This week’s edition of our NBA Rookie Ladder looks at rookies who are proving the doubters wrong.
The NBA Rookie Ladder is back after eating itself into a turkey-induced food coma over the holidays. In previous editions we discussed the best performances from the opening week, pointed out players teams will regret passing on, highlighted lottery picks that were struggling, and took a look at which players are analytical stalwarts.
In journalism every reporter wants to be first. First to get the scoop, first to write a report, first to point something out, etc. With the rise of social media, this desire to be first has also birthed an insatiable appetite for rapid reaction pieces that are published in the immediate aftermath of an event. One event that will always produce numerous of these posts is the NBA draft.
A simple google search for “2017 NBA Draft grades” returns 10 different articles from eight different websites. With each selection came a new blurb and in real-time for some sites.
The 2017 NBA Draft was full of high-level talent and can’t miss prospects. However, it wasn’t as clear who those can’t miss players actually were. As we now are around one fifth of the way through the season, those truly special players are starting to distance themselves from the pack.
Looking back on what was said immediately after some of the selections now that we have seen the players actually perform on the court was a fun exercise of hindsight. Being wrong is not a problem, but being able to admit when you were is harder than people can imagine. This week we will highlight the five rookies who have made the biggest leaps in terms of what the rapid reaction was to what they’ve shown through the first 20-plus games of their rookie careers.