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Whenever I’m asked if I have been watching the NCAA Tournament, I say, “No. I haven’t.” Image may be NSFW.
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That raises some eyebrows in my home state of Connecticut, where both genders of Huskies basketball have been winning national championships for nearly a generation and are followed religiously by the Nutmeg State’s hoops fans.
But among the many reasons I don’t go mad in March is because over that same generation, the college game has become less and less of a barometer for NBA success. And before I get too excited about a college player’s pro potential, I would like to see him play against someone whose next game won’t be at the local YMCA.
Just think back to last year’s NCAA Tournament and the players who were making headlines – Doug McDermott, DeAndre Daniels, Russ Smith, Patric Young, Gary Harris, Nik Stauskas, Aaron Gordon, James Young, even Shabazz Napier, the Final Four’s Most Outstanding Player.
Haven’t heard much from them lately, have you? That’s because making the jump from college to the NBA is hard. Really hard. And some of those Big Men on Campus get cut down to size once they arrive in the league.
And the NBA doesn’t play favorites, either. It is equally unforgiving toward international players, as you will see below.
With just a couple of weeks left in the season, this seemed a good time to take a break from ranking the best rookies and look at the runts of the litter. As with the first season after any NBA draft, there is no shortage of candidates.
It is possible that some of these players will eventually become something, perhaps as early as next season. Some of them may even be in the running for Most Improved Player. Just look at the progress made this season by players such as Giannis Antetokounmpo, Rudy Gobert, Shabazz Muhammad and Dennis Schroder, who were unquestionably lost as rookies but have blossomed as sophomores.
But it is also possible that these players are headed down the road traveled by Anthony Randolph, Jonny Flynn, Jan Vesely and countless others whose careers did not outlast their rookie scale contracts.
On to the rankings.
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10. THE BOYS FROM BRAZIL, F-C, TORONTO: GM Masai Ujiri put together a roster both good enough and Image may be NSFW.
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deep enough to bury not one, but two raw Brazilian big men – 2014 first-round pick Bruno Caboclo and 2013 first-round pick Lucas Noguiera. Their combined 14 points doesn’t quite justify their combined $3.1 million salary. But with frequent trips to Fort Wayne, at least they are learning about monetary exchange rates.
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9. CLINT CAPELA, C, HOUSTON: The 25th overall selection is the only 2014 first-round pick to be see action Image may be NSFW.
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this season and fail to score, going 0-of-10 from the field and 0-of-8 from the line in 20 minutes over six games. Yes, he is young, raw and arrived from overseas. And yes, Rockets coach Kevin McHale has an aversion to playing rookies. (Just ask K.J. McDaniels.) But 0-for-the-season?
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8. JARNELL STOKES, F, MEMPHIS: Normally, it would be unfair to include a second-round pick in this list, Image may be NSFW.
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especially one who plays for a team that has a deep rotation and has a recent history of cutting bait with youngsters such as Tony Wroten and Jamaal Franklin. But when you get sent to the D-League and get into a fistfight during a game with one of your teammates, that can’t be overlooked.
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7. JOSH HUESTIS, F, OKLAHOMA CITY: Is it fair to include a player who spent the entire season in the D-Image may be NSFW.
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League? Yes, if that player is Huestis, a first-round pick who delayed the start of his rookie scale contract by a year – giving up nearly $900,000 – to continue the Thunder’s growing tradition of penny-pinching. Maybe Huestis knew what he was doing; he is a spiffy 75th in the D-League in scoring.
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6. ZORAN DRAGIC, G, MIAMI: He is the only undrafted player on this list and was signed by the Phoenix Suns Image may be NSFW.
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last summer merely to placate brother Goran Dragic, an impending free agent. The Suns gave him a guaranteed $3.4 million over two years, the same money that 14th overall pick T.J. Warren received via the rookie scale. Dragic played 16 minutes for Phoenix before being dealt to Miami – with his brother, of course.
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5. GARY HARRIS, G, DENVER: When the Nuggets nabbed Harris with the 19th pick, most observers felt they Image may be NSFW.
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had gotten good value – a two-way player with room to grow on the offensive end. But despite Denver’s instability at shooting guard – Arron Afflalo was traded, and Randy Foye has been awful – Harris has not moved into the rotation and has a lower scoring average (2.9) that 2013 second-round pick Erick Green.
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4. DOUG MCDERMOTT, F, CHICAGO: OK, let’s fall in love all over again with the overachieving white college Image may be NSFW.
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kid who lifts his school to new heights and gets overvalued by appearing in the NCAA Tournament. Haven’t we done this before with Jimmer Fredette? Tyler Hansbrough? Joe Alexander? Adam Morrison? Injuries or not, with a 3.1 scoring average as the 11th pick, his nickname should be McD-League, not McBuckets.
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3. NIK STAUSKAS, G, SACRAMENTO: This was an inexplicable pick at No. 8 by the Kings, who should have Image may be NSFW.
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taken Elfrid Payton and signed a veteran shooting guard like C.J. Miles or Alan Anderson. Stauskas’ shooting was supposed to compensate for his lack of athleticism, but 36 percent and 4.3 points is unacceptable for a mid-lottery pick. The best thing about his rookie season is his recently acquired nickname.
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2. NOAH VONLEH, F, CHARLOTTE: Everyone knew his game needed refinement after just one college season, Image may be NSFW.
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and a sports hernia injury that cost him training camp certainly didn’t help. But as the ninth pick joining a team whose frontcourt included the over-the-hill Jason Maxiell and the underdeveloped Cody Zeller and Bismack Biyombo, there is no excuse for his 2.3 points and dozens of DNPs.
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1. AARON GORDON, F, ORLANDO: He wasn’t awful before fracturing his foot in November. But the fourth Image may be NSFW.
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overall pick has gotten progressively worse since returning in January, scoring in double figures twice. The bigger question – still not answered – is which forward position is a better fit for Gordon, who at 6-9 and 220 pounds is actually smaller than Tobias Harris. His poor shooting as a tweener suggests Anthony Bennett.
Chris Bernucca is the managing editor of SheridanHoops.com. His columns appear Mondays, and his Rookie Rankings on Fridays. Follow him on Twitter.