Projecting the 2015-2016 NBA All-Rookie Team

Third Team

Guard – Mario Hezonja, Orlando Magic

Basketball Twitter is very excited for the Mario Hezonja era, and I’m on board as well. The 6-foot-7 swingman was probably over-drafted, at least in my mind, as a top-10 pick to the Magic, but his shooting range is legitimate and his playing style is extremely pleasing to the viewer. I have real questions about whether he can defend and whether he’ll actually garner any real playing time under Scott Skiles, but when he plays, Hezonja is going to be awesome to watch.

Guard – Cameron Payne, Oklahoma City Thunder

Early reports indicate that Payne may not be in the rotation, and that is why he lands on the third team. D.J. Augustin is certainly a solid backup point guard in the NBA, but Payne’s upside and versatility make it very possible that he will be on the floor more for the Thunder as the season progresses. The casual basketball fan doesn’t know a lot about Cameron Payne given that his college career came at Murray State, but before long, he will be a fixture for Oklahoma City.

Forward – Justise Winslow, Miami Heat

I’m all in for Justise Winslow… but not in 2015-2016. Winslow might be my favorite player in the 2015 NBA Draft class, and I firmly believe that he will be a borderline star in the NBA in short order. Still, Miami is looking to make a deep playoff run, and with both Dwyane Wade and Luol Deng standing in his way, the playing time won’t be bountiful enough to command big-time statistics. Winslow is a stud, though, and if Wade misses extended time, he could break out in a big way.

Forward – Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks

Porzingis is going to play real minutes in New York, and that matters. The talented big man probably isn’t ready to play those minutes in the NBA right now, but he was surprisingly competent both in summer league and preseason, and his offensive skills (especially as a jump shooter) will play right away. Defense will be a challenge if he is asked to play against high-level power forwards, but the “bust” label will be shed in a hurry.

Center – Willie Cauley-Stein, Sacramento Kings

Willie Cauley-Stein is better than the player I have slotted in as the second-team center (coming soon), but I’m really not sure that the former Kentucky big man will play for Sacramento. He is, unquestionably, the third-best center on his own team, trailing DeMarcus Cousins and Kosta Koufos, and with George Karl’s reputation for playing small and fast, it is tough to see Cauley-Stein playing alongside either big man in an effective way. His defensive aptitude is elite by any measure, but the numbers won’t be there as a rookie, even if he gets off the bench.

Next: Second Team