NBA: Projecting The 2013-14 NBA All-Rookie Team
Before the college basketball season kicks off, writers nationwide make their preseason All-America picks. After the season, the picks are made once again, but this time resulting in the actual All-America voting. Consider this the NBA equivalent to the preseason All-America picks, as sort of an informal projection of which five rookies will graze the NBA All-Rookie team for the 2013-14 season.
For all three of the All-NBA teams, the picks don’t go by specific position, but instead group the guards together, the forwards together and a center is picked. However, for the All-Rookie Team, the picks are made regardless of position, which allows the five biggest impact rookies to make it onto the All-Rookie team.
Without further adieu, here is the preseason All-Rookie Team, with the players listed from five to one, with the top player serving as the preseason Rookie of the Year (for whatever that’s worth) and the leading vote getter for the All-Rookie Team (which obviously means that the fifth guy on this list will receive the least votes of the five selected for the All-Rookie Team).
Note: The players on this list are simply the most likely to make in onto the All-Rookie Team, which has just as much to do with their situations as it does with their talent. Players who will receive big minutes on bad teams are more likely to make it onto the All-Rookie team, as the selections are based on a combination of impact and statistical prowess.
5. Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SG, Detroit Pistons
I went back and forth with who to put in the five spot, but ended up deciding on the guy that I think will be given the most minutes next season. KCP will fight for minutes on a Detroit Pistons team that will also feature Chauncey Billups, Rodney Stuckey and Kyle Singler at the 2 and 3 spots; In other words, there will be a lot of minutes available for the 6’5″ former Georgia Bulldog. I don’t anticipate that KCP will begin the season as the starting shooting guard, but over time, the role will be given to him and I’m guessing that it’s going to be sometime this season. In college, Caldwell-Pope had to do everything for his Georgia team that finished just .500 in the SEC (more of a football conference than a basketball conference), but on a team with three established playmakers in Brandon Jennings, Greg Monroe and Josh Smith, he’ll be able to sit back and do what he does best: Shoot the ball. With Smith, Monroe and Andre Drummond inside, Detroit’s going to need to keep a floor spacer on the court often and Caldwell-Pope might be the best pure shooter in the 2013 draft class. I have no doubt in my mind that KCP and Jennings are going to comprise Detroit’s future backcourt and hopefully, we see the pair bloom alongside each other this season.
4. Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Boston Celtics
The Celtics are in full-on rebuilding mode now and Olynyk is going to be a big part of their future. The former Zag shined in the Las Vegas Summer League, playing well enough for NBA.com to rate him as the No. 1 player on their “Rookie Ladder.” In Boston, Olynyk could win the starting power forward job from day one, which already gives him a leg up on the competition for the All-Rookie Team. As a legitimate 7-footer, the 22-year-old should put up strong offensive numbers for the C’s, possibly reaching 12 points and seven rebounds a night if he gets enough minutes. He’s going to need to put some weight and muscle on to reach his potential, but there will be plenty of things this guy can do right away to contribute. He has a very good shooting touch from the outside and a myriad of post moves, although he’ll struggle getting deep inside position early on. Also, he possesses the guard skills of a typical European big man (he’s Canadian), which is why he has a leg up on fellow rookies like Nerlens Noel and Alex Len, who were taken on potential. Although he’s not particularly athletic, he does have a great hands and a top-notch NBA IQ, which will lead to a lot of success in the high post.
3. Victor Oladipo, G, Orlando Magic
Oladipo was the second overall pick of the 2013 NBA draft and he should be in the running for Rookie of the Year. He played the 2 at Indiana last season, but the Magic will be grooming him to be their 1 of the future. While he may struggle at times adjusting to point guard, he has a great motor, a lot of athleticism and a winner’s mentality. Much like KCP, he’ll probably come off the bench early in the year, but should finish the season as the Magic’s starting point guard (after they move incumbent starter Jameer Nelson). Oladipo is a ball of energy and his potential at the 1 could lead him to be a Russell Westbrook-type (Westbrook also played off the ball in college). While he and the team will see their fair share of growing pains, this season is pivotal for the franchise as they do their best to further themselves from the Dwight Howard era. It will be in Orlando’s best interest to play Oladipo as much as possible and after the first month or two of the season, we should see a lot of him on the floor. Look for Oladipo to mature as the year goes on and by the end of the season, expect him to start to look like a guy who was drafted second overall and who has a very, very bright future in Orlando.
2. Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Philadelphia 76ers
In my opinion, Carter-Williams will be part of a two-man fight for Rookie of the Year with the No. 1 player on this list. Philadelphia will likely hand the team over to the youngster out of Syracuse from day one, hoping his size and length make him the perfect compliment to Evan Turner, who hasn’t had the kind of success Philly was hoping for thus far in his career. Despite being 6’6″, MCW is a pure point guard with a team-first mentality who will use his height and length to take advantage of vertical passing lanes that aren’t available to the league’s smaller floor generals. Carter-Williams averaged just 11.9 points a game last season at Syracuse, but I expect him to be unleashed in the NBA, where he’ll primarily see man-to-man defenses and more fast-paced play. In the open court, MCW will excel, using him passing abilities, quickness and ball handling to his advantage. Like Oladipo, he’ll see his fair share of growing pains, just like all rookie point guards do, but he’ll also turn his fair share of heads. There’s no doubt in my mind that Carter-Williams was the biggest steal of June’s draft and that Philadelphia has found their point guard of the future in this raw, 21-year-old floor general.
1. Trey Burke, PG, Utah Jazz
Last year, Burke led the Michigan Wolverines to the national championship game and although his team won’t be winning anything of consequence this year, he has walked into an ideal situation in Utah (aside from being stuck in Salt Lake City). Burke will likely be starting next to a pair of former top-five picks in bigs Derrick Favors and Enes Kanter and two other lottery picks in shooting guard Alec Burks and small forward Gordon Hayward. For a rookie point guard, this is about as perfect of a situation as you can walk into, as the rebuilding Jazz will have low expectations and will be handed to Burke right away. At just 6′, Burke is a little small, but I don’t think that will hold him back too much (think Jameer Nelson). Burke can shoot from outside, get into the lane, finish in traffic (although not above the rim) and he’s a team-first guy. While the Jazz are definitely in rebuilding mode, the future is now for their starting five and Burke will serve as the backbone to this young core. From day one, Burke will be going toe-to-toe with the league’s elite point guards and although he will struggle early and often, the fact he was handed this team right away will pay big dividends a year or two down the line. I expect numbers around 14 points and seven assists per game for Burke, who should see 35 minutes a night.
Just for kicks, here’s my projected All-Rookie Second Team, too:
Ben McLemore (Sacramento Kings)
Otto Porter Jr. (Washington Wizards)
Anthony Bennett (Cleveland Cavaliers)
Cody Zeller (Charlotte Bobcats)
Nerlens Noel (Philadelphia 76ers)
[slider_pro id=”31″]