WHO WILL BE THIS SEASON’S ‘ROOKIE OF THE YEAR’ IN THE NBA?
In this pre-season preview, we’ll take a closer look at the top 10 contenders according to their Rookie of the Year betting odds.
We’ll briefly analyse all their relevant stats and those of their respective teams heading into the new season.
————————
The first name on our list is favourite to be named Rookie of the Year and was also 1st Draft pick for 2021.
The market seems to have extreme confidence in:
1 – CADE CUNNINGHAM (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS = 3.00)
Detroit Pistons (201.00 to win Western Conference, 501.00 NBA odds)
Age: 19
Measurements: 6’8” (2.03m) – 220 lbs (99.8kg)
Position: Guard
Cade Cunningham cruised to No. 1 overall pick in the 2021 NBA Draft and was duly snapped up by the Detroit Pistons.
He finds himself on top of the list as the favourite to take Rookie of the Year too.
Let’s delve a little deeper and see why.
Cunningham is the highest average scorer in our top 10 (20.1 per game) Which is clearly an attribute that any team would find attractive, let alone one floundering at the bottom of the league.
If we look no further than the stats though it’s not abundantly clear why he’s so well favoured.
The only other places where Cunningham tops the table in this group are in the number of minutes played (35) and free-throw percentage (85) He doesn’t lead by much in either
Although Cade Cunningham is clearly a prolific scorer his shooting is somewhat ragged at times.
2nd worst here for combined field goals (44%) and dead last (by some margin at 46%) for 2-pointers.
But then there’s that excellent free throw percentage. Baffling.
The fact is, however, that Cunningham made more attempts than anyone else here.
You’ve got to be in it to win it as they say.
If The Pistons are hoping to use Cunningham as point guard then the way he advances the ball up the court is going to be crucial.
That’s something not easily deduced from typical basketball stats but, when watching him play live his handling skills and ability to control the game are all too apparent.
Perhaps most crucially of all for a player in that position, he is unselfish with his playmaking and distributes the ball quickly and intelligently.
His passing is instinctive, crisp, and accurate.
Cade Cunningham is not the most explosive player we’ve ever seen but is highly versatile for a big guy. He is happy to use his size to his advantage whenever necessary and plays with such calm confidence that he manipulates the pace and rhythm of play to his own beat.
The big Texan is the worst offender here for losing the ball (4 times per game on average) and that will give his coaching team some cause for concern.
To be among the best in that position, he needs to be rock-solid and hold the ball up extremely well.
We’d like to see him up those assists and lower his fouls too.
All in good time.
Even with these flaws to be worked on, Cade Cunningham is still clearly the real deal and his Rookie of the Year odds reflect that.
TEAM PERFORMANCE
Cade Cunningham is going to have to ply his trade as a rookie with one of the worst-performing teams in the NBA.
The Detroit Pistons.
It may be that this turns out to be a blessing in disguise for him in the long run.
He can gain experience and find his feet in a team that has the weight of very little expectation on its shoulders.
Any improvement he can make to the team will be highly noticeable and very well received.
It will do his stock no harm at this young age.
Of the 8 teams represented here, the Pistons’ numbers do not actually stand out as being the worst.
Therein lies the issue with relying on stats too much.
Aside from making the least attempts at field goals (85.6) they did not finish bottom in any of the other 21 areas covered. Nor did they finish top.
Yet they still ended up in last place in The Eastern Conference and 2nd from bottom in the NBA overall. It seems that being consistently poor right across the board will still get you there.
With NBA odds of 501.00, they need all the help they can get.
————————
2nd favourite for Rookie of the Year and also 2nd Draft pick this season is:
2 – JALEN GREEN (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS = 3.75)
Houston Rockets (126.00 to win Western Conference, 501.00 NBA odds)
Age: 19
Measurements: 6’5” (1.96m) – 180 lbs (81.6kg)
Position: Guard
The Rockets fans got a brief taster of what they might expect to see from Jalen Green in an impressive display against the Raptors in the Summer League.
Unfortunately, during that game, he injured and then aggravated his hamstring.
By all accounts, that’s the last they’ll see of him until the season proper.
His stats in the summer league so far have been extremely promising.
As for all the others in this list, however, we’ll be using his numbers from 2020/21
Let’s take a closer look at them.
Although an average of 17.9 points per game is impressive, Jalen Green is up against some stiff competition in the race for Rookie of the Year.
That number doesn’t even put him in the top 3 here.
In fact, Green only makes the top 3 twice in any category.
He came second to Cunningham with an excellent 83% free-throw success rate (albeit from a very small number of attempts per game at 2.3) and is very economical on fouls (1.7 per game). Again it seems that the stats do not tell us the whole story.
When watching Jalen Green play live his athleticism and explosive break-pace make him stand out from the crowd.
He is aggressive and active both on and off the ball.
This will give quite a few defences nightmares this season.
Perhaps as compensation for a touch less height than some of his competitors, Green has developed an incredible jumping ability.
Combine that with an instinct for making space for shooting chances and the picture becomes clearer.
These are key attributes for any guard and something that will take him far if honed.
Those assists will need to climb from 2.8 for him to truly dominate for the Rockets, but overall Jalen Green is an exciting prospect.
Once his professional training and coaching regime are in full swing and he focuses his efforts we believe that Rookie of the Year betting odds of 3.75 might turn out to have been quite shrewd.
TEAM PERFORMANCE
The Houston Rockets were rock bottom of both The Western Conference and the NBA overall last season.
Clearly, it wasn’t enough to save them, but they actually made more 3-point attempts than any other team on this list.
They just didn’t hit more.
If we consider that alongside the fact that they made fewer 2-point attempts than any other team here we might get a feel for their sense of desperation when going forwards.
Unable to make space inside the line they resorted to trying for 3 points a startling 40.6 times per game (hitting 1 in 3 on average)
Another place where Houston actually bottomed out in this group was in the number of offensive rebounds they claimed (9.3) but that was only by the merest sliver over 4 other teams.
Certainly not enough to be decisive.
Obviously, we wouldn’t expect them to top the stats in any category, but it’s that constant failure to excel that is so costly in such a competitive league.
Jalen Green can only be a tremendous asset moving forwards.
His dynamic style of play and rapid pace might light the fuse for The Rockets this season.
The market doesn’t think so and their NBA odds are sitting at 501.00
————————
In joint 3rd position according to his Rookie of the Year odds and also 3rd Draft pick for 2021 is:
3 – EVAN MOBLEY (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS = 7.00)
Cleveland Cavaliers (201.00 to win Eastern Conference, 501.00 NBA odds)
Age: 19
Measurements: 7’ (213.4m) – 215 lbs (97.5kg)
Position: Center
Evan Mobley played more games than anyone on this list last season and more minutes of each game.
From center, he bagged a very useful 16.4 points per game and was particularly effective (2nd best here) inside the 3-point line, converting 62% of his 9.1 attempts.
Evan Mobley played an important role in regaining possession with an average of 8.7 total rebounds collected. Second only to Mitchell.
Any centre worth their salt needs to have good hands and a quick, instinctive feel for the game in order to know how to move around the rim and give their passers the best angle.
The giant Californian certainly possesses these attributes.
He did not snatch many steals (bottom of the ladder here with 0.8) but was head and shoulders above the pack when it came to blocking shots with 2.9 per game.
A skill that is not something all centres excel at, but a very welcome one as far as the Cavaliers are concerned no doubt.
It would be nice to see him get those assists up
At a towering 7’ tall being a top blocker is fairly understandable; it probably accounts for those excellent rebound numbers too. Essential for any top center.
Evan Mobley is athletic and very mobile for someone of his size. His footwork is confident and fluid and his instincts and natural talent are obvious for all who watch him play live to see.
He is smooth and coordinated.
This helps to drive confidence in teammates and nervousness in opponents.
It may be that Evan Mobley is one of the most complete players to emerge from this season’s Draft.
The Market obviously agrees and has given him Rookie of the Year betting odds of 7.00
TEAM PERFORMANCE
The Cleveland Cavaliers finished dead last in terms of overall scoring last season.
In fact, as we’ve mentioned when discussing their performances elsewhere, they were the only team who managed to rank bottom 5 in all scoring percentages.
Telling numbers in a league that punishes mediocrity.
They made most of their attempts to score from inside the 3 point line (56 per game) and significantly fewer attempts from outside the line (29.7) than any other team here.
The only team in this list that turned the ball over more were OKC.
They did not recover the ball well from defensive rebounds either.
If you’re giving the ball away frequently and not scoring when you do have it then the results are sadly inevitable.
Not even the appearance of a talented youngster like Evan Mobley can change that overnight.
The market agrees and gives them virtually no chance with NBA odds of 501.00
————————
Next up. 5th place Draft pick for 2021 and joint 3rd favourite according to his Rookie of the Year odds we have:
4 – JALEN SUGGS (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS = 7.00)
Orlando Magic (201.00 to win Eastern Conference, 501.00 NBA odds)
Age: 19
Measurements: 6’4” (195cm), 205 lbs (93kg)
Position: Guard
Jalen Suggs played an average of 29 minutes of his 30 games last season.
Again, perhaps curiously given the attraction of stats when determining betting odds he does not excel in any one category.
Other than steals (2 per game) Suggs is a straight-down-the-middle kind of player stat-wise. Even with high possession levels, he is reliable at keeping the ball; only giving it away an average of 2.8 times per game (second-best here)
He scored reasonably well last season with 14.3 per game and made up for any slight shortcomings there with a decent number of assists (3rd best here with 4.5 per game)
Other than that there is very little to note in his numbers.
It seems that dogged consistency may well be the key to success after all.
Jalen Suggs turns the ball over a little too often for comfort (2.8 times per game) but the favourite here is the worst for that so it is a stat that has to be taken with a degree of circumspection.
As one of the shorter players in the top 10, Suggs compensates with a lightning instinct for the right play and an impressive level of athleticism. He creates chances for himself and others seemingly at will.
As a natural leader and decision-maker, Jalen Suggs dictates the pace and rhythm of play, often driving it hard with serious intensity.
He represents a true leadership presence on the court and chooses the right pass or play effortlessly.
Those assists show us that Jalen Suggs is anything but one of those most frustrating of players – the selfish guard.
He operates as a genuine team player, instilling confidence in his allies with confident and assured handling and distribution. This improves the attitude and efficiency of those around him and surely sets doubt loose in the minds of opponents.
As if to illustrate that he plays defensively with great intensity and energy. He is prepared to work hard when required.
Add to this a natural propensity to jump and shoot, and you have a very serious prospect on your hands. The Magic can only be improved by the acquisition of such a fire-cracker.
It’s clear to see why the market has Jalen Suggs sitting so high in terms of Rookie of the Year odds.
TEAM PERFORMANCE
In terms of efficiency, Orlando ranked bottom 5 in both defence and offence last season.
It’s not for lack of trying.
The Magic attempted more 2-pointers than any team here and the second most 3-pointers. They made more attempts at scoring than any other team on this list overall.
The problem is that they didn’t hit nearly enough of them and they come crashing to the bottom of the class in all of those associated percentages.
2 bright spots shining out of an otherwise shocking set of numbers are that they made fewer fouls (17.2) than any other team here and turned the ball over less.
Not giving the ball away easily is not something to be sniffed at.
It is crucial in tight games and Orlando are guaranteed to find themselves involved in a boat-load of those.
If they can seriously improve their shooting skills then they might find themselves crawling out of this current hole.
With Jalen Suggs on their books, their chances of that can only have improved.
Their NBA odds aren’t so optimistic at 501.00
————————
Next up we have the 4th placed Draft pick for 2021:
5 – SCOTTIE BARNES (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS = 12.00)
Toronto Raptors (51.00 to win Eastern Conference, 126.00 NBA odds)
Age: 21
Measurements: 6’8” (2.03m) 225 lbs (102kg)
Position: Forward
Scottie Barnes played fewer minutes per game (25) than any other player in the top 10 last season.
He also scored less too, with an average of only 10.9.
In fact, Scottie Barnes made the least scoring attempts of any player in the top ten. As one of only two forwards in this list, that does not mean as much as it may seem.
His success rate (50% overall) was actually very decent.
He is not the man to turn to from on, or outside the free-throw line though, with the lowest numbers here of 62% and 28% hit respectively.
As forward these are not his main priorities, of course, but they bear mention.
Part of his main focus as a forward, however, needs to be on claiming rebounds. That is especially true of defensive ones, and therein lies the problem. With only 2.5 defensive rebounds and 4 in total, he’s clearly coming up short of the mark there.
It seems certain that the excellent performance and coaching staff in Toronto will help him to work on that as he progresses.
Scottie Barnes is built like a forward but has many of the characteristics of a successful guard.
His playmaking skills are a step above most others in this position and he controls the court assuredly at times.
He is confident in initiating the offence and drives the pace frequently.
As an excellent team player, Barnes is always looking to create chances for teammates and work hard off the ball. He will certainly open a few eyes in his first season in the NBA and catch out any who underestimate his skills and creativity.
Whether all this gives The Raptors pause for thought when choosing where and how to play Scottie Barnes remains to be seen.
As a rule, it is quite rare to find players of this size who handle the ball so well and are capable of reading defences.
We’re not surprised to see him riding so high in terms of Rookie of the Year odds.
TEAM PERFORMANCE
The Toronto Raptors finishing 12th in The Eastern Conference and 24th overall in the NBA standings.
In comparison to the other teams that we are looking at here, they excelled in terms of steals (8.6 per game) and blocks (5.4) – topping the list in both categories.
They made the most attempts at 3-pointers (and converted the highest percentage at 37%) Toronto were also awarded the most free-throws (and converted those most effectively too with an excellent 82%)
Strange then that they drop right to joint bottom when it comes to 2-pointers attempted and converted. Clearly, they’re happier striking from distance.
Where The Raptors struggled looking at their numbers is in making far too many fouls (21.2 per game) and not reclaiming the ball well in the rebound.
Overall they were among the better teams represented here as we’re dealing with the lower end sides who got the early Draft picks.
Still, they will need to regain some of the excellent form they showed in recent years to improve.
The arrival of Scottie Barnes can do no harm whatsoever in that regard.
With NBA odds of 126.00, the market believes they have a slim chance.
————————
Jumping an amazing 10 places from his Draft position according to Rookie of the Year odds we have:
6 – ALPEREN SENGUN (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS = 14.00)
Houston Rockets (126.00 to win Western Conference, 501.00 NBA odds)
Age: 19
Measurements: 6’9” (2.06m) 240 lbs (109kg)
Position: Center
Playing at center we would generally expect one of the tallest and strongest players on the team.
Standing at 6’9” Alperen Sengun concedes some height to the other center on this list (Mobley at a towering 7’) but overall fits the bill quite nicely.
Statistically, Sengun had one of the most impressive seasons of any player here.
He destroyed the field in terms of his 2-point and total field goal shooting averages (68% and 65% respectively) and is a confident and crafty interior scorer.
He’s right up there with the best in terms of his free throws too. With a highly respectable 81% of 6.2 efforts per game (the most attempts of any player here), Sengun is shaping up to be a real power-scoring machine in the NBA.
As we would expect from his position he doesn’t attempt 3-pointers often (0.7 times per game in fact) so we can discount his poor strike rate there, but it may be one area where he can look to improve.
If he adds a long shot to his arsenal too, (something most centres don’t have) then we are dealing with a truly devastating offensive threat to any side.
Alperen Sengun is also streets ahead of all but Mobley (a close second with 8.7 per game) when it comes to claiming rebounds.
Despite his slightly smaller stature, he still snatched more than his nearest competitor in that position with an impressive 9.4 per game.
He is solid-as-a-rock when it comes to assists and steals and made the second-highest number of blocks per game with 1.7. One of only 2 categories where rival center Mobley beats him out.
The story doesn’t end there. The big Turk scored a superb average of 9.2 points in his 28 minutes played per game. That’s second only to the favourite (according to Rookie of the Year odds) Cade Cunningham by less than a point. It took Cunningham an extra 7 minutes to get that point too. The plot thickens…
Sengun shows a decent ability to handle the ball and a certain level of creativity as a passer. He’s not particularly quick nor explosive but still mobile and confident.
He is an instinctive defender with good timing and instincts that give him the ability to operate in the passing lanes and block shots.
His talent is immediately apparent to anyone who catches him live.
He can only grow and improve as a shooter once the coaching and performance staff in Houston put the right programs in place for him.
As productive and important as he was, he still has clear potential to evolve and that fact should give pause for thought to any side that opposes him this season.
Genuinely the only weakness that these stats would seem to indicate in Alperen Sengun’s game is a tendency to foul a little too much. 3.1 times per game on average.
If he can bring that number down a touch that would be optimal, but otherwise this guy is red hot.
We get the feeling we are really looking at the first steps of a very special player in Alperen Sengun, and that those Rookie of the Year odds might be a touch generous. Stay tuned folks.
TEAM PERFORMANCE
Traded to the Houston Rockets by the Oklahoma Thunder (a decision they may come to regret?) Alperen Sengun may be the shot in the arm that the Rockets need.
Having acquired both #2 and #6 potential Rookies of the Year doesn’t appear to have altered the opinion of the betting markets at all and they still have NBA odds of 501.00.
—————————————
In the next spot according to Rookie of the Year odds, we have the number 9 Draft pick for 2021:
7 – DAVION MITCHELL (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS = 15.00)
Sacramento Kings (101.00 to win Western Conference, 276.00 NBA odds)
Age: 23
Measurements: 6’1” (1.85m) 202 lbs (91.6kg)
Position: Guard
Davion Mitchell had by far and away the best 3-point scoring percentage (45%) of any player here last season.
If he’s going to operate as guard for The Kings then that bodes well.
Not quite so portentous was his number of attempted 2-pointers. Lowest here with a lowly 5.6 efforts per game (hitting 57% of them). Compare that to rival guard James Bouknight who made 9.6 attempts (although only hitting 51%) in an equal number of average minutes played.
Although assisting others is a higher priority (something that Mitchell did 5.5 times on average. Better than any other player except for Josh Giddey here) it would be nice to see him improve that percentage moving forwards.
As the shortest player here we wouldn’t have expected to see many rebounds from Davion Mitchell and that is the case. Easily the lowest here with 2.7 per game.
Apart from that, he is a really good prospect right across the stats.
It is when you watch Davion Mitchell live that you begin to truly appreciate what a dynamic player he is.
He possesses a crushing combination of speed and brute physicality and is a seemingly relentless force all over the court.
Highly unpredictable and dangerous in attack, he makes the most of his explosive pace and assured ball-handling skills.
Happy to feed passes unselfishly to teammates when appropriate and drives the pace as he sees fit.
As a defender, Davion Mitchell pressures opposition ball handlers into making mistakes and thwarts his opponents very aggressively.
He and is not afraid to make a nuisance of himself physically with bigger guys and closes down shots effectively. Overall Davion Mitchell is an attentive, hard-working player both on and off the ball. He can only improve with coaching and conditioning. His Rookie of the Year odds feel a touch generous to us. We shall see.
Davion Mitchell looks poised to be a hand-grenade in the NBA this season. Hold tight.
TEAM PERFORMANCE
The Sacramento Kings topped several categories compared to their opposition in this list last season.
They were the highest points scorers with 113.7 per game on average.
A full 10 points above the Cleveland Cavaliers. It wasn’t nearly enough to equal success, however.
Davion Mitchell will no doubt bring some energy and aggression to their team.
Even with the best 2-point and overall field goal percentages here (55% and 48% respectively) the market has lost confidence in their abilities,
Betting opinions reflect that and they have NBA odds of 276.00
—————————————
2 places below his Draft pick position according to Rookie of the Year odds we have:
8 – JOSH GIDDEY (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS = 21.00)
Oklahoma City Thunder (151.00 to win Western Conference, 251.00 NBA odds)
Age: 18
Measurements: 6’ 8” (2.03m) 205 lbs (93kg)
Position: Guard
Josh Giddey’s stats represent a mixed season. He is peerless in this list when it came to his number of assists. Averaging 7.5 per game he was a full 2 points clear of his nearest competitor Mitchell. That is a stat that will not have gone unnoticed by the Oklahoma City Thunder when picking him.
Clearly, those excellent assist numbers show we are dealing with an unselfish youngster who operates as a team player.
This is a crucial attribute at guard and a very encouraging sign in such a young player.
He snagged a significant number of rebounds too (7.4) Third best here after Sengun and Mobley.
His point scoring (10.9 points on average) was certainly nothing spectacular and in fact, was only just over half that of the favourite Cunningham.
Josh Giddey really needs to focus on improving all aspects of his shooting if he is to make waves in the NBA this year. He’s never going to do that hitting only 43% of an attempted 9.5 field goals per game and 29% of his 3-point efforts.
He manipulates defenders by playing with pace and intelligence rather than powerful, explosive movements and is an instinctive chance maker.
This youngster shows all the signs of becoming a true game controlling maestro.
If he can add a more impressive burst speed to his game it will serve him well, but for the time being, he is a skilled playmaker and good all-rounder.
Josh Giddey’s pace, instinctive feel for the game, and unselfish playmaking will only push him towards the highest level in the NBA.
Whether he makes it all the way to the top will depend on a lot of other key factors too, but he certainly possesses the tools, raw talent, and temperament.
His Rookie of the Year odds perhaps reflect Josh Giddey’s youth and lack of experience. Let’s see if he can prove them wrong.
TEAM PERFORMANCE
Oklahoma actually lead the stats in some important categories here.
They also bottom out in a couple and perhaps that fact best represents their problem.
They bested any team in this list when it came to rebounds and assists. So, they’re claiming the ball back quite frequently and effectively when the opportunity presents itself.
Contrast that with the worst turnover record of any team here and we start to see a picture emerging.
They are decent at regaining possession and also prone to giving it away. A vicious circle.
Josh Giddey will go some way to upping their creativity levels and bring some confidence to the side but he cannot be the only solution.
He is himself fairly guilty of giving the ball away (3.3 times per game) after all.
Clearly, a lot of work to do for The Thunder then. Their NBA odds are currently standing at 251.00
—————————————
The penultimate spot according to Rookie of the Year odds goes to this year’s number 8 Draft pick:
9 – FRANZ WAGNER (ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS = 23.00)
Orlando Magic (201.00 to win Eastern Conference, 501.00 NBA odds)
Age: 19
Measurements: 6’9” (2.05m) 220 lbs (99.8kg)
Position: Forward
Franz Wagner’s most impressive stat compared to the others in this list is his free throw percentage (84%) which is very respectable indeed, and second only to the favourite Cade Cunningham.
He is particularly good at keeping possession too and gave the ball away less frequently than anyone else here (1.3 times per game)
Sadly that is where his numbers cease to really shine.
Franz Wagner is a versatile player with excellent game instincts. He attacks space intelligently and, while he is not spectacularly rapid or explosive, he looks after and controls the ball well.
When he does have the ball he is intuitive and reliable offensively.
He is especially useful with his mid to long-range shots and made a significant contribution of 12.5 points per game last season. Then there’s his excellent reliability at the foul line.
Franz Wagner is a competitive player with a genuine feel for the fundamentals of the game in all areas of the court, but he does perhaps does his best work off the ball.
He is a committed, perceptive defender who will anticipate opposition movement and thwart them actively and competently without fouling too often.
Franz Wagner’s Rookie of the Year odds of 23.00 seem fairly reasonable to us for a reliable, but solid-at-best player.
It will be interesting to see how he fares in the NBA moving forwards.
TEAM PERFORMANCE
As discussed when previewing Suggs earlier (number 4 – see above) – The Orlando Magic ranked bottom five in both offensive and defensive efficiency last season.
The market has no confidence in their ability to turn that around, even with the arrival of a good-solid player like Wagner. Consequently, their NBA odds sit at 501.00—————————————
Finally, according to Rookie of the Year odds, we have the 2021 number 11 Draft pick:
10 – JAMES BOUKNIGHT (23.00 ROOKIE OF THE YEAR BETTING ODDS)
Charlotte Hornets (51.00 to win the Eastern, 126.00 NBA odds)
Along with Jalen Green, James Bouknight played the fewest games (15) last season and his stats may be somewhat skewed by his lack of game time.
He managed to rack up a superb 18.7 points per game (putting him 3rd on this list) and is nothing short of prolific when it comes to creating and taking shots.
He’s second only to Sengun there, although he doesn’t convert nearly as many as the Turk, only hitting 46% of them.
Those numbers start to rack up though and if he can improve his accuracy he will be an almost unstoppable scoring machine in future.
It is clear from watching him play live that James Bouknight is an intuitive scoring guard who gives the impression of being in total control of the ball at all times.
He has a tremendous, explosive burst of speed and can change direction rapidly and unexpectedly. He will cause nightmares for many lumbering defenders this season and create separation with that ferocious change of pace. The threat of his first step alone will drive many to madness.
Although when operating as shooting guard he would not be expected to create as many assists as point guard he still had a dismally low number of 0.9 per game last season. That’s the lowest of any guard here.
He has plenty of room to evolve as an instinctive passer. Manipulating defenders beautifully to create his own shots but is still a way off being a reliable provider of plays for teammates.
Aggressive and physical in defense, he plays with a sense of great urgency.
James Bouknight is among the most dynamic guards we’ve seen and is an exciting prospect moving into the NBA.
He has all the tools at his disposal to be a top-quality shooting guard. Now it is for the coaching and conditioning staff at The Hornets to hone them.
Rookie of the Year odds of 23.00
Team Performance
The Charlotte Hornets finished above every team here in the NBA last season at 11th from the bottom.
They weren’t outstanding in any particular area, hitting more 3-pointers than any team in this list and scooping most offensive rebounds was the extent of their superiority.
But they played a pretty solid middle-of-the-road long game and avoided bottoming out anywhere. As we’ve seen before that’s often enough to avoid total failure.
James Bouknight will be an interesting addition to their roster, and one that might just give them enough of an edge to advance sightly.
The market gives them a slim chance of scooping the top prize with NBA odds of 126.00
—————————————
So, there we have it.
The top 10 best new prospects for this season according to their Rookie of the Year betting odds.
Do you agree with our views?
Drop us a line or comment on the social media platform of your choice.
We’d love to hear from you.
Cade Cunningham and Jalen Green head the betting odds for the 2021 NBA Draft
