Finding Your New Favourite NBA Rookies
Allg rook?
The 2017/18 NBA season was a great one for rookies. Not only was it one of the strongest classes in years but we get a whole swathe of new characters to root for and against. That’s the beauty of rookie classes, you get to handpick your favourites and follow their careers as they blossom into stars or fall into the scrapheap.
Last year we were spoilt for choice when it came to new faves, there was Lonzo Ball and his larger than life, crazy dad, the Dragonball-Z obsessed De’Aaron Fox, our Aussie bro Ben Simmons (we kind of already had him but that’s another story) and heaps more. As this season’s crop of rookies settle into their respective teams and dream about what their careers could be, let’s look at some of the more interesting cats from the class and find you a new favourite player to follow. So at least you’ll have some reason to still watch the NBA when the Warriors are on their 78 game winning streak.
Lonnie Walker – San Antonio Spurs
While lists about rookies normally start with #1 pick DeAndre Ayton or Slovenian wonder-kid Luka Doncic, this one has to start with the rookie class’s most interesting man, Lonnie goddamn Walker IV. Lonnie is the definition of a space cadet, in every sense of the word. Walker has become an instant favourite among the NBA media for his wild conspiracies and the great sound bites he gives. Just have a look at his response when questioned on the flat earth theory (shouts to Kyrie Irving):
"The earth is not flat... My conspiracy, the earth is definitely an illusion. Just because you see things in the sky, doesn’t mean it was there. The background, the surroundings. Y’all tried to make it look too much like a moon. The details were almost too great. You’re doing too great of a job. There’s no way it looks this nice or is this well done."
He's got conspiracies on everything from the moon landing to Hitler, and in an age where players are more media savvy that ever and unwilling to let their real personality slip out, Walker is a breath of fresh, weird air.
Hologram worlds aside, Walker has massive upside on the court and he’s landed in a situation that should give him the best chance of reaching his ceiling. Walker has the size (6’4), wingspan (6’10) and athleticism of a prototypical NBA modern 2-Guard. A lot of his promise right now is tied to his potential, rather than his current skillset. Hints of ball-handling, play-making and consistent 3-point shooting are there and now he’ll have time to learn under the one and only Greg Popovich and play behind/beside DeMar DeRozan, who, LeBron jokes and shooting range aside, remains one of the top 2 guards in the NBA. The earth may be an illusion, but Walker’s potential definitely isn’t.
NBA best case scenario: Victor Oladipo with hair.
Wendell Carter – Chicago Bulls
What can I say, I’m a sucker for a renaissance man. Not only was Carter Jr a top-10 pick coming off an impressive season at Duke, he was also a straight A student and a proud thespian. There aren’t many theatre geeks in the NBA, but for Carter Jr, it’s the same game, just a different stage.
"I’m not saying basketball isn’t always fun, but it can be hectic on me. I have to find other things to calm my soul, and that’s something I’ve always looked for. I’ve found that in theatre."
It’s not just his soliloquys that have me excited. After an impressive Summer League, Carter Jr is already looking like a steal who’s ready to contribute big minutes right away. At Duke last year Carter Jr was stuck behind number two pick and flashier prospect Marvin Bagley III. Carter’s minutes and chances to shine suffered as a result. At Vegas Summer League Carter averaged just under 15 points, 10 rebounds and 3 blocks a game. While I realise that Summer League is about the level of competition at the playground chain-link hoop by my house, it’s a positive start for an exciting prospect who’s ready to stop being an understudy and start playing the lead role. Break a leg ‘Dell.
NBA best case scenario: Cultured Al Horford.
Grayson Allen – Utah Jazz
Deep down we all love a villain. Whether it’s to root against or to secretly hope they succeed and prove that life is meaningless or unfair, there’s just something about them that’s more engaging than your run of the mill good guy. Grayson Allen did a pretty good job of playing that role in his 4 years of Duke.
The hell spawn of failed Republic candidate Ted Cruz spent most of his college career in the headlines. Through his repeated tripping incidents he did something no other player could, he united college basketball fans. Sure they were united against him but still that’s a sign of influence.
While the dirty plays dried up towards the end of his college tenure as he was overshadowed by the rise of Marvin Bagley and others, it was clear that this guy was going to have a ton of fans rooting against him at the top level. I’m not one of those people and you shouldn’t be. Love him or hate him, the divisive discourse around Grayson normally skims over one important aspect, he’s a good basketball player. He may never be the top player of this draft class, but he could be the draft’s best shooter, and a crazy athlete, two very transferable skills that all NBA teams covet. The Jazz may have lucked into a steal who can spread the floor for Mitchell and Gobert plus provide a little Iso offence. Sure there’s every chance he gets punched by one of the Morris brothers in his first game, but maybe, just maybe, this could be the redemption story we need.
NBA best case scenario: Eric Gordon, better Buddy Hield.
Luka Doncic - Dallas Mavericks
Enough has been written about the Slovenian wunderkind who’s about to take the NBA storm. Instead of deep diving down the Doncic hole, I’ll just give you the quick facts:
He’s the youngest ever EuroLeague MVP (19 years old),
He was the youngest player ever to play for Real Madrid (16 years old at debut).
He’s a hot head who’s going to piss a lot of people off on the court.
He has a tiger tattoo on his left forearm.
He’s been quoted as saying he’s going to buy a tiger when he moves stateside. Seriously he’s going to get a fucking tiger.
His mum is a former model and he’s going to get trash talked about this by fellow NBA players for the entirety of his career.
Mum jokes aside. Doncic is going to be a star and unlike his Mavs mentor, the great Dirk Nowitzki, Doncic isn’t going to be the next European Mr Nice Guy, he’s got a nasty streak in him and I love it. To learn more about him and his game check out the Niche Cache’s profile here.
NBA best case scenario: Manu Ginobli/Slovenian James Harden.
Mohamed Bamba - Orlando Magic
It’s hard to look at Bamba and not be in awe of the size of him. Mo towers over everyone at 7’1 with a 7’10 wingspan, the longest in the NBA. To quote my old rugby coach, the man has arms like legs and legs like people. Between the eye test and his college defensive stats (3.7 blocks per game) he’s been drawing comparisons to the stifle tower, the French rejection himself, Rudy Gobert.
Will Mo end up having as many cool nicknames as Gobert? It’s too early to say. But he does have the potential to have a similar on-court impact. While a freakish wingspan doesn’t automatically translate to the Defensive Player of the Year skills of Gobert, but the upside is clearly there. He has the ability to block or alter shots with both hands and he’s mobile enough to cover wings enough that he won’t get exposed off switches on the perimeter - think how the Warriors played Capela off the floor in the playoffs.
Also, Bamba is a chess master, winning competitions all through his childhood, he’s spoken about wanting to set up an NBA chess club, and there’s just something comical about Bamba hunched over a chess board, making the pieces look travel-sized in his gigantic hands. But don’t call him a nerd, because then he’ll do this to you.
NBA best case scenario: Rudy Gobert with a jump shot.