NBA: Who's The Best Rookie Wing Of Them All?

While the bigs of the 2015 NBA Draft class have consumed the undivided attention of basketball enthusiasts everywhere, the highly touted wings of the class have gone relatively unnoticed.

The draft class of 2015 has, by all accounts, been one of the many pleasant surprises thus far in the incumbent season.

Many draft connoisseurs did not expect this particular class to be a paradigm-changing one — one that could potentially compare to the holy trinity of draft classes (1984, 1996, and 2003) past.

However, led by a legion of contemporary inside-outside big men — namely, Karl-Anthony Towns, Kristaps Porzingis, Jahlil Okafor, and Myles Turner — the 2015 draft has overtaken the highly hyped draft class of 2014 as this decade’s chief influx of elite talent.

But, although the bigs — for once — of this class is garnering the majority of the attention, the wings have gone relatively unsullied by the predisposed hype generated by the multitude of media outlets.

That is not to say they haven’t made their mark, though; as there are a battalion of 19-year old wings forging their own imprint on the NBA landscape.

And while none of them possess the all-encompassing skill-set at their respective positions as a Porzingis or Towns, the group of standout wings all possess a specialized skill.

For Justise Winslow, it’s his outstanding individual defense. For Kelly Oubre Jr., it’s been his unremitting motor and energy. For Stanley Johnson, it’s his refined skill-set and competitive nature. And for Devin Booker, it’s been his effortless aptitude for dropping buckets.

So, when the question arises, who is the best wing of them all, the answer requires much more depth than what initially meets the naked eye.

At present, one can confidently conclude that Booker has been the best offensive player; Winslow has been the most impactful defensive player; while the Stanimal has been the most polished two-way player of the bunch.

But who is the best, and perhaps more importantly, who has the most potential going forward?

Is it Booker? The sharp-shooting rookie of the Phoenix Suns has the same brand of sleepless look as Klay Thompson, and his shooting percentages would also suggest he can one day develop into a player of a similar ilk.

No doubt Booker has reaped the unforeseen opportunity of playing time for the suddenly defunct Suns, and his recent scoring binges serves as empirical evidence that he is the most natural scorer when compared to the others within the cluster of babyfaced swingmen.

Certainly, the ease and the beauty with the way he scores — the way he curls tightly off a down screen, catches the ball as he squares towards the basket, all the while launching off the ground as he unleashes his picture-esque release — gives the impression that he is a 20-point-a-game scorer waiting to happen; however, he does have a long ways to go, particularly in his shot selection/allocation, before he reaches that level of consistent output.

For one, while he shoots the 3 at a blistering 42.7 percent clip, his 3-point rate (or percentage of field goal attempts that are 3s) is below what you’d expect from an elite gunner. In addition, he barely gets to the line, which — when combined with his hot shooting from long mid-range two-point areas of the floor — makes his 58.5 percent TS% mark a bit of an unsustainable proposition.

Defensively, Booker is very quick laterally but he is often too passive in his approach. As a result, the opponent generally shoots a much higher percentage when defended by the youngest player in the association.

But looking at his body composition and inherent skill set, Booker has the most potential out of all the wings in this class.

If he converts some of his forays from long-2s by curling for 3s, while refining his ability to negotiate pick-and-rolls — where, with the exception of picking up his dribble too early, he has shown a knack for attacking the basket and finding his open pop man — the former Kentucky Wildcat has the build and untapped athleticism to develop into a top-five player at his position.

On the other hand, Johnson of the resurgent Detroit Pistons is presently the most equipped prospect at contributing to winning basketball — at least on both ends of the floor. Not only is he built like prime Ron Artest (err… I mean Metta World Peace), he is also a surprisingly graceful ballhandler paired with a cat-quick release on his jumper.

Young fella. @iAmSJ https://t.co/4Kpmi3mPd1
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 21, 2016

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If — and this a big if — either Winslow or Oubre can overcome their glaring weaknesses in the shooting and ballhandling departments, respectively, with their length and build, they could follow the path of a Jimmy Butler or DeMar DeRozan, and gradually evolve into a primary focus on offense.

Other wings that deserve a mention are Rondae Hollis-Jefferson of the Brooklyn Nets and Mario Hezonja of the Orlando Magic. Much like Winslow, RHJ is an advanced defender who severely lacks the shooting to survive in the modern-day game.

The fractured ankle he suffered early in the season has also stunted the young swingman’s growth, and we’ll need to see more before making any further assessments.

Likewise, Hezonja has been perpetually (and some would say, unfairly) stuck in coach Scott Skiles‘ doghouse since the inception of the 2015-16 season. The overzealous Croatian came in with quite the reputation — good or bad — and thus far, spearheaded by his lack of playing time, he has been an unmitigated disappointment.

When given the rare opportunity, though, Mario has flashed his highly-advertised primary skill: his shooting. In fact, more than 42 percent of his field goal attempts come from beyond the arc, where he converts such tries on a respectable 37.1 percent rate.

He also has much better vision, especially when working off of down screens, than anticipated, but his severe lack of a handle hinders his ability to maximize the said skill.

So, who is the best? For now, it’s probably Booker by a landslide.

Next: Jonathon Simmons Proving To Be More Than Summer League Sensation

In five years? It’s really anyone’s guess.

If we were to survey who people thought would be the best perimeter player among all rookies at this time of the year in 2009, most would probably say Tyreke Evans and Brandon Jennings, while bypassing two perennial MVP candidates in Stephen Curry and James Harden.

Point is, there is a whole career in front of these rooks. Some are receiving their opportunity a bit prematurely, while others are going to have to wait their turn. But one thing is for certain: this draft class is special … generationally special.

NBA: Mirror Mirror On The Wall, Who’s The Best Rookie Wing Of Them All?

By Aaron Mah | Jan 26, 2016

While the bigs of the 2015 NBA Draft class have consumed the undivided attention of basketball enthusiasts everywhere, the highly touted wings of the class have gone relatively unnoticed.

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