NBA SCIC Roundtable: 2015-16 Rookie Update Edition
Who has been the most outstanding rookie so far?
Jason Coldiron: I have Porzingis fever!
Clevis Murray: Kristaps Porzingis.
Evan Caulfield: Karl-Anthony Towns. He’s been one of the best rookies stat-wise, averaging 13.9 points, 9.2 boards and 2.2 blocks on 50.7% shooting. What’s most impressive though is how much the team has improved with him compared to last season, jumping from dead last to 8th in the standings.
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John Armstrong: For me, it was between Kristaps Porzingis of the New York Knicks and Karl-Anthony Towns of the Minnesota Timberwolves. I gave Porzingis the edge because there were more questions and concerns about him as he entered the league. Most of us watched Towns as he was a key figure on the Kentucky team that almost completed the season undefeated.
However, footage of Porzingis was limited to those of us who are not scouts and front office executives. Plus, there’s the added pressure of playing in New York vs. the low team expectations in Minnesota. For those reasons, Porzingis’ stellar play has been a surprising pleasure to watch and I can’t wait to see how he continues to grow.
Brandon Osbourne: Kristaps Porzingis: When the Knicks selected I felt it would take some time for him to develop and get used to the physicality of the NBA but it took him no time to showcase how special he is. The Dirk comparison seems to be accurate.
Nicholas Hughes: I’d love to say that the most outstanding Rookie so far has been Kristaps Porzingis, but quite frankly Karl-Anthony Towns has been incredible to watch on a nightly basis. KAT has put up double digit point production in all but four of his games. He has collected 8 double-doubles this season ranking in the top ten in the league in that category.
He’s on a Timberwolves team with no real superstar, yet he and reigning Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins, have led the Timberwolves to 8 wins in 17 contests. That may not sound too impressive, but it’s already half the total number of wins that the team was able to collect in 82 games a season ago. Towns looks like the real deal on both ends of the floor, and has certainly justified his selection as the top pick in his stacked draft class. He plays both sides of the floor well, and has managed to become an immediate impact player in a league dominated by experienced superstars.
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