Senior writer for FBR.com, Carl Dispoto, is back with this week’s run down and break down of the rookie class.
As always, rankings are meant to reflect players’ values for the remainder for the rest of the season and not value thus far.
(All positions are based on Yahoo! eligibility.)
Brandon Jennings (PG, Milwaukee Bucks): Jennings remains atop the rookie leaders but he’s hanging by a thread. His slump has deepened as he averaged just 15.5 points and shooting 32 percent from the floor and 70 percent from the line in four games over the past week.
The good news he also nailed 2.8 3-pointers with one steal per game. He still leads all rookies in scoring (21.5 points), assists (5.8) and 3-pointers (2.4) and his playing time and opportunities are rock solid.
Michael Redd’s return was brief and he’s back to nursing his bum knee. Redd’s return might actually take some of the pressure off Jennings offensively, but it’ll have to wait. It appears Jennings has hit a slight wall while trying to carry the team on a nightly basis.
Still, Jennings will remain the focal point of the offense for the remainder of the season.
Tyreke Evans (PG/SG, Sacramento Kings): Evans has arguably been the best fantasy rookie for the past month as Jennings has begun to slide. He averaged 20.3 points and 4.3 assists with solid percentages (.470/.880) in the past week.
For the season, Evans has nearly caught up to Jennings in scoring (19.3) and assists (4.9) while exceeding him in steals (1.3) and posting better percentages (.448/.800).
But the elephant in the room is the return of Kevin Martin from a broken wrist. If Evans can continue to play at this level after Martin’s return (unlikely) and Jennings fails to rebound (also unlikely) he may finish the season as the season’s best fantasy rookie.
It would be nice if he made some more 3-pointers, though.
Stephen Curry (PG/SG, Golden State Warriors): Curry has been tremendously valuable since Stephen Jackson was shipped out of Golden State, even though he’s barely averaging double figures in scoring. Then again, how much can he possibly score while Monta Ellis keeps pouring in 30 points per game?
In addition to his modest point total, Curry averaged 1.3 3-pointers, 5.0 assists, 1.8 steals and 0.8 blocks over the past four games. His percentages have shifted gears – as predicted in the last rookie report – as he shot just 36 percent from the floor while making all of his free throws over the past week.
Curry’s has turned into a somewhat prototypical point guard on a team that will continue to put up big offensive numbers for the rest of the season.
Jonny Flynn (PG/SG, Minnesota Timberwolves): Flynn snapped out of his funk in the past week, averaging 15.3 points, 1.0 3-pointer, 7.0 assists and 1.0 steal in three games.
As mentioned all season, if you’re playing in a nine-category league, Flynn’s turnovers can hurt you. But he’ll still contribute plenty to a young Timberwolves team that has few other backcourt options.
Blake Griffin (SF/PF, Los Angeles Clippers): There was some disconcerting news this week when the Clippers announced Griffin will not play until after January 1. But the status of the remainder of the rookie of the class means 40 games of 15 points and eight rebounds is the best remaining bet.
James Harden (PG/SG, Oklahoma City Thunder): Harden’s yo-yo season continued as he followed a great week with a mediocre one. He averaged just 9.7 points, 1.3 3-pointers and 1.0 steal and managed only three total assists in three games.
But Harden still got more than 24 minutes per game. He’s going to be the main guard off the bench for the Thunder from here on out and is worth owning if you’re willing to deal with the ups-and-downs.
Ty Lawson (PG/SG, Denver Nuggets): Lawson’s minutes and contributions are starting to slip, though he still averaged 3.8 assists and shot 61 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the line in four games this week.
Still, he’s hurtling fast towards being unownable and only an injury to one of the Nuggets guards would make him a must-have player in 12-team leagues
Taj Gibson (SF/PG, Chicago Bulls): Gibson didn’t have a great week, averaging just 8.3 points and 5.3 rebounds. But the rumors swirling about Tyrus Thomas getting traded mean there is a chance Gibson could continue to get major minutes for the remainder of the season.
Darren Collison (PG/SG, New Orleans Hornets): If you snatched Collison up as soon as Chris Paul got hurt, he’s been great. He played just twice this week and totaled 31 points with 2 3-pointers, 11 assists and three steals.
But Paul has returned to practice and Collison’s expiration date is approaching quickly.
Jonas Jerebko (SF/PF, Detroit Pistons): Any rookie getting nearly 35 minutes per game is going to start getting some attention. Jerebko averaged 13.0 points, 1.3 3-pointers, 6.0 rebounds and 1.0 steal in four games and shot nearly 54 percent from the floor.
Even more importantly, the Pistons have already said he’ll continue to get minutes once Tayshaun Prince returns.
Chase Budinger (SF/PF, Houston Rockets): Budinger has propelled himself into added value after averaging 11.5 points, 1.8 3-pointers and 1.0 steal in four games this week. He also shot .471 overall and .875 from the line.
Budinger has become Houston’s long-range specialist and as evidence begins to mount that Tracy McGrady will be dealt, he should remain in that role.
Terrence Williams (SG/SF/PF, New Jersey Nets): As the Nets sink deeper into the worst start in NBA history, Williams has been losing minutes, playing just 19.7 per game in the past week.
Time will tell if the new Nets coach Kiki Vandeweghe plans to use Williams more or less than his predecessor.
DeJuan Blair (SF/PF, San Antonio Spurs): Blair needs to be mentioned since he’s had double-doubles in his last two games.
I’ve maintained all season that he may have value as the season due to his stellar rebounding, but he still averaged just 16 minutes per game this week. And while he’s maximized his output in those minutes, he can’t be recommended unless he’s consistently getting 20-plus minutes per game.
Toney Douglas (PG/SG, New York Knicks): Mike D’Antoni will start playing Nate Robinson again and Douglas will go back to fantasy basketball obscurity. Still, you have to keep your eye on any player on a D’Antoni roster.
Omri Casspi (SF/PF, Sacramento Kings): Omitted from last week’s Rookie Report, Casspi had his second solid week in a row. He averaged 13.3 points and 1.3 3-pointers in three games and is getting nearly 30 minutes per contest.
Casspi doesn’t rebound enough and adds almost no blocks or steals, which limits his value. But he can make threes and is shooting better than 50 percent overall, which is a rare combination.
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