Chicago Bulls found a keeper.
He currently ranks second among rookies in player efficiency rating (16.04). Mirotic can play, and he brings a skill set to the table that holds plenty of NBA value.
He's grabbing nine rebounds and making 2.0 three-pointers per 36 minutes. Mirotic's ability to hold his own down low and threaten the defense as a shooter was tailor-made for the stretch 4 position, while his agility and ball skills have allowed him to also log minutes as a big 3.
Mirotic would ultimately be getting more minutes had the Bulls not been so loaded up front. I'd imagine his role will only increase over the next few years.
Stats courtesy of NBA.com, Sports-Reference.com and RealGM.com.
