Fansided

NBA Week 8 Rewind: Don’t overlook the Spurs and Cavaliers

By Tom West

Dec 17, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) guards Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2015; Cleveland, OH, USA; Oklahoma City Thunder forward Kevin Durant (35) guards Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) in the first quarter at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: David Richard-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
6 of 7
Next
Dec 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 108-101. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 13, 2015; Phoenix, AZ, USA; Minnesota Timberwolves center Karl-Anthony Towns (32) against the Phoenix Suns at Talking Stick Resort Arena. The Suns defeated the Timberwolves 108-101. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-USA TODAY Sports /

Weekly NBA Rookie Watch

The big men of the 2015-16 rookie class keep showcasing their potential.

Karl-Anthony Towns is undoubtedly the rookie of December so far. We know he’s made an exceptional impact defensively, and that he possess great skill on offense, both with his footwork and range. Now, he’s been putting up even more numbers to backup those statements. In his last 11 games, he’s recorded at least 24 points in five of them. For the month, he’s now averaging 18.7 points on 55 percent shooting, 9.3 rebounds and 1.9 blocks in only 28.7 minutes per game. If you want to call one of the star rookie big men a beast, it has to be Towns.

Kristaps Porzingis is still the favorite for Rookie of the Year in many people’s eyes. The put-back dunks, the threes, the blocks, the fact he’s a 7’3″ guy who’s suddenly burst onto the scene in New York; he’s created more hype than anyone else so far. His actual performance, though, as is the case for all rookies, has been up and down lately. The best moment for Porzingis last week came against the Timberwolves, when he got to go head-to-head with Towns and face him in the paint.

The Knicks rookie came up with 7 blocks and did a great job defensively as his Knicks won 102-107, but his last three games haven’t been quite the same. He averaged just 9.5 points on 31.8 percent shooting and 6.3 rebounds per game last week, although he kept up his shot swatting ways with 3.8 blocks per game. Besides the inconsistencies that any first-year player will experience, Porzingis has shown immense potential so far.

Jahlil Okafor has come back strong since his two-game suspension for street fights, speeding, and general off-court behavioural issues. After returning, he’s averaged 18.4 points per game on 45 percent shooting, displaying his highly developed artistry in the post. Sadly, that didn’t equate to the 76ers getting blown out any less than usual. However, 17.5 points on 49 percent shooting with 7 rebounds per game last week is more than respectable.

Seeing as wins mean almost nothing for rookies and Okafor has an opportunity to put up plenty of points, he’ll easily be a top candidate for Rookie of the Year.

Next: Under-the-radar Players to Watch Next Week

Home/Atlanta Hawks