How the rookies fit with their teams and what it means for the NBA

Isaac Okoro and Patrick Williams lead a pack of rookies who are proving early why they were drafted and how to fit into the NBA during a busy rookie season.

Isaac Okoro brought the Cleveland Cavaliers back from a deficit to win with a game-winning layup. Nothing says superstar in the NBA more than running down the court for the last shot and then sinking a free throw. Okoro did this. That same night, he had 16 points in the fourth quarter alone.

It was Dec. 12 and Okoro’s first game in an NBA uniform against the Indiana Pacers. It was when all of the rookie madness started. Okoro’s play was all over the web.

Okoro has been acclimated into the Cavaliers in big ways with big duties such as what we saw in the preseason since being drafted with the No. 5 overall pick. The highlight on his Dec. 12 play wasn’t just the layup; it was the defense on the Pacers’ T.J. Leaf before the layup. It was the fact that it was done by the rookie, and the reaction by Cavs announcer John Michael says it all. The atmosphere in the air was reminiscent of a college game, and the Cavs rookie didn’t shy away from celebrating his shot.

Okoro has shown off all of his abilities on the wing as a small forward who can run, defend and score, which is what his draft profile saw in him.

Patrick Williams, the Chicago Bulls rookie who was drafted No. 4 by the honored franchise, is also making noise in the league and doing good things for the Bulls. Seeing the floor like an owl and soaring through it like Batman, Williams is doing a lot of good for the Bulls.

Williams, a 6’8” wing like Okoro, hasn’t slowed down in proving why he was Chicago’s pick. His build and abilities fit into the Bulls’ scheme, a new scheme of finding talent to accommodate their already growing and versatile lineup for the future. Williams is solid all-around with an edge on offense that will only benefit the Bulls. And because he is young, he has even more potential and time to show off his skills.

Like Okoro, Williams starts for his team and they are two of the first rookies to have received the starting honor.