1) Towns
Obviously. There were hints of "Porzingis or Towns?" debates early in the year, but then more people watched Towns. He can do everything, and he's only gotten more deadly as the season's unfolded. In the past 9 games, he's averaging 23.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2 blocks. On Wednesday he had 35, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks to beat the Raptors. At 20 years old. Any Porzingis argument is a waste of time at this point in the year. The better question is, "Brow or KAT?"
5) Booker
Did you know that Devin Booker is younger than Ben Simmons? It turns out, it's not an accident that he looks like he's 15 years old next to the rest of the NBA. Now, did you know that he's averaging 17 points per game over the past month and shooting 45% as a starter? He can barely buy cigarettes. Imagine what he'll do by the time he can drink.
He's handling the ball more than he ever did at Kentucky, he's running pick-and-rolls with surprising success, and while all this opportunity is partly a by-product of broader dysfunction in Phoenix, he gets credit for knocking it out of the park. All the added responsibility will make him better in the long run. The Magic would be ecstatic to add Booker here, which tells you a lot about this draft class. The 14th pick in the lottery would be a steal in the top 5.
8) Lyles
This is tough, because Stanley Johnson has come into his own over the past month, and looks like a great fit in Detroit. But given a do-over, and seeing how well Trey Lyles filled in for Derrick Favors earlier this season, wouldn't Stan Van Gundy grab the perfect stretch four to play alongside Andre Drummond for the next 10 years?
11) Cauley-Stein
For the first few months of the season, Cauley-Stein looked like the weak link among these rookies. A few months later, and ... there might not be any real weak links with this class.
Since coming back from injury in Sacramento, Cauley-Stein's established himself as exactly what everyone expected him to be: an excellent rim protector who can't shoot even a little bit, but can rebound and run the floor. On a Kings team that wants to space the floor around Boogie, he helps, but it's still a strange fit. On a Pacers team that was all set to go small until Myles Turner's emergence changed their plans, Cauley-Stein would be a perfect to anchor the defense for the rest of the Paul George era.
http://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/12/nb...weekend-karl-anthony-towns-kristaps-porzingis
Obviously. There were hints of "Porzingis or Towns?" debates early in the year, but then more people watched Towns. He can do everything, and he's only gotten more deadly as the season's unfolded. In the past 9 games, he's averaging 23.2 points, 12.3 rebounds, and 2 blocks. On Wednesday he had 35, 11 rebounds, and 3 blocks to beat the Raptors. At 20 years old. Any Porzingis argument is a waste of time at this point in the year. The better question is, "Brow or KAT?"
5) Booker
Did you know that Devin Booker is younger than Ben Simmons? It turns out, it's not an accident that he looks like he's 15 years old next to the rest of the NBA. Now, did you know that he's averaging 17 points per game over the past month and shooting 45% as a starter? He can barely buy cigarettes. Imagine what he'll do by the time he can drink.
He's handling the ball more than he ever did at Kentucky, he's running pick-and-rolls with surprising success, and while all this opportunity is partly a by-product of broader dysfunction in Phoenix, he gets credit for knocking it out of the park. All the added responsibility will make him better in the long run. The Magic would be ecstatic to add Booker here, which tells you a lot about this draft class. The 14th pick in the lottery would be a steal in the top 5.
8) Lyles
This is tough, because Stanley Johnson has come into his own over the past month, and looks like a great fit in Detroit. But given a do-over, and seeing how well Trey Lyles filled in for Derrick Favors earlier this season, wouldn't Stan Van Gundy grab the perfect stretch four to play alongside Andre Drummond for the next 10 years?
11) Cauley-Stein
For the first few months of the season, Cauley-Stein looked like the weak link among these rookies. A few months later, and ... there might not be any real weak links with this class.
Since coming back from injury in Sacramento, Cauley-Stein's established himself as exactly what everyone expected him to be: an excellent rim protector who can't shoot even a little bit, but can rebound and run the floor. On a Kings team that wants to space the floor around Boogie, he helps, but it's still a strange fit. On a Pacers team that was all set to go small until Myles Turner's emergence changed their plans, Cauley-Stein would be a perfect to anchor the defense for the rest of the Paul George era.
http://www.si.com/nba/2016/02/12/nb...weekend-karl-anthony-towns-kristaps-porzingis
