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NBA: Breaking Down Every Eastern Conference Rookie, Team-By-Team

By Deanna Chapman

Jan 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts to his three pointer with guard Nik Stauskas (11) during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Wells Fargo Center. The Houston Rockets won123-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 27, 2017; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Joel Embiid (21) reacts to his three pointer with guard Nik Stauskas (11) during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Wells Fargo Center. The Houston Rockets won123-118. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports /
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Mar 27, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Willy Hernangomez (14) drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 27, 2017; New York, NY, USA; New York Knicks center Willy Hernangomez (14) drives to the basket against the Detroit Pistons during the second half at Madison Square Garden. Mandatory Credit: Adam Hunger-USA TODAY Sports /

New York Knicks

Ron Baker, Mindaugas Kuzminskas, Willy Hernangomez, Maurice Ndour, Marshall Plumlee, Chasson Randle

Ron Baker has been playing more minutes as of late, however, his stats don’t really reflect that. He’s averaging less than four points per game while averaging over 15 minutes per game. He definitely needs to work on being more consistent.

Mindaugas Kuzminskas appeared in 64 games so far this season and has proven to be fairly effective. He has a PER of 12.4, which isn’t bad for a rookie. Being the same position as Anthony at small forward, he won’t see the ball quite as often, but he’s consistent when he does get the ball.

Willy Hernangomez is a nice addition at center who largely comes off the bench. He’ll get you the rebounds you need and he’s not too bad on defense. He’s picking up some steals and blocks, but not on too consistent of a basis. If the Knicks can get him to protect the rim more, they could have a good player at center on their hands.

Maurice Ndour has been inactive for a good portion of the season. He recently began to play again and had a decent performance against the Bulls on April 4th. He grabbed four offensive rebounds and that’s a sign of a good energy guy. If he can be consistent in that area and give the Knicks more second chance opportunities, he could become a real asset for the team.

Marshall Plumee is the newest Plumlee in the NBA. Unfortunately, he’s largely been inactive and doesn’t have enough stats to really evaluate his performance. When he has played, it mostly hasn’t been for very long.

Chasson Randle was traded to the team from the 76ers, so he’s only played in 15 games since the trade. With Derrick Rose out at the point guard position, Randle may see some more playing time during the remainder of the season. He hasn’t been too efficient, but he does at least have a high free throw percentage, which we haven’t seen with a ton of rookies. If he can get himself to the rim and get fouled, he can contribute to the team in a positive way. It will be interesting to see how the Knicks handle minutes for the rookies with a number of players out at the moment.

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