Yesterday, I
looked at the Rookies-of-the-Year from 2002-2006. Today, I’ll finish the list
by looking at the most recent 5 ROYs. I’ll also grade them based on the
following criteria:
- Have
their numbers increased or decreased after their rookie year? (We’ll compare
their rookie season stats with their overall career stats)
- How
often have they been able to lead their respective teams to the Playoffs?
- What
other citations and awards have they received so far?
- How
many NBA Championships have they won?
- Have
they succeeded or failed in meeting expectations? Or have they exceeded them?
2007 ROY: Kevin Durant (SEA)
Rookie
Year Stats: 20.3ppg, 4.4rpg, 2.4apg, 1.0spg, 0.9bpg
Career
Stats: 26.3ppg, 6.6rpg, 2.8apg, 1.2spg, 1.0bpg
NBA
Playoffs Appearances: Three – 2010-2012
Awards:
- NBA
All-Star: 2010-2012
- NBA
Scoring Champion: 2010-2012
- All-NBA
First Team: 2010-2012
- NBA
All-Star Game MVP: 2012
NBA
Championships: Zero
Overall
Assessment: Considering how about 90% of the pre-draft talk in 2007
revolved around the impending greatness of Ohio State’s Greg Oden, it can be
considered quite unexpected that Durant became the undisputed greatest talent
to come out of this batch. It was a bit of a shock to see him become one of the
NBA’s best scorers in his rookie year, but to see him progress into, currently,
one of the top two players in the game bar none is nothing short of
spectacular. The only thing making me NOT write down “exceeded expectations” is
the fact that he hasn’t won the regular season MVP award – yet. So, for now,
I’ll simply say that KD has, in the most spectacular way possible, met expectations.
 |
| Kevin Durant ran away with the 2007 ROY after Greg Oden went down with a career-defining injury. (image by Alonzo Adams/AP) |
2008 ROY: Derrick Rose (CHI)
Rookie
Year Stats: 16.8ppg, 3.9rpg, 6.3apg, 0.8spg, 0.2bpg
Career
Stats: 21.0ppg, 3.8rpg, 6.8apg, 0.9spg, 0.4bpg
NBA
Playoffs Appearances: Four – 2009-2012
Awards:
- NBA Most Valuable Player: 2011
- All-NBA First Team: 2011
- NBA All-Star: 2010, 2011, 2012
NBA
Championships: Zero
Overall
Assessment: It was not a big surprise Rose won ROY in 2008-2009, since he
was considered the #1 PG prospect in the 2008 Draft. What really surprised
everyone was how far he has come in only four seasons. The Bulls have gone to
the Playoffs EVERY year he’s played, and he’s the youngest MVP ever. Not Jordan.
Not Kobe. Not LBJ. The only thing that’s really preventing me from saying Rose
has surpassed all expectations is one little blimp – his ACL injury. How will
he return from it? Will he be the same? Will he be better? Will he be a shadow
of his former self? Because of such uncertainties, I’ll play it safe and
balance things out by saying D-Rose has met
expecations.
2009 ROY: Tyreke Evans (SAC)
Rookie
Year Stats: 20.1ppg, 5.3rpg, 5.8apg, 1.5spg, 0.4bpg
Career
Stats: 18.2ppg, 4.9rpg, 5.3apg, 1.4spg, 0.4bpg
NBA
Playoffs Appearances: Zero
Awards:
None, other than his achievements as a rookie.
NBA
Championships: Zero
Overall
Assessment: Despite having a great stint with John Calipari in Memphis,
Evans wasn’t the guy making the loudest noise going into the 2009 Draft.
Oklahoma’s Blake Griffin, National Defensive Player of the Year Hasheem
Thabeet, and Spanish sensation Ricky Rubio were the guys being trumpeted as
sure-fire game-changers, but, as it turned out, none of those guys really made
any mark in their rookie seasons. BG missed the whole season due to injury,
Thabeet was a bust, and Rubio went Stateside only last season. Evans ran away
with the ROY award, and expectations for him and the Kings rose. In the two
years after, however, he has surely fallen
short of those expectations. His rookie year numbers are still the best in
his career, and there are signs he might never rediscover the form he displayed
in his first NBA season.
2010 ROY: Blake Griffin (LAC)
Rookie
Year Stats: 22.5ppg, 12.1rpg, 3.8apg, 0.8spg, 0.5bpg
Career
Stats: 21.7ppg, 11.5rpg, 3.5apg, 0.8spg, 0.6bpg
NBA
Playoffs Appearances: One – 2012
Awards:
- NBA All-Star: 2011-2012
- All-NBA Second Team: 2012
NBA
Championships: Zero
Overall
Assessment: Griffin hijacked the 2010 Draft class by being named the ROY
despite the strong play of guys like John Wall and DeMarcus Cousins. What’s
really nice about Griffin is how he has recovered from knee problems that have
plagued him as far back as his Sooner days. His sophomore year numbers are a
little lower than his rookie season’s, but that may be attributed to the emergence
of DeAndre Jordan. Griffin also has the distinction of being the ONLY guy on
this list to be named an All-Star in his rookie season – not LeBron, not
Durant, and not Rose. Considering how he has bounced back extremely well
despite his knee issues, and how he should be a perennial All-Star for years to
come, I believe it’s just fair to say that Griffin has not only met, but,
rather, exceeded expectations.
 |
| Blake Griffin rose to prominence despite missing his whole first season with a knee injury. (image by Jae C. Hong/AP) |
2011 ROY: Kyrie Irving (CLE)
Rookie
Year & Career Stats: 18.5ppg, 3.7rpg, 5.4apg, 1.1spg, 0.4bpg
NBA
Playoffs Appearances: Zero
Awards:
None, other than his rookie achievements.
NBA
Championships: Zero
Overall
Assessment: Given how the 2011 Draft class was supposed to be one of the
shallowest ones in recent memory, and how Irving’s first and only NCAA season
was hampered by injury, it’s nothing short of amazing how he has transitioned
into a borderline All-Star guard after just one season. Irving definitely
didn’t have the franchise-changing impact on the Cavs that LeBron James did,
but his strong and gritty play have served notice of how dangerous Cleveland
might just be in the future. Having said this, I believe that Irving has
definitely surpassed expectations.
Game
Recaps (courtesy of the Sports Network):
Oklahoma City 111, Dallas 105 (OT)
Russell
Westbrook scored eight points over the final stages of overtime, including the
go-ahead basket with 1:04 left, as the Oklahoma City Thunder halted their first
losing streak of the season with a hard-fought 111-105 victory over the Dallas
Mavericks at Chesapeake Energy Arena. Westbrook finished with 16 points and 10
assists, while Kevin Durant poured in 40 points -- 26 of which came in the
second half -- to help rally the Thunder from a 10-point deficit with eight
minutes remaining in regulation and end a two-game slide. Serge Ibaka added 19
points and 17 rebounds, and Kevin Martin contributed 18 points off the bench
for Oklahoma City, which has now won 11 consecutive home games. Dallas was
dealt a fourth straight defeat and seventh setback in eight outings despite a
season-high 32 points from Darren Collison, who hit a desperation 3- pointer as
time expired to force overtime. Chris Kaman and Shawn Marion recorded 17 and 14
points, respectively, in the loss. Dirk Nowitzki, playing his second game since
returning from right knee surgery, had nine points and six rebounds in 26
minutes for Dallas, though he shot just 3-of-11 from the field.
LA Clippers 106, Boston 77
The Boston
Celtics had little success on Thursday slowing down the red-hot Los Angeles
Clippers, who went wire-to-wire for their 15th consecutive win -- the longest
winning streak in the NBA in five seasons. Matt Barnes made five of Los
Angeles' 12 makes from behind the arc en route to a team-high 21 points, as the
Clippers walked over the Celtics, 106-77, at the Staples Center. Jamal Crawford
chipped in 17 points and Blake Griffin totaled 15 points and eight rebounds for
the Clippers, who have won by double digits each of the last seven games during
their franchise-best stretch and have not tasted defeat since a loss to the New
Orleans Hornets on Nov. 26. The Celtics were the last team to win 15 in a row
when they reeled off 19 straight in the 2008-09 campaign. Kevin Garnett and
Paul Pierce, two vital cogs during that run five years ago, paced Boston with
16 and 12 points, respectively, in the loss, the club's fifth in its last seven
games.
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