NBA Rookies 2013: 1st-Year Players with Best Shot at Postseason Awards By Maxwell Ogden (Featured Columnist) on October 13, 2013 11,920 reads 23 Icon_comment Share Tweet Use your ← → (arrow) keys to browse more storiesNext Hi-res-184006185-ben-mclemore-of-the-sacramento-kings-drives-against-the_crop_north Garrett Ellwood/Getty Images On Oct. 29, 2013, the NBA regular season will commence with three games welcoming in the new campaign. All eyes will be on the returns of superstar players such as Kobe Bryant, Rajon Rondo and Derrick Rose, but we shouldnt lose sight of the first-year players who will usher in a new era of basketball. The question is, which first-year players have the best shot at winning postseason awards? Everyone is looking for the instant rise of a young player, but even the best in the NBA have gone through grace periods. Only one can win Rookie of the Year and, more times than not, some of the most promising athletes go through a full first season without hardware. Here are the players who have the best shot at walking away with an award. Rookie of the Year: Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings Position: Shooting Guard Age: 20 Clinching Factor: Scoring He may not be my pick to win Rookie of the Year, but if any player should be considered the front-runner, its Ben McLemore of the Sacramento Kings. McLemore is easily the most NBA-ready scorer in this draft class and will have no shortage of opportunities to prove just that. To make things easier, McLemore will play alongside Greivis Vasquez—the player who ranked No. 3 in assists per game in 2012-13. What is Ben McLemores upside as an NBA player? MVP All-Star Quality Player Bust Submit Vote vote to see results If nothing else, McLemore will be a high-quality scorer who makes noise as a jump-shooter while taking passes from Vasquez. With DeMarcus Cousins working down low, opposing defenses will inevitably collapse and enable the former Kansas Jayhawks star to receive even more open looks. All in all, Sacramento is the perfect team to provide McLemore with an opportunity to shine from the opening tip. There are other options for Rookie of the Year, but McLemore projects to have the greatest scoring season among first-year players. Say what you will about that statistic being misleading, but theres one fact you cant deny: Seven of the past eight Rookie of the Year award winners led first-year players in scoring. McLemore projects to be 2013s rookie leader in points per game, and that makes him the front-runner. Sixth Man of the Year: Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Detroit Pistons Please upgrade your browser to view HTML 5 content Position: Shooting Guard Age: 20 Clinching Factor: Scoring and Defense Portland Trail Blazers guard C.J. McCollum suffered a broken foot and is out indefinitely, per Joe Freeman of The Oregonian. As a result, the odds of a rookie becoming a Sixth Man of the Year award candidate took a hit. If any other player could do it, its Kentavious Caldwell-Pope of the Detroit Pistons. According to Vince Ellis of The Detroit Free Press, Pistons head coach Maurice Cheeks has stated that KCP is unlikely to start in 2013-14. Things could change as the season progresses, but all signs point toward veteran Rodney Stuckey getting the nod. Who should be the Detroit Pistons starting shooting guard? Kentavious Caldwell-Pope Rodney Stuckey Submit Vote vote to see results That makes Caldwell-Pope a genuine threat for Sixth Man of the Year. Caldwell-Pope will make his money as a defender in the NBA, using his length and athleticism to disrupt players at all three perimeter positions. What could make the reigning SEC Player of the Year a star is the fact that hes a well-rounded offensive threat. Such was evident during the 2012-13 college basketball season, as KCP averaged 18.5 points, 7.1 rebounds, 1.8 assists and 2.0 steals on 37.3 percent shooting from beyond the arc. The latter number is what makes him such a valuable weapon for Detroit. The Pistons ranked 21st in three-point field goals made per game in 2012-13, and thus, Caldwell-Popes status as a contender exists. Rookie of the Year: Cody Zeller, Charlotte Bobcats Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports Position: Power Forward Age: 21 Clinching Factor: Offensive Versatility If I told you that the most explosive big man of the year was eligible in the 2013 draft, youd likely consider him a future star. If I told you that said player was also the most fundamentally sound offensive player at his position, youd call him a top-five lock. Will Cody Zeller be a bust? Yes. Zeller is overrated. No. Zeller will live up to the hype. Submit Vote vote to see results So why are people so reluctant to believe the Cody Zeller hype? Zeller has made significant strides from a physical perspective, bulking up to 70 and 240 pounds. Criticized by many as a reach at No. 4 overall, Zeller will now receive the opportunity to prove that hes worth the hype as a member of the Charlotte Bobcats. For those that forget, Chad Ford of ESPN Insider reported that Zeller recorded the type of vertical that few have ever been able to rival at his position. Hes taller than projected, continues to put on weight, moves as smoothly as any big man around, has an abundance of offensive skills and boasts an unparalleled vertical. Go ahead, give me a reason why Zeller will fail. Ill wait. Zeller should have no trouble getting involved in a Bobcats offense that will need a jump-shooting big man to space the floor for Al Jefferson. With Jefferson off the floor, Zeller will also see a rise in touches due to the fact that Charlotte is without another viable interior scorer. Zeller will be one of the top five rookie scorers in 2013, and if he can improve his work on the glass, he could win Rookie of the Year. Hes my pick to do so.
Posted on: Wed, 16 Oct 2013 03:25:02 +0000
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