NBA Rookie Power Rankings 2013: Preseason Edition

Victor Oladipo tops the preseason edition of the NBA Rookie Power rankings.

Throughout the course of the 2013-14 season, HoopsHabit will be presenting an NBA rookie power ranking, letting you see who has the best shot at winning the Rookie of the Year award at season’s end. TRAINING CAMP EDITION

The preseason is still going strong and the regular season is within reach. Soon the games will matter and the hypotheticals will become reality. In this edition of the NBA Rookie Power Rankings, we’ll take a look at some of the most impressive rookies throughout the preseason thus far. This marks the final ranking before the start of the regular season and there are quite a few shakeups since the training camp edition.

1.Victor Oladipo, Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic drafted Oladipo in hopes that he would become their point guard of the future and the face of their rebuilding franchise. So far it has panned out quite nicely.

While the Magic have only posted a 1-4 preseason record, Oladipo has shown flashes of brilliance on the court. In different games Oladipo has posted 22 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists. While these numbers are impressive for a rookie, Victor hasn’t put all of them together in one game. It’s asking a lot for a rookie to post a triple-double in the preseason, but he’s shown he has what it takes to get it done at some point this season.

Oladipo has also had some disastrous stats, going 3-for-12 against the Rockets and he had five turnovers against the Mavericks. Oladipo is still trying to figure it all out. If he can, watch out NBA.

2.Ben McLemore, Sacramento Kings

So far McLemore hasn’t been the star many expected him to be. He’s posted some quality shooting numbers and is playing an average of 22 minutes per game, but nothing has stood out as of yet.

What’s most concerning about McLemore right now is his total of three assists through four games. Yes, it’s the preseason but McLemore has to find open teammates in order to see more floor time on a regular basis.

McLemore is the safe pick for Rookie of the Year because of his overall talent. Right now, that talent hasn’t shown through as of yet.

3. Anthony Bennett, Cleveland Cavaliers

After a horrendous 2-for-12 shooting performance in his debut against the Milwaukee Bucks, Bennett, the first overall pick, has started to put things together. He had a great showing against the Orlando Magic, shooting 6-for-11 from the field including 2-for-5 from beyond the arc, finishing with 16 points.

Since that terrible first game, Bennett seems to slowly be figuring out his role on the team. He’s not going to be the star, but the Cavaliers have plans for him to be a key component in their run towards the playoffs.

4.Kelly Olynyk, Boston Celtics

Probably the most efficient rookie in the entire preseason is Kelly Olynyk. His 3-point shooting hasn’t come into play as of yet, but he’s shooting at a 57 percent clip through five games for the Celtics and averaging 11 points per game in 22 minutes of play.

It will be interesting to see how Celtics use Olynyk with a roster full of talented role players each trying to earn their way into the rotation. If Olynyk continues his efficient ways, he’s sure to have a big role this season and beyond in Boston.

5. Michael Carter-Williams, Philadelphia 76ers

The Philadelphia 76ers don’t have the greatest hopes for this season (putting it nicely), but their top pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, Michael Carter-Williams, has been a pleasant surprise this preseason.

He has consistent numbers in both rebounding and assisting through five games. His scoring hasn’t been anything remarkable, but it’s nice to see him getting in on the action in all facets of the game.

Even if MCW continues he steady production, the 76ers won’t be going far this season, but it’s a step in right direction.

Other notes:

* Trey Burke (Jazz) and Otto Porter (Wizards) have fallen off the list because of injury. Porter has not played in the preseason yet and Burke recently suffered a broken finger and is expected to miss eight to 12 weeks. Both still will have plenty of time to insert themselves in ROY race.

* My preseason ROY pick, Shabazz Muhammad (Timberwolves), has not panned out quite yet (putting it nicely for myself). He barely sees the floor (gaining double-digit minutes in only one game) and doesn’t appear to be too interested in coming off the bench. His body language tells the story. He needs to prove himself before the season starts to get more playing time. For now, my selection seems to be in jeopardy already.

Agree? Disagree? Feel like yelling at me for no reason? Follow me on the Twitter machine @NathanGiese

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