Ranking the top 5 most impressive rookies so far

As we are quickly approaching 1 month of NBA action, it is time to take a look at which rookies have impressed the most in this young season.

November 7, 2012; New Orleans, LA, USA; New Orleans Hornets power forward Anthony Davis (23) against the Philadelphia 76ers during the second quarter of a game at the New Orleans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-US PRESSWIRE

5. Anthony Davis, New Orleans Hornets (16 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 2.3 blkpg)

The only reason I rank the first overall pick of the 2012 NBA draft this low, is because of the fact that he has only played 6 games this season. Davis’ ankle has been troubling him and he has missed the Hornets’ last 3 games. In the 6 games Davis played he put up mixed performances, looking like an all-star in one game only to struggle in the next one. Despite his early inconsistency anyone can tell that Davis will be a special player. As long as he can stay healthy he will undoubtedly climb the rookie ladder.

Nov 16, 2012; Minneapolis, MN, USA: Minnesota Timberwolves point guard Alexey Shved (1) drives to the basket in the second half against the Golden State Warriors at Target Center. The Warriors won 106-98. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-US PRESSWIRE

4. Alexey Shved, Minnesota Timberwolves (9.6 ppg, 4 apg, 2.9 rpg)

Shved has been a pleasant surprise to the Timberwolves fans this season, mainly because no one really expected much of him. He looked very good in the 2012 Olympics, propelling Russia to a bronze medal. He is currently averaging 22.4 minutes per game, but his minutes should go down once Ricky Rubio returns to action. Shved has overall been solid this season, although he isn’t shooting particularly well from the field. At 6″6 Shved is a big point-guard that doesn’t lack speed and can provide match up problems.

November 21, 2012; Oakland, CA, USA; Golden State Warriors small forward Harrison Barnes (40) looks on during the third quarter against the Brooklyn Nets at ORACLE Arena. The Warriors defeated the Nets 102-93. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-US PRESSWIRE

3. Harrison Barnes, Golden State Warriors (10.8 ppg, 1.8 apg, 4.5 rpg)

Barnes, who was drafted 7th overall in 2012, started the season pretty slow, but has picked it up lately. He is ranked 6th in scoring among rookies and had his best game of the season on Monday against Dallas, scoring 20 points and grabbing 12 rebounds. Barnes is currently logging 27.1 minutes per game, which is 6th most among rookies. Overall Barnes has been rather solid and looked quite confident, but needs to be more consistent crashing the boards to make the most of his minutes.

November 10, 2012; Charlotte, NC, USA; Charlotte Bobcats forward Michael Kidd-Gilchrist (14) gets a rebound during the game against the Dallas Mavericks at Time Warner Cable Arena. Bobcats win in OT 101-97. Mandatory Credit: Sam Sharpe-US PRESSWIRE

2. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist, Charlotte Bobcats (11.8 ppg, 1.5 apg, 6.8 rpg)

When Michael Kidd-Gilchrist was drafted with the 2nd overall pick by the Bobcats, the team was mostly excited about his versatility and in that regard MKG has definitely met the expectations. He has been doing a little bit of everything so far, adding 1.6 blocks and 1.3 steals per game to his above mentioned stat line. While he might not be particularly polished offensively, he is a good defender and plays with a lot of energy. He isn’t really the flashy kind of player, but the Bobcats definitely appreciate him doing all the intangibles on the court.

Nov 8, 2012; Portland, OR, USA; Portland Trail Blazers point guard Damian Lillard (0) brings the ball up court against the Los Angeles Clippers at the Rose Garden. Mandatory Credit: Craig Mitchelldyer-US PRESSWIRE

1. Damian Lillard, Portland Trail Blazers (20.2 ppg, 6 apg, 3 rpg)

The Blazers licked their chops when they got to draft Lillard with the 6th overall pick in the 2012 draft. The young point-guard has indisputably been the most impressive rookie this year. Lillard is leading all rookies in points, assists and steals. Averaging 37 minutes per game, Lillard has been given the keys to run the team and has done an amazing job so far. If there is anything that you can pick on Lillard for it is his 3.5 turnovers per game, which is the 7th highest turnover rate in the league. However, with the amount of minutes that Lillard plays and being the dominant ball handler the stat really isn’t as alarming as it sounds.

Blazers might very well have been the most unfortunate team in the league for the past few years, as Brandon Roy and Greg Oden were both ruled out of the equation due to their knees. With Lillard’s arrival, Nicolas Batum earning every dollar of that big contract of his and LaMarcus Aldridge the Blazers have a solid core to build around, which definitely brings excitement to Rip City.

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