If there’s one thing we should know about the NBA by now, it’s that you don’t have to be a lottery pick to make an immediate impact.
Granted, that may be the idea behind the NBA draft, where the lousy teams get to celebrate for a day. But sometimes, the good teams win as well, discovering a gem later in the first round, or perhaps even in the second.
Other times, the lousy teams get extra lucky — landing two rookies who contribute right away to a team in desperate need. After one week of this season, we can safely say that’s been the case in Cleveland, where No. 1 overall selection Kyrie Irving and fourth overall pick Tristan Thompson are giving fans a new reason to care.
As the starting point guard, Irving has run the offense confidently and effectively. He has become perhaps the team’s biggest weapon at just 19 years of age, and after only 11 college games at Duke. Irving is averaging 13 points and occasionally is mentioned in the same sentence as Chris Paul by Cavaliers coach Byron Scott.
Scott should know, as he coached Paul with the Hornets for the point guard's first NBA four seasons, plus a handful of games in his fifth.
Meanwhile, Thompson is coming off the bench at power forward. The Cavs’ decision to take him at No. 4 raised some eyebrows, as most of the draft websites had Thompson projected somewhere in the 8-12 range. But the only thing being raised nowadays is the opponents’ blood pressure when Thompson leaps to throw back another one of their shots.
Irving and Thompson are just two examples of extremely early success stories. There are more than a few others.
Meanwhile, it appears some first-year guys will need a little more time — and you can’t really blame them. After all, because of the lockout, this year’s rookie class didn’t receive the benefits of summer-league ball or even a full training camp.
Here’s a quick glimpse at who else is where and doing what:
DERRICK WILLIAMS, MINNESOTA
Forward (No. 2 overall pick)
The Timberwolves are still trying to figure out whether he’s a small or power forward (although they seem to be leaning toward the latter). And Williams is still trying to figure out the NBA game. But, again, that’s OK. Through the first four games, he averaged an up-and-down 20 minutes, 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds.
ENES KANTER, UTAH
Power forward/center (No. 3)
Kanter didn’t play a second at Kentucky because of some sort of NCAA ruling that no one still seems to understand. Doesn’t matter now, as he is the property of the Jazz. He made only two of his first 12 shots, but went a combined 4 for 6 in the following two games. Through four games, Kanter averaged 5.0 points and 6.0 rebounds, but less than 16 minutes off the bench.
RICKY RUBIO, MINNESOTA
Point guard (No. 5 in 2009)
The
kid is coming along quite nicely, thank you very much. His most notable
performances came in back-to-back games against last year's finalists.
Rubio scored 12 points and passed for 12 assists in a near upset of the
Heat. Then he went for 14 and seven in a win over the Mavericks. Looks
like the Timberwolves got it right.
JAN VESELEY, WASHINGTON
Forward (No. 6)
He has yet to play because of an ailing hip that has required injections. Not exactly what the struggling Wizards were looking for.
BISMACK BIYOMBO, CHARLOTTE
Forward (No. 7)
Good athlete, bad team. As suspected, Biyombo lacks NBA skills on offense, with issues mostly related to holding onto the ball. That makes it tough to shoot. So it’s fairly understandable he averaged 2.5 points per game through his first four games.
BRANDON KNIGHT, DETROIT
Guard (No. 8)
Knight had a 23-point outburst in a loss to Irving and the Cavs, but has been mostly held in check otherwise. Still, Knight has displayed tons of promise and even more speed. He could turn into a force once the lowly Pistons rid themselves of all the deadweight in the backcourt.
KEMBA WALKER, CHARLOTTE
Guard (No. 9)
The NCAA champion has scored in double figures in every game but one, an average of 11.5 points in his first three games. But that’s beside the point, as the Bobcats just seem better when the feisty Walker is one the court.
JIMMER FREDETTE, SACRAMENTO
Guard (No. 10)
Fittingly, he’s getting plenty of looks at the basket, averaging 9.2 shots a night while playing nearly half of each of the first five games. Problem is, Fredette is hitting just 37 percent from the field. Either way, he’s still showing the ability to get open and create off the dribble, just as he did at BYU. Once the shots start dropping, he likely will be a double-digit scorer in the league for a long time.
ALEC BURKS, UTAH
Shooting guard (No. 12)
Burks scored zero points in
one game, 15 in another and four in another. And he did not play in one game. But the opportunity will
be there, as the Jazz are seeking consistency from his position (and
everywhere else, for that matter).
MARKIEFF MORRIS, PHOENIX
Power forward (No. 13)
Morris has given the
Suns a rare interior presence. He fits right in by doing all the
little things well. That includes sticking with his man and rebounding. He also tallied 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting in his fourth game.
KAWHI LEONARD, SAN ANTONIO
Forward, (No. 15)
Those
mitts that are the size of your head are coming in, well, handy for the
Spurs. Leonard doesn’t score much but really goes after the ball when it comes
off the basket. Old-timers are already comparing him to Michael Cage, another San Diego State product.
CHRIS SINGLETON, WASHINGTON
Forward (No. 18)
He's already
proving to be quite the defender, something the Wizards were expecting
when they took a flyer on him midway through the first round. As for
offense, well, the young man still has a ways to go. And that’s being
kind.
MARSHON BROOKS, NEW JERSEY
Guard/forward (No. 25)
He was
fabulous in the first four games, with one 21-point outing, and two
separate nights of 17. But he went 0 for 3 for zero points in the fifth
game, against Cleveland. Still, Brooks is a true threat off the bench,
and that’s probably more than the Nets hoped to land by trading (with
Boston) for the 25th pick.
NORRIS COLE, MIAMI
Point guard (No. 28)
Cole put together scoring outbursts of 20 and 16 points in his first week. Not bad for a little man out of little Cleveland State. Looks as though he’ll be sporadic for most of the season, but when you play next to LeBron James, Dwyane Wade and Chris Bosh, that’s OK. Anything Cole gives the Heat will be gravy.
