3030 Rookie Ladder (901 views)

[Lazy Pete]

Please note that this ranking is based on current production, and does not take into account Summer League performance

Through Preseason

1. Chris Webber C 20 6'9'' 260 A- C- C+ A- B+ A



The number one overall pick checks in with some good looking preseason numbers off the bat. Definitely room for improvement in his rebounding and FT shooting, but other than that he's every bit as promising as one would hope. The assist numbers are particularly impressive.


2. Anfernee Hardaway PG 22 6'7'' 195 B B- A- B C A



Big Penny ends up at #2. The turnovers are definitely a problem, but he's got the best scoring numbers of all the rookies and looks like a triple-double machine in the making, averaging 6 rebounds and 7 assists. He's going to be scary.


3. Gheorghe Muresan C 22 7'7'' 320 C D+ D+ A- A A



Billy Crystal's giant locks down the three spot with an ideal looking preseason for a defense-rebounding big. 5 rebounds in only 11 minutes per game is an insane 16 rebounds per 36, and his block numbers are right where you want as well. Definitely some regrets in the Toronto front office about passing on Gheorghie.


4. Luther Wright C 22 7'2'' 330 A- C- C- A- B- B



Dumptime has proudly touted his steal of the draft in Luther Wright, and with good reason. He looks ready to contribute in a backup role this season, and should only get better from here.


5. Lil Penny PG 20 5'3'' 145 B- A- A- B+ D+ A



I expect Lil Penny to rise up this list a bit once he gets more PT. This may not be as impressive as his summer league stats, but it looks like he was mostly played out of position at the 2 guard. He's got some nice steal numbers and a 5:1 assist to turnover ratio in his limited minutes.


6. Jamal Mashburn SF 21 6'8'' 240 B B- C+ B C+ B



Another victim of a minutes limit, I want to see what Mash can do with at least 20 minutes a game. I think his percentages hint that he'll be capable from the jump.


7. LaDon Ndiaye PG 20 6'4'' 185 C A- B+ A- C- B



The software PG in Portland did just about everything you hope to see out of a rookie guard, except he looks like yet another turnover machine. At least no one can blame Eric for this one.


8. Chris Whitney PG 22 6'0'' 185 C+ B C+ A- C- A



I may be stretching a bit with this ranking, since Whitney only saw action for limited minutes in 5 games. But he put up some great numbers in those limited minutes, and between his grades and percentages I think he's going to have a good season for the Grizz. He also only turned it over one time despite a C+ handles grade.


9. Vin Baker C 22 6'11'' 285 B+ C- D B+ A- B



Drunk Vin Baker looks very promising. He's going to need some work to increase his efficiency, but his rebounding and blocks are looking strong off the bat.


10. Devin Lonc SG 21 6'6'' 210 B- A- B- C+ C A



Traded to the Bullets in the preseason, I like the looks of Mr. Lonc. The biggest concern is that, with decent minutes compared to a lot of his peers, Lonc only managed to score 5.6 a game. I expected better given his strong scoring grades, and he may be a Jimmer Fredette type who doesn't shoot enough.

[Deleted]

Go Big Luther!

[Citizen Cane]

If I get some good TC luck with Penny, I might be able to use his SCs and RCs to get his turnovers down. If not, I should still end up with a triple double machine and will live with the high turnover numbers

[Face-in]

His TOs aren't that bad. You could probably get them below 2.5

[Citizen Cane]

Mar 18, 2016 11:56:59 GMT -6 Face-in said:

His TOs aren't that bad. You could probably get them below 2.5

agreed. However if his scoring grades don't improve as projected in TC, im gonna have to use all my points on that and deal with his handles progressing on their own

[Deleted]

Hopefully Hurley gets on this list as well

[Lazy Pete]

Yeah I expect this list to be a bit different for the next update. So many guys played zero or minimal minutes

[Heynong Man]

Lil Penny looks really nice

[Lazy Pete]

Through Day 30

1. Lil Penny PG 20 5'3'' 145 B- A- A- B+ D+ A      LR: 5



After getting the green light in Atlanta, Lil Penny has come out guns a-blazing. His jumper looks maxed out, he's scoring at a great clip, and his turnovers are minimal. Don't let the size fool you, this guy is the real deal.


2. Anfernee Hardaway PG 22 6'7'' 195 B B- A- B C A      LR: 2



Big Penny has been pretty damn good in his own right through 30. His turnovers clearly are the biggest flaw in his game right now, and the efficiency is lagging, but he's already a force on the glass.


3. Gheorghe Muresan C 22 7'7'' 320 C D+ D+ A- A A      LR: 3



Curious Gheorghe gets a little bit of an asterisk because he's played only 13 minutes a game, but things look very promising. Very strong rebounding numbers and around 3 blocks per 36 minutes. His good shooting percentage is most likely an aberration though.


4. Chris Webber C 20 6'9'' 260 A- C- C+ A- B+ A      LR: 1



Like a lot of rookie bigs, C-Webb is struggling to score efficiently. Efficiency aside, he's got a lot to like so far. Better rebounding than his preseason numbers, plus good blocks for a non-defensive specialist. Also worth noting, he's got a better AST/TO ratio than Big Penny


5. Calbert Cheaney SG 22 6'7'' 210 B- B C B- C B      LR: Unranked



Cheaney looks good so far in limited minutes. His efficiency is good, he appears to have a solid jump shot rating, and he's racking up a respectable amount of steals with low turnovers. Between the three scoring wings in this draft, he looks the best so far, although it's close.


6. Isaiah Rider SG 22 6'5'' 215 B B+ C C+ C- A      LR: Unranked



Probably a toss-up between Rider and Cheaney, but Rider gets hit with the curse of a larger sample size. Still, that's not a knock on what he's done so far. He's scoring efficiently, and contributing some rebounds to boot. Maybe shoots it just a hair less often than one might hope.


7. Luther Wright C 22 7'2'' 330 A- C- C- A- B- B      LR: 4



Big Luther slips a little in the rankings due to some disappointing rebounding numbers compared to where he was in preseason. Nonetheless, good start to his career in Boston.



8. Shawn Bradley C 21 7'6'' 285 B C- D A- B- B      LR: Unranked



Bradley looks like he's going to be a defensive force. He's blocking a good amount of shots and chipping in a steal per game too. Biggest thing holding him back so far is volume of shots.



9. Jamal Mashburn SF 21 6'8'' 240 B B- C+ B C+ B      LR: 6



Mashburn looks solid but unspectacular so far. He's scoring but not a ton, decently efficient, and seems passable defensively. Definitely not a finished product but things look good for the future.



10. Allan Houston SG 22 6'6'' 210 B B+ C C C A      LR: Unranked



The last of the scoring wings snags the final spot here. Houston has only played about half of his team's games as Geebs juggles his young wings' minutes, but he's scored and rebounded well in that time. I haven't looked to see how he's held up defensively, but at least on one side of the ball things look good.



previously ranked: LaDon Ndiaye (POR), Chris Whitney (VAN), Devin Lonc (VAN), Vin Baker (SEA)

ones to watch: Bobby Hurley (BOS), Van Exel (CHH), Vince Childs (PHX), Maxwell Horry (KCK), Scott Burrell (CLE)

[Citizen Cane]

nice update

[gbgalla24]

Musical chairs on the wings for the Thunder is continuing. It's time to get Bryon Russell some run these next couple of sims.

[gbgalla24]

This season is just for experimenting. Even if I make the playoffs, I won't make a deep run unless I make a move or two.

[eric]

Mar 24, 2016 8:37:36 GMT -6 gbgalla24 said:

Musical chairs on the wings for the Thunder is continuing. It's time to get Bryon Russell some run these next couple of sims. This season is just for experimenting. Even if I make the playoffs, I won't make a deep run unless I make a move or two.

if only you could move one of those wing players for an established veteran point guard

[Bruns]

Acie Earl is over 3 blocks per game

[Lazy Pete]

Through Day 70 (Easter delay edition)

1. Lil Penny PG 20 5'3'' 145 B- A- A- B+ C- A      LR: 1



Mini-me stays #1. His percentages have dipped slightly but he's been the all-around best rookie this year so far.


2. Anfernee Hardaway PG 22 6'7'' 195 B B- A- B C A      LR: 2



Improved his shooting a bit since the last update, but his turnovers are climbing to really troubling amounts, even for a rookie. 


3. Isaiah Rider SG 22 6'5'' 215 B B+ C C+ C- A      LR: 6



Isaiah has been by far the most efficient of the scoring wings in this rookie class. It'll be interesting to see which of him, Cheaney or Houston turn out the best, but Rider has the early lead.


4. Gheorghe Muresan C 22 7'7'' 320 C D+ D+ A- A A      LR: 3



As expected, Gheorghe's shooting percentages have fallen off a little, but his rebounding and blocks are starter-quality. Gonna be a great D/Reb big.


5. Luther Wright C 22 7'2'' 330 A- C- C- A- B- B      LR: 7



Luther's been on a hot shooting streak lately, bringing his FG% above that magical .450 line that makes a player look appealing. He's got some solid blocks as well.


6. Jamal Mashburn SF 21 6'8'' 240 B B- C+ B C+ B      LR: 9



Mashburn looks like he's the best of the many young Thunder wings, except maybe Wiggins. Those two could be a formidable duo in a couple seasons.


7. Shawn Bradley C 21 7'6'' 285 B C- D A- B- B      LR: 8



With some help in rebounding, Bradley looks like he may be a Bill Russell type big man. Great steals numbers for a big man.


8. Devin Lonc PG 21 6'6'' 210 B- A- B+ B- C A      LR: Unranked



Druce invested some serious dump bucks getting Lonc PG-eligible, and it looks like it's going to be worth it in the long run. Nice start to the young man's career.


9. Acie Earl C 22 6'10'' 250 C+ C- D A B- B      LR: Unranked



Shout out to Bruns for pointing out to me last update how well Earl is playing so far. Like Bradley, he'll need to improve his rebounding, but he looks promising for sure.


10. Chris Webber C 20 6'9'' 260 A- C C+ A- B+ A      LR: 4



This will be the last time Webber makes the list, as he's out for almost all of the season with Patella Tendinitis. Webber didn't do any one thing great this season outside of his assist numbers, but he turned in a very solid all-around campaign.


previously ranked: Calbert Cheaney, Allan Houston

[gbgalla24]

Mashburn has been pretty solid. I'll have to consider seeing what he can do as an actual scoring option.

[Heynong Man]

Doug Edwards needs love

[Lazy Pete]

Through Day 90

1. Lil Penny PG 20 5'3'' 145 B- A- A- B+ C- A      LR: 1



Not really much more to say at this point. The kid gets buckets.



2. Anfernee Hardaway PG 22 6'7'' 195 B B- A- B C A      LR: 2



Turnovers holding steady, which keeps him a shade below the top spot. Other than that, there's a lot to like.



3. Gheorghe Muresan C 22 7'7'' 320 C D+ D+ A- A A      LR: 4



Gheorghe jumps back into the top three. Muresan stands out from the other D/R bigs in this class because of his strong rebounding numbers.



4. Jamal Mashburn SF 21 6'8'' 240 B B- C+ B C+ B      LR: 6



Probably still not shooting enough, but he's been very good all-around.



5. Luther Wright C 22 7'2'' 330 A- C- C- A- B- B      LR: 5



Still scoring at an efficient clip, which is a rarity for a big man these days. Playing next to Embiid and Joe Smith can't hurt.



6. Isaiah Rider SG 22 6'5'' 215 B B+ C C+ C- A      LR: 3



His FG% is still the best around, but he doesn't shoot enough to make up for his deficiencies elsewhere.



7. Acie Earl C 22 6'10'' 250 C+ C- D A B- B      LR: 9



I didn't mention it last time around, but he's got a great FT% to go along with his stellar defense. Maybe the next Mystic Stone.



8. Nick Van Exel PG 22 6'1'' 180 B- B B- B+ C- A      LR: Unranked



First appearance for Van Exel, who has steadily improved his FG% after a shaky start. Stop me if you've heard this before, but he's a good looking young PG who probably needs to cut down on his TOs.



9. Shawn Bradley C 21 7'6'' 285 B C- D A- B- B      LR: 7



If only he shot as little as his MonStars counterpart.



10. Vin Baker C 22 6'11'' 285 B+ C- D B+ A- B      LR: Unranked



Vin "Diesel" Baker hasn't been super efficient this year, but he's gobbling up a lot of the Sonics' misses and Mrs.'s and looks to have a lot of the building blocks in place for a good future.




Previously ranked: Devin Lonc, Chris Webber

[Face-in]

Maggette disease in wings is becoming an epidemic.

[Souper Troopers]

God forbid not every wing put up 25 ppg

[eric]

Jamal Mashburn can't pass it to himself, it's not my fault he has a terrible point guard

well... you know what i mean

[gbgalla24]

Mar 31, 2016 13:36:22 GMT -6 eric said:

Jamal Mashburn can't pass it to himself, it's not my fault he has a terrible point guard

well... you know what i mean

He is getting his first try at being a scoring option this upcoming sim.  Hopefully, his efficiency will stay there while adding some shooting volume.

[Bruns]

Acie Earl getting some love. Thata boy petey!

[Lazy Pete]

Final Rankings

1. Lil Penny PG 20 5'3'' 145 B- A- A- B+ C- A      LR: 1



The software got it right, as Lil Penny put up big numbers this season and was the deserved ROY.


2. Anfernee Hardaway PG 22 6'7'' 195 B B- A- B C A      LR: 2



The Heat PG finished off the season with some improved efficiency and solidified his place as the 2nd best Penny in the draft.


3. Gheorghe Muresan C 22 7'7'' 320 C D+ D+ A- A A      LR: 3



Gheorghe was everything you'd hope for and, thankfully for Druce, looks like he won't need much TLC to be a dominant D/R big. That's helpful for a team so loaded with young talent to improve.


4. Luther Wright C 22 7'2'' 330 A- C- C- A- B- B      LR: 5



Really impressive rookie season from Mr. Wright. With another strong TC, he may edge closer to pushing Joe Smith to the bench.


5. Isaiah Rider SG 22 6'5'' 215 B B+ C C+ C- A      LR: 6



I can't deny it, he's a fuckin Rider. I wouldn't want to fuck with him.


6. Jamal Mashburn SF 21 6'8'' 240 B B- C+ B C+ B      LR: 4



Despite MASH in his last name, this finale was slightly disappointing. Just needs to start chucking more.


7. Acie Earl C 22 6'10'' 250 C+ C- D A B- B      LR: 7



I really like Acie. Lots of chill vibes when the heat is on.


8. Shawn Bradley C 21 7'6'' 285 B C- D A- B- B      LR: 9



A less extreme version of Hasheem Thabeet. That's a useful player.


9. Calbert Cheaney SG 22 6'7'' 210 B- B C B- C B      LR: Unranked



Good finish from the young stud. Welcome back to the top 10.


10. Nick Van Exel PG 22 6'1'' 180 B- B B- B+ C- A      LR: 8



Van Exel really didn't want to shoot the ball in Charlotte and is still too careless, but I think he put in a strong rookie season nonetheless.


previously ranked: Vin Baker

[Bruns]

Good shit petey

[Citizen Cane]

damn you lil penny

[MistleTacoe]

Lindsey Hunter gon make a splash eventually

[Heynong Man]

Lil Penny only missed 12 FT's all season damn

[Citizen Cane]

Apr 4, 2016 13:15:09 GMT -6 Heynong Man said:

Lil Penny only missed 12 FT's all season damn

yea, well, he's short