BY MIKE LANSU Sports Pros(e) NBA Guy
What can we learn from the first game of an NBA rookie? Nothing. But
that doesn’t mean I’m not going to break down the debuts of the six
rookies who could make a significant impact this season.
Last
season’s No. 1 pick Greg Oden missed all of last season with a knee
injury and sprained his foot in the first half of the Blazers’ opener.
It’s safe to say it won’t be the last time the Indianapolis native
finds himself on the IR this season.
Memphis’ O.J. Mayo and
Miami’s Michael Beasley sure like to shoot, but if they don’t start
making some baskets they will find themselves on the bench in a hurry.
Chicago’s
Derrick Rose and Oklahoma City’s Russell Westbrook looked good and OK,
respectively, in their Association debuts. Both shot the ball
effectively, got to the free throw line and had a limited number of
turnovers for a rookie point guard.
The most impressive rookie:
Minnesota’s Kevin Love. The big man with lots of basketball skills and
no athleticism shot effectively, crashed the boards, contributed on
defense and limited his turnovers.
Here are my Rookie Rankings after Game 1:
1. Kevin Love: 12 points (5-of-8 FG, 2-of-2 FT), 2 assists, 9 rebounds, 1 steal, 2 blocks, 2 turnovers.
2. Derrick Rose: 11 points (3-of-9 FG, 5-of-7 FT), 9 assists, 4 rebounds, 3 steals, 0 blocks, 4 turnovers.
3. Russell Westbrook: 13 points (4-of-9 FG, 4-of-6 FT), 4 assists, 4 rebounds, 0 steals, 1 block, 2 turnovers.
4. Michael Beasley: 9 points (4-of-14 FG, 0-of-0 FT), 0 assists, 4 rebounds, 0 steals, 0 blocks, 3 turnovers.
5. O.J.
Mayo: 10 points (5-of-20 FG, 0-of-0 FT), 2 assists, 5 rebounds, 2
steals, 0 blocks, 3 turnovers. (Note: Missed all 7 three-point
attempts).
6. Greg Oden: 0 points (0-of-4 FG, 0-of-2 FT), 0
assists, 5 rebounds, 1 block, 2 turnovers. (Note: Left game in first
half with a sprained right foot).
