10 Most Intriguing Rookies of the 2011-2012 NBA Season

The NBA season is more in doubt with every day that passes, and with the lockout now well into its second month, it's pretty obvious that we are going to end up missing some games.

One thing that is going to be most affected by the loss of what is likely going to be dozens of games and possibly even the whole season is the development of this year's rookie class.

There are some very interesting players in this year's class, and while it my not be the strongest class in the past decade, it is certainly one of the most interesting.

It contains many players from Europe and beyond who are quite mysterious at this point, and there is a huge debate between who is going to be the better of the top two picks in the draft.

Hopefully we don't miss out on seeing some of these very interesting players, but let's take a quick look at some of the questions revolving around some of these guys.

10. Was Tristan Thompson Worth a No. 4 Pick?

I'm a Cleveland Cavaliers homer, so it goes without saying that I am quite interested in Tristan Thompson, but it's kind of hard to say if he should have been picked as high as he was.

Word on the street is that Dan Gilbert met with Thompson before the draft and fell in love with his game, which may or may not be a good thing.

Gilbert, as the team's owner, obviously wants some input on the team, but at the same time he should be leaving most of the basketball decisions to the basketball people.

It will be interesting to see if Thompson can bring the defensive intensity that he did to Texas and if he can start to improve his shortcomings, like shooting 47 percent from the free-throw line.

9. Can Kemba Walker Be a Big-Time Player?

Kemba Walker was my favorite player of the top three point guards taken in the top half of the first round, not for his skills, but for his mentality.

He is a passionate player and a natural born leader, and he just seems like a guy who can overcome his shortcomings, like being far too short to be in the NBA.

However, we have seen plenty of players in the league shorter than 6', and they have done fine.

Walker has basically been given the keys to the car in Charlotte, as he and Bismack Biyombo are now the pillars of the future for the Bobcats.

8. How Electric Is Jan Vesely?

Jan Vesely was one of the most exciting players in this year's draft.  As a 6'11" small forward who can fly all over the court he seems to be one of the most unique players to come out of Europe since Arvydas Sabonis.

There are YouTube clips of him flying around the court like he has a jetpack attached to him and stays in the air longer than anybody in the league today. 

I don't know if it's his lanky frame or just that time slows down when you see a white dude jump like that, but he seems to be in the air for decades.

The only question is whether he is just a circus sideshow and is better suited to go play streetball with The Professor and AO or if he is a legitimate NBAer.

7. How Raw Is Bismack Biyombo?

The word that came out of Africa before the draft is that Bismack Biyombo has the potential to be a defensive beast, but he has very little knowledge of the game.

He picked up the game just a handful of years ago and needs some time getting used to both the flow of the NBA game and just learning the small parts of the game that would make him more well-rounded.

Watching him in clips playing in Europe are encouraging if only for his size and length, and if he can step in and play well right away, then he could become a great player very quickly.

6. Is Kyrie Irving a Franchise Player or Just the Beginning for Cleveland?

The more I think about it, the more it seems like Cleveland picking Kyrie Irving No. 1 overall was more set up for him to be a complementary piece to the future, whether they planned it that way or not.

Irving is going to be a fine point guard, but it doesn't seem like he is a future franchise guy, and with the 2012 draft looking deeper and deeper, he may just end up being a good No. 2 for the Cavs in the future.

Cleveland will likely be in the basement of the league again, and will end up with a top-five pick which should set them up with a good small forward or shooting guard.

5. Is Jonas Valanciunas Really as Good as the Lithuanians Say?

Lithuania loves Jonas Valanciunas.  They love him to the point that they feel he is at least the best Lithuanian to be drafted at least since Zydrunas Ilgauskas, maybe even best ever.

Valanciunas was the MVP of the FIBA Under-19 World Championships, which Lithuania won over Czech Republic.

It's entirely possible that Jonas could be the best player to come out of this draft, but we probably won't know that for another four or five years.

4. What Is Derrick Williams?

There has been talk about Derrick Williams being a "tweener," which has led some teams to say he won't be a good player.  He will either be a big small forward or a small power forward, but either way, he should be good.

Williams sees himself as a small forward, but he seems more suited to play a more physical position and lengthen the floor as a power forward.

Either way, I think he is going to be very productive as a rookie and will end up being quite a fine player for the Timberwolves.

3. Should Enes Kanter Have Been Considered for the No. 1 Pick?

I'm convinced that if Enes Kanter would have played for Kentucky this season that he would have at least been in the mix to be the top overall pick.

Scouts have said that he has the potential to be a legitimate big man in the league, and with good centers few and far between in this league, he would have been much more valuable if he actually played competitively in the country for a season.

So long as he stays healthy, it seems as if Kanter is going to be a very good player in the NBA for the next decade, and he should be the cornerstone of the future for the Utah Jazz.

2. What Will Jimmer Do?

To me, Jimmer Fredette is in a terrible situation.  He is on a team full of basketball black holes in Tyreke Evans, John Salmons and DeMarcus Cousins, and as a guy who needs the ball in his hands to produce, he may have troubles getting touches.

Secondly, as a little white dude coming out of BYU, it may be hard to get along with Evans and Cousins, both of whom seem to be intimidating guys.

Jimmer could put together some good shooting numbers, but ultimately, I don't see him having an excellent rookie season.

1. Is Ricky Rubio Worth the Hype?

What confuses me about Ricky Rubio is that he is expected to be this savior of a franchise and the next amazing point guard, but he averaged just over three assists a game in Europe to go along with shooting below 40 percent from the field and below 30 percent for three.

I'm sure that playing more minutes with better teammates will up his assist numbers, but shooting may be a problem.

I really have no idea if Rubio is going to be able to be the savior of the Timberwolves or if he is going to be a complete bust.  I'm really perplumexed (perplexed and flummoxed) on that one.

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