Best Single Game Performance:
John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards v. Philadelphia 76ers
29 Pts, 9-16 FG, 11-14 FT, 13 Ast, 9 Stl
In Wall's home debut, he was impressive, nearly putting up a triple-double (with steals!) and willing his team to victory in overtime. One of the more impressive things about this game to me was that after, Wall couldn't help but mention that he really needed to work on his turnovers (he had 8 during the game). That's the kind of thing that makes a fanbase fall in love with you (as long as you put up those other statistics to go with the 8 turnovers of course).
Breakout Rookie Performance:
Eric Bledsoe, PG, Los Angeles Clippers v. Oklahoma City Thunder
17 Pts, 7-10 FG, 2-3 3P, 4 Rbd, 8 Ast, 2 Blk
With Baron Davis relegated to the bench with a sore left knee, Eric Bledsoe was given the starting nod, and his breakout game was a big part in getting the Clippers their first (and to date, only) victory of the season. He more than held his own against Russell Westbrook, helping to contain him to 16 points on 16 shots. Bledsoe further cemented his position in the rotation with a 12 point, 13 assist outing the next game, and it looks like Baron Davis might have to fight for minutes when he gets back.
Best Rookie Moment:
Blake Griffin flies the friendly skies in his debut. I have a feeling we'll be seeing a lot more of these highlights before the season is done.
After the Jump, our Power Rankings
1. John Wall, PG, Washington Wizards
- John Wall is the Wizards right now. They begin and end with him. The rest of this roster is pretty putrid, so the fact that he's dishing 9.6 assists per game already (4th in the league) is ridiculous to me. He's been very turnover prone, and his shot still isn't there, but he's already cemented himself as one of the better young guards in the league.
2. Blake Griffin, PF, Los Angeles Clippers
- This is almost a 1b to Wall's 1a ranking, as Griffin has probably been more efficient and consistent so far this season, scoring 18.1 PPG on 50% shooting, and grabbing a phenomenal 11 RPG almost on pure athleticism. His FT shooting is perhaps his biggest weakness at this point, and his gaudy statistics have so far only produced 1 win in 7 tries. Still, Griffin is definitely bringing some national attention to the Clippers, if only because of his crazy dunks.
3. Derrick Favors, PF, New Jersey Nets
- I have to give the nod to Favors over here for being so much farther along than many realized. I have a feeling he won't ever be a superstar, but he will be extremely solid, and he's a very hard worker. He's averaging about 9.5 points a game on a great 62.2% shooting, and pulling in 7.3 rebounds as well, all in 22 minutes worth of work off the bench. Perhaps "Tenacious D" is more ready for the NBA than we thought.
4. DeMarcus Cousins, C, Sacramento Kings
- Cousins has been a bit of a mixed bag to date. He has at times looked like a dominant force (late in a game v. Toronto for instance, where he scored 10 of his 16 points in the 4th quarter to lead the Kings back from a big deficit), and other times (these last two games against Los Angeles and Memphis) he's looked lost. His shot selection at times is poor (He shot four 3Ps against Los Angeles, only hitting one), and he also has a knack for getting into early foul trouble (currently averaging 7.7 fouls per 36 minutes). The talent is there, but I think it might take DeMarcus a while to adjust to the faster and stronger players of the NBA.
5. Landry Fields, G/F, New York Knicks
- One of the surprises of the draft, Fields has come out of nowhere to nab the starting SG spot in New York's lineup, and he's playing very efficiently, shooting over 55% from the field, 46% from three, and almost grabbing 6 boards a game as well, all in 25 minutes per game. Fields is the Jonas Jerebko of this draft.
6. Evan Turner, G/F, Philadelphia 76ers
- The one thing I've really liked about Turner so far is that even though he hasn't performed perhaps as a #2 pick is expected to, he's steadily improved himself from when I saw him play in Summer League and even the preseason. He's playing smarter and contributing even when he doesn't score. He has a great all-around game, and even though he can't really shoot, is still scoring pretty efficiently (shooting 47.5%). With Iguodala injured for a little bit, Turner will have a chance to break out. We'll see if he takes it.
7. Wesley Johnson, SF, Minnesota Timberwolves
- Lost amid all the Kahn/Darko jokes is the fact that Wesley Johnson is a pretty good player. He's struggled a bit with his shot so far this season (only shooting 39% and 33.3% from three), but he's able to contribute in other areas with his great length and rebounding ability. He's also shown himself to be a willing passer, although he still isn't very good at handling the ball. Wes reminds me of Shawn Marion a lot, and I think he can reach that potential if given the chance, and I think he'll get it. He's already earned himself the starting spot.
8. Eric Bledsoe, PG, Los Angeles Clippers
- Bledsoe gets on the list for the fact that so far, he's exceeded expectations, and even outplayed Baron Davis at the point guard position. In Bledsoe's three games as a starter, the Clippers have beaten Oklahoma City by 15, lost to Denver by 7, and lost to Utah by 2. Before he started the Clippers had lost their games by a margin of 14.7. The Clippers are playing better ball with Bledsoe in the lineup and hopefully it continues.
9. James Anderson, G, San Antonio Spurs
- Anderson was a steal for San Antonio to get with the 20th pick this year. He fits their system perfectly, able to defend and hit the corner three, and so far this season he's done exactly that. He's made 46.2% of his 3PA so far, and he's adding a couple assists, a rebound and a block in 20 minutes off the bench for San Antonio. With this foundation around him, Anderson looks only to improve, and he could end up playing a major role in whether San Antonio is able to contend for a title later this season.
10. Armon Johnson, PG, Portland Trailblazers
- Johnson is another surprise. He's only playing around 11 MPG, but he's showcasing a lot while he's on the court. Everyone knew he was fast, but he can also shoot and run the offense well. Johnson might drop off this list as teams begin to take him into account (they already seem to be doing so, as he had a bit of a stinker against Toronto), but Johnson's play to date makes the Bayless trade look a little bit better from a Portland perspective, at least to me.
Honorable Mentions: Gary Neal, Paul George, Greg Monroe
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