The 2017-2018 NBA Rookie Class is said to be one of the most skilled collection of hopefuls in NBA History. Some of these players will make an immediate impact, while others will need to take the first few months of the season slowly to adjust their game and skill-sets to see what works on a professional level. Here are some of the rookies we can expect to make an impact this season.
Lonzo Ball-G-Los Angeles Lakers: At the end of the day, I think Ball has the best chance to win Rookie of the Year and the Lakers drafted him 2nd overall to lead the way into the new era. His court vision is masterful. He makes excellent passes no matter where he is on the court. He is not the best shooter, but is an excellent driver. The Lakers have a lot of players that play better off the ball and squared up to the basket such as Brook Lopez, Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, and Luol Deng. Expect Ball to average 8-10 assists per game. His finesse is smooth and will do a good job drawing double teams to set up his teammates. Ball has excellent hands so expect him to be very active when it comes to steals. He will obviously start
- Markelle Fultz-G-Philadelphia 76ers: The Sixers traded two coveted Draft picks to land Fultz and Fultz is an excellent scorer and shooter. Fultz has great speed and will also be beneficial in the assists department. Fultz will handle a lot of the mid and long range scoring and even though Ball’s drive is a tad better, Fultz is excellent at getting to the rim. He’s been touted as an NBA-ready Point Guard and will play deep into games. Fultz should average 16-18 points per game this season. For games that Joel Embiid doesn’t play, expect Fultz to be scoring in the 20’s.
- Dennis Smith Jr.-G-Dallas Mavericks: Mark Cuban coined this the “Dennis Smith Jr. Era” as the Mavericks look to rebuild. Especially after seeing Smith dominate summer league, the Mavericks couldn’t be more enamored with their draft selection and Smith should start despite the Mavs having other veteran Guards at their disposal. Smith is a speedster with quick and tenacious lane-driving ability. Smith is excellent at changing positions and switching hands mid-flight. He is excellent at extending plays and a lot of people think he can win the Rookie of the Year award. Smith is very agile and time looks like it stops when he is driving and avoiding bigger players in the lane. Smith will eat into Harrison Barnes shots a bit. The Mavs really would be stupid not to start him.
- Jayson Tatum-F-Boston Celtics: Why would the Celtics trade the Fultz pick to move down for Tatum? Why didn’t Tatum get traded during the Kyrie Irving negotiations? It’s because the Celtics felt that Tate’s ceiling as the next Point Forward in the league is very high. Tatum is good at driving and posting. His frame will allow the Celtics to get a ton of second chance opportunities. Tatum is also very skilled defensively and could end up starting depending how he does in camp. The Celtics could choose to start Gordon Hayward at Shooting Guard, and start Tatum alongside Marcus Morris for the Forwards. It all will depend on what the Celtics want to do with Jaylen Brown. Tatum may take a few weeks to settle in, but once he does, he will be an all-around excellent piece. Again, the Celtics traded the top pick in an ultra-loaded draft for Tatum.
- Donovan Mitchell-G/F-Utah Jazz: The Jazz Guards haven’t been healthy for years and with Gordon Hayward gone, things open up a bit and if Mitchell isn’t starting at the beginning of the season, he will towards the end. Mitchell has a solid mid-range game and will drive the lane aggressively. Mitchell will also be a big help on the perimeter stopping the offensive flow of the opposition. Rudy Gobert had to do too much last season when it came to the Jazz defense and players with long arms and good leaping ability like Mitchell will gain more playing time because of his defense. Mitchell also cuts to the basket nicely. The Jazz will likely bring him in off the bench and he will compete well versus second units. Mitchell also has a small post game and will bang against other Small Forward’s and draw contact.
- John Collins-F-Atlanta Hawks: Collins should absolutely be starting opening night for the Hawks. They let their front-court go to other teams because of the confidence they have in Collins. Collins will likely start at Power Forward and will be a big help driving down the Center of the court and posting up. Collins is aggressive and has long arms and should pull down 6-8 rebounds per game. Collins has moves in the post and doesn’t give up on loose balls. He hustles and has good speed and will be calling for the ball in the high post. Collins should be playing in the 30’s due to lack of depth up front. Collins will work very well with the Hawks up tempo offense.
- Josh Jackson-F-Phoenix Suns: Jackson has an amazing build and with a lot of uncertainty in the Suns mid-court, expect Jackson to make an impact at both Forward positions and on both ends of the floor. Jackson always looks to attack and he attacks with force. When he runs into you, it hurts. Jackson will call for the ball a lot in the low post and the Suns will see very quickly the defensive impact Jackson will make. He is good at reading the possession and getting his hands up inside. Jackson could theoretically start at Small Forward, but something tells me T.J. Warren will get the nod to start, but his defense will standout and that could lead him right into the starting lineup. He’s faster than the other Power Forwards on the Suns and that could help his cause to start.
Ben Simmons-F-Philadelphia 76ers: A highly touted Point Forward who sat out the entire season due to an ankle injury. Simmons shot is the only part of his game in question, but his passing and ability to lead on the court is excellent. Simmons is a good ball-handler and will make quick leading passes inside. His defense ability will keep the Sixers in a lot of games. Simmons and Robert Covington will battle it out in Camp to see who the starting Small Forward will be. I think Covington will start the season as the starter with Simmons leading the second unit off the bench. Don’t be surprised to see Simmons rotate all the way down to Point Guard to spare Fultz because of his ball-handling abilities. Simmons could end up qualifying at three positions by the end of the season.
- Malik Monk-G/F-Charlotte Hornets: The Hornets backcourt in Nicolas Batum and Kemba Walker held down the fort offensively last season and with Monk’s driving ability and long-range shooting ability, don’t be surprised if Batum is moved to Small Forward at some point in the season so that Monk can handle Shooting Guard duties. His style of play is very similar to Walker’s and the Hornets offense will be a lot quicker and Monk will have much more success than most of the Hornets secondary Guards from over the last few years when it comes to driving the lane. Monk doesn’t give up on plays and after driving, he positions himself nicely in the lane to get second-chance scoring opportunities.
- Luke Kennard-G/F-Detroit Pistons: The Pistons shooters are very suspect and that’s where the sharp-shooter Kennard will help them out big time. Kennard will likely come off the bench, but when he does, expect him to get fed from downtown. He was automatic last season and will eat into Reggie Jackson’s shots. Kennard has a silky smooth jumper and he is also an excellent free-throw shooter. If he earns enough trust, the Pistons could try to put Avery Bradley at Small Forward so Kennard can start at Shooting Guard. He has the sweetest looking shot of any player in this rookie class and fills a huge need of the Pistons; consistency in shooting.
- Jarrett Allen-F/C-Brooklyn Nets: Opportunity is key here because Allen will be playing behind Timofey Mozgov and Mozgov isn’t as tough inside as Allen is (and Allen hasn’t played a single NBA game yet). Allen will be tough on the boards and it’s hard to position him outside the paint and he is always moving inside and is a very physical player. We will wait and see if things will work out offensively, but defensively, he will pull down a ton of rebounds and get blocks and steals. He may be able to unseat Mozgov by mid-season and start at Center.
- Jonathan Isaac-F-Orlando Magic: The Magic really love Aaron Gordon, but if Isaac can prove that he can shoot more consistently, he will get more minutes. Isaac will come off the bench to start the season unless the Magic are willing to give him a shot starting at Small Forward. He has ball-handling capabilities and has quick post moves. He’s a bit skinny, but will fight boards and is not afraid to take contact. He’s very boom or bust with this Magic team, but being that he was a top 10 draft pick, the Magic see his potential, especially in the post. Isaac will go up and under with the ball if he doesn’t draw the double.
- Bam Adebayo-F/C-Miami Heat: The Heat were a tough front-court last season and with the addition of Adebayo, they’ve only gotten tougher. Adebayo will likely coming off the bench being James Johnson’s back up to start the season, but if Johnson’s scoring isn’t as strong and he gets beat inside expect them to make a change. Adebayo has a massive build and it will take a ton to box both Adebayo and Hassan Whiteside out of the lane. Adebayo should develop into a Gorgui Dieng-type player and will get a lot of second chance scoring opportunities from right under the basket. He will be playing 20 minutes per game by mid-season.
- Milos Teodosic-G-Los Angeles Clippers: The Clippers Guard situation is very uncertain and losing Chris Paul hurts. Teodosic is very agile and can play both guard spots. He’s smart with the ball and doesn’t make risky cross-court passes. If the Clippers want to keep their offense moving quickly, they should give Teodosic more playing time early so he learns about the game flow in the NBA. Teodosic will make no-look passes and he has good lane driving ability. He will eventually run the floor nicely with Blake Griffin. He will be in a battle for playing time early, but before long, he will stand out and pick up more minutes.