It was billed for the better part of a year that this season’s NBA rookie class would be the best in a generation. Not since the LeBron James class of 2003 had talent like this come along in the draft.
Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker both would have been worthy No 1 picks in other years, and a handful of others would have had their arguments for being among the top-three selections in a less-talent-packed year.
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With incoming internationals such as Nikola Mirotic and Bojan Bogdanovic, this would be a rookie-of-the-year race to remember.
It has not worked out that way.
Injuries have been a prime culprit for the deterioration of these rookies’ fortunes. Parker and Julius Randle are out for the season with physical problems. Doug McDermott, Marcus Smart and Aaron Gordon have missed significant time.
Others have simply been bad. Wiggins, while scoring 13.8 points per game, is shooting just 41.6 per cent and the stats website FiveThirtyEight declared him “one of the worst players in basketball this season”.
Elfrid Payton, Dante Exum and Nik Stauskas are all shooting under 40 per cent – the latter an unthinkable 32.8 per cent.
Only Mirotic has looked like a player worthy of the NBA’s best-rookie award, with the former Real Madrid man carving out a strong supporting role on an excellent Bulls team.
It is too early to declare any of these players busts, but talk of the Great 2014 Draft Class looks like it certainly missed the mark.
The week that was:
Players of the week
Rajon Rondo, Dallas Mavericks: Point guard had 29 points, five assists, six rebounds in a win over his old Celtics teammates and stifled John Wall defensively in a win over the Wizards.
Kevin Durant, Oklahoma City Thunder: With 34 points v Washington and 44 v Phoenix, both wins, he gave a reminder why he won last year’s MVP.
Teams of the week
Atlanta Hawks: Won three to make it 18 victories from their past 20. Saturday night’s 115-107 win at Portland was especially impressive.
Brooklyn Nets: Finally finding their footing as play-off contenders, with three wins last week, including one in Chicago.
Duds of the week
Derrick Rose, Chicago Bulls: He shot 24.4 per cent during four games in one of the worst shooting weeks you will see.
Trevor Ariza, Houston Rockets: Scored 14 points in three games and made one-of-14 three point attempts – not good from a supposed sharpshooter.
Games of the week
Memphis at Atlanta, Tuesday: One of the West’s best visits the East’s current top team in a meeting of geographically close rivals.
Dallas at LA Clippers, Saturday: Rondo and Chris Paul meet in fascinating match-up of elite point guards from Western contenders.
jraymond@thenational.ae
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