ESPN Rookie Rankings

[Jerry1714]

With the season at the midway point they did the rankings and awards.

Drummond is 2nd behind Lillard, but Drummond has the highest PER.

For the Celtics fans out there Sully is 5th, the Knicks fans who laughed at that pick after the draft are morons.

For the Mid season awards:

Biggest surprise: Drummond

Questions about his desire to play hovered around Drummond last June, as did concerns about his offensive game and feel. But it's clear that Drummond should have gone second in this draft, which easily makes him the biggest surprise. Players like Drummond -- glass-eating, shot-blocking, paint-finishing, lob-catching, quick-in-transition beasts -- are exceedingly rare. He looks to be a franchise big man with very strong All-Star potential.

Best rebounder: Andre Drummond, Pistons

Some rebounders are tall and long, so they can get their hands on a lot of balls. Others have great hands, so the ball sticks when they touch it. Undersized players need a motor, along with good hands, to get to the ball and rebound. Then we have Drummond, who has combined all three components to become dominant on the glass. He has also added some craft to his art, deftly tipping the ball away from opponents to spots he can get to first. Drummond has the potential to one day lead this league in rebounding.

Most impressive rookie: Damian Lillard, Trail Blazers

Jumping from a mid-major college team to a basketball-crazy franchise and community desperate to be playoff-relevant again, Lillard has his team in the playoff hunt. As talented as he is, that was hard to imagine at the beginning of the season. Playing huge minutes is tough enough for a rookie. Doing so as the team's starting point guard adds a mental element that makes it even tougher. Yet Lillard continues to shine and shows no signs of letting up.

 

[CTBasketball]

Andre's PER is the 11th highest in the NBA. Lillard is in the 3 digits.

 

[champs99and04]

PER has its limitations. Lillard plays far more minutes than Drummond, which isn't accounted for in PER. He's also depended on to create offense, while Drummond is generally the beneficiary of others creating offense for him (granted, it's a lot easier to create offense when all you have to do is throw the ball in the same galaxy of the rim, but still). Lillard spaces the floor, Drummond clogs it. Defensively, Drummond still gets lost at times. Add all that to the fact that the Blazers are competing for a playoff spot while the Pistons are heading for the lottery, and Lillard's all got the ROY of the year locked up barring a transcendent second half performance from Drummond.

 

[Perspective]

Lillard is no doubt good, but everybody needs to remember he has 3 years of college ball under his belt and is 22 years old. The fact is, a point guard who can get you 18 and 6 on 42% shooting is fairly common, while a guy who can get you a double double in a half, regularly, is not.

I ran a separate vote among NBA GM's and asked them the simple question - "Who would you rather have under contract for the next 7 years - Lillard or Drummond."

Curiously, the vote was unanimous.

Drummond may end up being a once in a couple generation player.

 

[Brochacho]

Not to sound like a , but PER is useless. One example can be found on the Celtics. Is Chris Wilcox better than Bass, Sullinger, and Green? I'm 99.9999% sure the answer is no. I think PER should only be used in an argument when dealing with players who are within +/- 5 minutes of each other.

 

[uconnsouth]

What is PER?

 

[Jerry1714]

If the draft was redone Drummond would be the 2nd pick, not Lillard, behind Davis.

 

[specialisthusky]

What is PER?

player efficiency rating

 

[Wise2]

If the draft was redone Drummond would be the 2nd pick, not Lillard, behind Davis.

Or he might be #1. AD has the greatest upside and will be an All Star next year.

 

[champs99and04]

If the draft was redone Drummond would be the 2nd pick, not Lillard, behind Davis.

I'm not so sure Drummond wouldn't be the first pick. Davis is exceptionally talented, but he's not a freak of nature like Drummond is. Drummond has no ceiling right now, and there are very few players you can say that about.

No, to those of you saying PER is useless - I disagree. There are a lot of advanced stats out there that provide some context to the standard stats we're accostumed to seeing (blocks, rebounds, points, etc.). I don't think any stat will be able to serve as an adequate replacement for actually watching the games and studying film, but PER probably comes the closest.

 

[Jerry1714]

Or he might be #1. AD has the greatest upside and will be an All Star next year.

There is a .001% chance AD will be an All Star next year, he has great upside, but slow down and take a deep breath. Who does Drummond edge out? Noah? Chandler? Get real.

AD has a long way to go on the offensive end. His FT shooting is still pathetic and he lacks any offensive game outside the paint. Davis is way way ahead of him in both aspects.