5 interesting rookies to watch this season
All eyes will be on first and second overall picks Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker, but what about the lesser known rookies? Here are five freshmen to watch this season.
Marcus Smart (6th overall)
Smart is a fierce competitor. That much is clear from his performance in the preseason. With Boston Celtics starting point guard Rajon Rondo sidelined, Smart has received the bulk of playing time at the point, and opposing guards have been pestered up and down the court as a result.
Standing 6-foot-3, weighing 227 pounds and sporting a massive 6-foot-9 wingspan, Smart has more than enough size to bully opposing point guards.
Smart has looked strong in attacking the basket and finding his teammates with clever passes, but his shooting woes that dogged him in college have resurfaced. His shooting is unlikely to improve immediately, but his intense style of play alone is worth the price of admission.
Nik Stauskas (8th overall)
Stauskas is a dead-eye shooter, adept at navigating through screens to find open looks. Coupled with surprisingly decent ball-handling skills, Stauskas looks like the Sacramento Kings' answer at shooting guard.
As a sophomore at Michigan last season, Stauskas averaged 17.5 points and 3.3 assists per game, while connecting on over 44 percent of his 3-point tries. Stauskas, who is 6-foot-6 and 205 pounds, has the height to get clean looks over top of defenders.
Most importantly, Stauskas's ability to shoot should benefit the Kings in an area in which they struggled last season. The Kings shot just 33.3 percent on 3s, tied for the NBA's third-worst mark. With DeMarcus Cousins and Rudy Gay making forays to the rim, Stauskas stands as the beneficiary of gratuitous kickouts.
Julius Randle (7th overall)
Take a long look at the Los Angeles Lakers' roster. Who can be counted on to score regularly? Sure, Kobe Bryant is a legend and he will definitely score buckets when healthy, but who else? Nick Young? Jeremy Lin?
Notice how all three of those names are guards. The Lakers lack interior scoring, an area Randle specializes in.
As a freshman at Kentucky last season, Randle bullied opponents on the block to the tune of 15 points and 10.4 rebounds per game. His devastating face-up game, coupled with his relentless nose for the ball, allowed Randle to be effective as an old-school power forward.
Most importantly, Randle has good size at 6-foot-9, 250 pounds, a body ready to bang with the giants that roam the NBA. And what Randle gives up in terms of lift, he makes up for with his touch around the basket and his ability to draw fouls. Randle shot 66 percent within five feet of the basket last season and attempted 7.2 free throws per game.
Bruno Caboclo (20th overall)
Come for the wingspan, stay for the wingspan, because quite frankly, there isn't much else to Caboclo's game at this point. Toronto Raptors head coach Dwane Casey used him sparingly in preseason, so there's little chance of Caboclo making it onto the floor when the games actually matter.
But Caboclo does show the occasional flash of brilliance, usually stemming from his freakish length. Being that he's a wholly unheralded 19-year-old from Brazil, it's the mystery and potential that's worth watching for.
Doug McDermott (11th overall)
Chicago Bulls point guard Aaron Brooks might not know his name yet, but you will soon, as the man they call "Dougie McBuckets" is the latest gifted shooter to come out of Creighton University. You may recall that Atlanta Hawks sharpshooter Kyle Korver also came out of Creighton.
Like Korver, McDermott is a lethal shooter. McDermott averaged 26.7 points and seven rebounds per game last season as a senior. His role will likely diminish playing with the Bulls, but his best skill - his ability to spot up - is one that Chicago desperately needs.