Does Wiggin's 29 point performance put him on the side track to win November Rookie of the month?
Has any Rookie had a better performance? I really think it would be a huge bump for him to get this.
Rookie of the Month
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bleedspeed
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Re: Rookie of the Month
Thorpe gives Wiggins some Love.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11939180/andrew-wiggins-vs-jabari-parker
hile other rookies have displayed excellent potential -- most notably, Dante Exum and Aaron Gordon -- it is fair to suggest that both Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker have already shown why they are the golden duo of this rookie class.
Yes, much is left for them to learn and master, as the NBA game has evolved to new levels of sophistication. But the two rising stars you see today will only grow increasingly more valuable in time.
Over the course of the season, we'll take snapshots of how they're playing so we can note their advancements and setbacks more easily. Because if the 2014 class is to reach its lofty expectations, Wiggins and Parker must be productive, efficient and, yes, dominant players.
Let's break down their games, category by category, as they prepare for their first head-to-head battle on Wednesday night:
Scoring
Wiggins: After Wiggins broke out for 29 points on Saturday, he leads all rookies in points per game (12.5). This is a terrific sign for the Wolves because Wiggins doesn't even have great scoring instincts yet; that he's having success despite understanding little about scoring shows why he's the clear No. 1 prospect in this class.
But Wiggins has shown the ability to shoot, drive, make plays on the offensive glass and earn free throw opportunities (including 9-for-10 on Saturday). His free throw numbers are worth watching as he develops as a scorer. He's currently attempting 3.8 free throws per game. For comparison's sake, LeBron averaged 5.8 free throw attempts during his rookie season and eight attempts in his second season.
Parker: Playing a lot of minutes at power forward gives Parker some scoring advantages because he is comfortable playing outside in space against bigger opponents. He's second among rookies in scoring, averaging 11.7 PPG, and craftier and more skilled overall than Wiggins.
The biggest difference is he's not able to get as many free throws as Wiggins, partially because he's not as athletically gifted. Still, Parker is showing plenty of scoring talent, with the Bucks getting him opportunities on the blocks, in the pinch post and outside. He is also more advanced than Wiggins as a scoring threat in transition, recognizing chances to race for an easy dunk like most great scorers.
Edge: Wiggins. Parker is far more polished in this area, but Wiggins is more talented overall.
Shooting
Wiggins: This is an incredibly exciting aspect of Wiggins' game. A case can be made that he is the best rookie shooter among the elite athletes (Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, John Wall, Derrick Rose) who have come into the league recently. Wiggins is easily outshooting them all relative to their rookie seasons. Although the sample size is small, his form and overall mechanics are strong.
Nobody expects Wiggins to finish the season shooting 50 percent from 3 (he's 8-for-16 now), but considering the pressure of being the top overall pick and currently not having a true point guard to play with, those numbers are impressive.
He's also shooting 71 percent from the line, which is solid for a rookie, and hitting his catch-and-shoot jumpers from midrange better than most any other rookie (including a terrific 11-for-22 from the right side of the court).
Parker: As skilled and crafty as Parker is, it may come as a small surprise that he's just not much of a shooter yet. Yes, he has some talent in this area, and he's made some short step-back jumpers, but overall, shooting is not a strength. That's not to say it won't be, of course, because we know it's one area of skill that almost always gets better over time.
When Parker plays power forward, he doesn't act like a "stretch" 4, taking few 3-pointers and midrange shots. It's smart on his part, though, because he's better off trying to attack or earn a better shot overall until his shooting touch and range improve. However, his free throw shooting (61.1 percent) isn't good either.
One overall problem with his shot is he rarely completes the mechanic, coming out of his form too quickly. This can be fixed in a relatively short time.
Edge: Wiggins. Wiggins has the look of someone who will be talked about as one of the smoothest perimeter shooters in the league one day.
http://insider.espn.go.com/nba/story/_/id/11939180/andrew-wiggins-vs-jabari-parker
hile other rookies have displayed excellent potential -- most notably, Dante Exum and Aaron Gordon -- it is fair to suggest that both Andrew Wiggins and Jabari Parker have already shown why they are the golden duo of this rookie class.
Yes, much is left for them to learn and master, as the NBA game has evolved to new levels of sophistication. But the two rising stars you see today will only grow increasingly more valuable in time.
Over the course of the season, we'll take snapshots of how they're playing so we can note their advancements and setbacks more easily. Because if the 2014 class is to reach its lofty expectations, Wiggins and Parker must be productive, efficient and, yes, dominant players.
Let's break down their games, category by category, as they prepare for their first head-to-head battle on Wednesday night:
Scoring
Wiggins: After Wiggins broke out for 29 points on Saturday, he leads all rookies in points per game (12.5). This is a terrific sign for the Wolves because Wiggins doesn't even have great scoring instincts yet; that he's having success despite understanding little about scoring shows why he's the clear No. 1 prospect in this class.
But Wiggins has shown the ability to shoot, drive, make plays on the offensive glass and earn free throw opportunities (including 9-for-10 on Saturday). His free throw numbers are worth watching as he develops as a scorer. He's currently attempting 3.8 free throws per game. For comparison's sake, LeBron averaged 5.8 free throw attempts during his rookie season and eight attempts in his second season.
Parker: Playing a lot of minutes at power forward gives Parker some scoring advantages because he is comfortable playing outside in space against bigger opponents. He's second among rookies in scoring, averaging 11.7 PPG, and craftier and more skilled overall than Wiggins.
The biggest difference is he's not able to get as many free throws as Wiggins, partially because he's not as athletically gifted. Still, Parker is showing plenty of scoring talent, with the Bucks getting him opportunities on the blocks, in the pinch post and outside. He is also more advanced than Wiggins as a scoring threat in transition, recognizing chances to race for an easy dunk like most great scorers.
Edge: Wiggins. Parker is far more polished in this area, but Wiggins is more talented overall.
Shooting
Wiggins: This is an incredibly exciting aspect of Wiggins' game. A case can be made that he is the best rookie shooter among the elite athletes (Russell Westbrook, Dwyane Wade, LeBron James, John Wall, Derrick Rose) who have come into the league recently. Wiggins is easily outshooting them all relative to their rookie seasons. Although the sample size is small, his form and overall mechanics are strong.
Nobody expects Wiggins to finish the season shooting 50 percent from 3 (he's 8-for-16 now), but considering the pressure of being the top overall pick and currently not having a true point guard to play with, those numbers are impressive.
He's also shooting 71 percent from the line, which is solid for a rookie, and hitting his catch-and-shoot jumpers from midrange better than most any other rookie (including a terrific 11-for-22 from the right side of the court).
Parker: As skilled and crafty as Parker is, it may come as a small surprise that he's just not much of a shooter yet. Yes, he has some talent in this area, and he's made some short step-back jumpers, but overall, shooting is not a strength. That's not to say it won't be, of course, because we know it's one area of skill that almost always gets better over time.
When Parker plays power forward, he doesn't act like a "stretch" 4, taking few 3-pointers and midrange shots. It's smart on his part, though, because he's better off trying to attack or earn a better shot overall until his shooting touch and range improve. However, his free throw shooting (61.1 percent) isn't good either.
One overall problem with his shot is he rarely completes the mechanic, coming out of his form too quickly. This can be fixed in a relatively short time.
Edge: Wiggins. Wiggins has the look of someone who will be talked about as one of the smoothest perimeter shooters in the league one day.
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bleedspeed
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Re: Rookie of the Month
Ballhandling/passing
Wiggins: This is the area that he needs to work on the most, in large part because of how much it will open up his game. It's not that he can't get anywhere on the court with his dribble, but rather he can't get anywhere fast and can't create space for himself if he's well-guarded and has to change direction.
Being an adept dribbler allows players to play faster because the ball acts as a decoy, more or less. Kyrie Irving is probably the best example of someone who could not get more open if he was just running. And as I've written before, Kevin Durant's overall offensive game improved hugely once he became an effective change of speed/change of direction dribbler. Wiggins' elite athleticism is being slowed by his lack of a polished dribble game.
Wiggins also has one of the lowest assist rates among all wings in the NBA due to his lack of ability to create with his dribble, not because of selfishness. When a defender cuts off his straight-line drives and forces him to change speed/direction, he just can't do it fast enough to prevent his defender from recovering.
Parker: This is where we see the root of Parker's scoring talents, beyond his natural instincts. He starts fast breaks with his speed dribble. He maneuvers around defenders with clever dribble moves and footwork. He drives well going right or left. The dribble makes Parker more difficult to defend, as opposed to slowing him down like Wiggins.
Parker also has an assist rate that ranks very low in the NBA, but that's because he's focused on scoring and his dribble game gets him good chances to get a good shot. He's not drawing much help defense right now because he isn't great at finishing those shots, but the typical evolution of a scorer like Parker is that once he gets better at making shots, the help begins to arrive more quickly, which in turn creates better assist opportunities.
Edge: Parker. He's already one of the craftier "big" forwards in the league, making him a tough matchup for many of the NBA's top power forwards.
Rebounding/defense
Wiggins: His length, size and athleticism suggest he will be a dominant NBA defender. But it's not fair to expect it this soon. The reality is that he is indeed very quick and long, so he can recover to shooters while also being able to defend crafty dribble drives well. That is, until they add a shot fake.
He cost his team after jumping on a shot fake by Jimmy Butler after an extremely well-defended dribble drive earlier this season, and he is still far too jumpy now. That comes from his willingness and eagerness to be an impact player on this side of the floor -- key traits that are hurting him now but will help define his career.
However, Wiggins is not carrying that effort and interest over to the rebounding side of the game. He makes some exciting plays on the glass but is by no means a difference-maker. His physical gifts have not helped him grab more than six rebounds in any game yet.
Parker: He competes to some degree on defense but doesn't have the instincts to be a playmaker on this end -- he doesn't press up and make things difficult for his man. His slower feet also give him problems when defending stop-and-go moves.
He is also clearly not used to defending bigger men on most possessions. They shoot right over him, often with Parker getting his hand up far too late to contest the shot.
Rebounding is a better story for him, as he makes the effort to get into the "rebounding zone" most of the time. This allows his superior feel for the game and great hands to make plays on the ball in the air. He does a great job on the offensive glass in particular.
Edge: Draw. Wiggins is the superior defender by a great margin, while Parker is the far better rebounder.
Wiggins: This is the area that he needs to work on the most, in large part because of how much it will open up his game. It's not that he can't get anywhere on the court with his dribble, but rather he can't get anywhere fast and can't create space for himself if he's well-guarded and has to change direction.
Being an adept dribbler allows players to play faster because the ball acts as a decoy, more or less. Kyrie Irving is probably the best example of someone who could not get more open if he was just running. And as I've written before, Kevin Durant's overall offensive game improved hugely once he became an effective change of speed/change of direction dribbler. Wiggins' elite athleticism is being slowed by his lack of a polished dribble game.
Wiggins also has one of the lowest assist rates among all wings in the NBA due to his lack of ability to create with his dribble, not because of selfishness. When a defender cuts off his straight-line drives and forces him to change speed/direction, he just can't do it fast enough to prevent his defender from recovering.
Parker: This is where we see the root of Parker's scoring talents, beyond his natural instincts. He starts fast breaks with his speed dribble. He maneuvers around defenders with clever dribble moves and footwork. He drives well going right or left. The dribble makes Parker more difficult to defend, as opposed to slowing him down like Wiggins.
Parker also has an assist rate that ranks very low in the NBA, but that's because he's focused on scoring and his dribble game gets him good chances to get a good shot. He's not drawing much help defense right now because he isn't great at finishing those shots, but the typical evolution of a scorer like Parker is that once he gets better at making shots, the help begins to arrive more quickly, which in turn creates better assist opportunities.
Edge: Parker. He's already one of the craftier "big" forwards in the league, making him a tough matchup for many of the NBA's top power forwards.
Rebounding/defense
Wiggins: His length, size and athleticism suggest he will be a dominant NBA defender. But it's not fair to expect it this soon. The reality is that he is indeed very quick and long, so he can recover to shooters while also being able to defend crafty dribble drives well. That is, until they add a shot fake.
He cost his team after jumping on a shot fake by Jimmy Butler after an extremely well-defended dribble drive earlier this season, and he is still far too jumpy now. That comes from his willingness and eagerness to be an impact player on this side of the floor -- key traits that are hurting him now but will help define his career.
However, Wiggins is not carrying that effort and interest over to the rebounding side of the game. He makes some exciting plays on the glass but is by no means a difference-maker. His physical gifts have not helped him grab more than six rebounds in any game yet.
Parker: He competes to some degree on defense but doesn't have the instincts to be a playmaker on this end -- he doesn't press up and make things difficult for his man. His slower feet also give him problems when defending stop-and-go moves.
He is also clearly not used to defending bigger men on most possessions. They shoot right over him, often with Parker getting his hand up far too late to contest the shot.
Rebounding is a better story for him, as he makes the effort to get into the "rebounding zone" most of the time. This allows his superior feel for the game and great hands to make plays on the ball in the air. He does a great job on the offensive glass in particular.
Edge: Draw. Wiggins is the superior defender by a great margin, while Parker is the far better rebounder.
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bleedspeed
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Re: Rookie of the Month
Motor
Wiggins: This is where anyone making the argument that Wiggins will not be an elite player one day will begin that discussion. He shows his motor on defense but nowhere else. Consider that he may indeed be the fastest sprinter in the league today, yet highlights of him beating everyone down the court to catch a lob are almost nonexistent. His instinct is to trail the ball, which stands in stark contrast to teammate and fellow elite sprinter Corey Brewer.
Wiggins also stands around often on offense in general, which is one reason his offensive rebound rate is so low -- it's hard to get boards when floating around the 3-point line. There are moments where we see big-time effort, but he's nowhere near consistent here.
Parker: Much like his ballhandling helps him look more athletic, so too does his overall effort. He is always looking to get involved in the transition game and is a threat to cut hard in the Bucks' half-court offense any time his defender loses sight of him or is in a bad position to defend that cut.
The effort mentioned in the rebounding category is one of his defining qualities; Parker plays with the desire to be a difference-maker even when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. He's in better shape than he was in college, too, which is a huge asset for someone attempting to play with a hot motor all game.
Edge: Parker. He plays hard enough to show up on scouting reports as someone who must be accounted for in all parts of the offensive game and in transition.
Wiggins: This is where anyone making the argument that Wiggins will not be an elite player one day will begin that discussion. He shows his motor on defense but nowhere else. Consider that he may indeed be the fastest sprinter in the league today, yet highlights of him beating everyone down the court to catch a lob are almost nonexistent. His instinct is to trail the ball, which stands in stark contrast to teammate and fellow elite sprinter Corey Brewer.
Wiggins also stands around often on offense in general, which is one reason his offensive rebound rate is so low -- it's hard to get boards when floating around the 3-point line. There are moments where we see big-time effort, but he's nowhere near consistent here.
Parker: Much like his ballhandling helps him look more athletic, so too does his overall effort. He is always looking to get involved in the transition game and is a threat to cut hard in the Bucks' half-court offense any time his defender loses sight of him or is in a bad position to defend that cut.
The effort mentioned in the rebounding category is one of his defining qualities; Parker plays with the desire to be a difference-maker even when he doesn't have the ball in his hands. He's in better shape than he was in college, too, which is a huge asset for someone attempting to play with a hot motor all game.
Edge: Parker. He plays hard enough to show up on scouting reports as someone who must be accounted for in all parts of the offensive game and in transition.
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Brandon BassHole [enjin:8183321]
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Re: Rookie of the Month
IDK but ANTETOKOUNMPO might shut Wiggins down tonight, so I expect Parker to have the better stats tonight having T.Young gaurd him. IDK who votes for the ROM honors but this game will probably determine it.
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Camden [enjin:6601484]
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Re: Rookie of the Month
You expect Parker to go off against Young? I mean, we'll see, but I highly doubt it, especially given Young's circumstance.
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Brandon BassHole [enjin:8183321]
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Re: Rookie of the Month
Not necessarily "go off" just have a better game than wiggins and probably win the rebound battle, maybe have a double double. 15 and 10
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longstrangetrip [enjin:6600564]
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Re: Rookie of the Month
I'm a homer, but I still think Wiggins has had the better first month. Thorpe does a pretty good job of describing the strengths and weaknesses of Wiggins and Parker, but I think vastly understates the difference in their defensive games. He accurately points out Wiggins' glaring error in leaving his feet at the end of the Bulls game (after Butler travelled...smh), but doesn't talk about how he has improved in this area since the first week. He also doesn't mention that Wiggins has been called upon to guard the opponents' best wing in every game this year...an astonishing assignment for a 19-year-old rookie.
I think Parker will get rookie of the month for November because the media is wed to the mantra that he came in more NBA-ready. I agree that premise has some validity, but I still think Wiggins' overall performance trumps Parker's.
When it comes down to it, they are both really nice-looking rookies living up to their 1 and 2 slots in the draft, and the Bucks and the Wolves have both got to be pleased.
I think Parker will get rookie of the month for November because the media is wed to the mantra that he came in more NBA-ready. I agree that premise has some validity, but I still think Wiggins' overall performance trumps Parker's.
When it comes down to it, they are both really nice-looking rookies living up to their 1 and 2 slots in the draft, and the Bucks and the Wolves have both got to be pleased.
Re: Rookie of the Month
I am a little puzzled how a guy scoring less at a lower efficiency, and is a worse defender would be more likely to show up in a scouting report. The only reason Parker rebounds more is because his position takes him closer to the hoop, and he isn't guarding the best offensive player on the other team.
Re: Rookie of the Month
sjm34 wrote:I am a little puzzled how a guy scoring less at a lower efficiency, and is a worse defender would be more likely to show up in a scouting report. The only reason Parker rebounds more is because his position takes him closer to the hoop, and he isn't guarding the best offensive player on the other team.
Agree sjm. Parker gets a lot of praise and support from the media and wiggins has a lot of doubters. Personally, Il take wiggins over parker every day. The most used comparison for both players is parker=melo while wiggins=george. I would say this, parker aint going to be as good as melo, he is closer to be a poor or average man melo while wiggins will be better than george.