LaMelo Ball is back doing his thing. Anthony Edwards has been playing great. And before his injury, Tyrese Haliburton was ballin’. The 2020 Rookie Draft class has embraced the present while laying down a promising future.
As the regular season winds down, the race for the Rookie of the Year is heating up. How will Ball’s missed games affect his campaign? Has Edwards done enough? Can someone make a surprise push and lock an All-Rookie selection?
Here are the top three rookies with around two weeks left of the regular season:
Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Season stats: (65 games) 18.5 PPG, 40.3% FG, 4.6 RPG, 2.8 APG, 1.2 SPG
The number one overall pick has settled into his role in Minnesota nicely. There were early concerns on how his athleticism will eventually translate to efficiency, but Edwards has met the hype surrounding him as the top selection of his class.
At 19, Edwards is slowly learning how to use his innate physical attributes to post meaningful stats across the board. The posterizing dunks and out-of-this-world athleticism are still there of course, but now he’s added more refined movements that have led to better production.
Just check out his last two games. In a win over the playoff-seeking Golden State Warriors, he had 25 points on 52.5 percent shooting. His encore performance in a loss versus the New Orleans Pelicans was even better with a line of 29 points, nine rebounds, and six assists.
Edwards’ rookie year has been fun and entertaining off the court as it has been on the hardwood. His interviews and postgame clips have added to his lore. His two cents on the whole A-Rod (Alex Rodriguez) and JLo (Jennifer Lopez) fallout is just one of his many adorable media interactions.
LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Season stats: (44 games) 15.9 PPG, 44.9% FG, 5.9 RPG, 6.1 APG, 1.6 SPG
After more than a month of absence, LaMelo Ball came back like he never left. In his return last weekend against the Detroit Pistons, he served an underhand full-court pass like he was just scooping ice cream. Everything comes easy for that kid, even if he’s fresh off a wrist injury. He had his best game since coming back on Wednesday where he dropped 23 points, seven boards, six dimes, and two steals.
The Hornets guard has been the favorite to win the ROY before his injury. He produced the numbers, made the highlights, and turned Charlotte into an instant watch on League Pass. And in his return after his injury, he continued to produce the numbers, make the highlights, and has once again turned the Hornets into must-watch TV. His most recent passes have brought up old videos of Pete Maravich and Magic Johnson. Whenever you can unearth highlights of the greats, you’re doing a hell of a job.
It’ll be interesting to see how his prolonged absence will affect his case as he’s only logged in 44 games so far this season. In any case, it’s good to see LaMelo back to his usual self.
Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings
Season stats: (58 games) 13.0 PPG, 47.2% FG, 3.0 RPG, 5.3 APG, 1.3 SPG
It’s unfortunate that Tyrese Halliburton got hurt in the Kings’ game against the Dallas Mavericks last Monday. He was playing outstanding basketball and really fitting into his role as Sacramento’s future playmaker.
Haliburton has had an amazing year overall but his usage went up last week because Kings star De’Aaron Fox was out due to health protocols. With the keys of the offense in his hands, Haliburton had the ball on a string and ran the team with ease.
At 6-foot-5 with immense reach and athleticism, Haliburton is a guard who can produce mismatches. He won’t jump on people like Edwards or dish an insane no-look dime like Ball. Instead, he has his own unique craftiness to his game. He can split a double team, slither his way into the paint, and unleash a quick floater or lob at the last minute.
It was reported on Wednesday that there was no ligament damage on Haliburton’s left knee. However, he’s expected to miss the rest of the season. For the Kings, the move makes sense considering that the team is two and a half games behind the 10th seed. It’s a safe route for their budding star to have an early offseason so he can begin his road to recovery.
Honorable mentions
Aside from the three frontrunners, there are other rookies who have been grabbing the spotlight.
There's Cole Anthony from the Orlando Magic who is going to be a killer in the league for years to come. His game-winner versus the Grizzlies is a testament to his fearlessness. As for his postgame interview that will rival Anthony Edwards, that’s a testament to his self-belief too.
New York’s Immanuel Quickley has also maintained his calling card as one of the steals of the draft. Selected 25th overall, he’s playing big-time minutes in a Knicks team that’s going to the playoffs. In nearly 20 minutes per game, he produces 11.6 points using an array of outside shots and floaters.
Saddiq Bey of the Detroit Pistons also deserves a nod in this rookie class. The sharpshooter out of Villanova leads all rookies in 3-pointers made, knocking down 2.4 a game.
The list of impressive rookies goes on. From Facundo Campazzo of the Nuggets to Jae’Sean Tate of the Rockets, to Memphis’ Desmond Bane and Orlando’s Chuma Okeke, you can easily pick 12 to 15 first-year guys who have been shooting the lights out this season.
Don’t sleep on the 2020 rookie class that has the potential to become one of the best in recent years.
