Rookies to make an immediate impact

Stanley Johnson is one a few rookies that could make an immediate impact this season.

Adjusting to the NBA is always difficult for rookies in their first season. The speed of the game, the amount of plays, and the defensive reads are aspects of the pro game that take time to learn and get used to. While a few rookies may have stand out seasons numbers wise, most generally finish the season as a net-negative for their teams. However, a few rookies can have a positive impact for their teams from the start, even if their roles aren’t as prominent as some of the other higher profile rookies. Below are three rookies that could have a positive impact for their team this season.

Delon Wright

Defense was the main thing Toronto needed to improve coming into the offseason, and Delon Wright helps them in this regard. Kyle Lowry in particular struggled defensively, particularly against quicker guards. He gave up close to four fouls per game, which suggests that he was often poor at stopping the drive. Wright was excellent defensively in college, he rarely committed and his length doesn’t hinder his mobility, and he can defend two guards in addition to a standard point guard. Lowry’s ‘plus-minus’ rating was negative after the All-Star game, this was partially down to the team being worse but Lowry suffered in the second half of the year and his displays were a large part of Toronto’s collapse. Dwane Casey’s issue was that Vasquez, the backup point guard, was also a poor defender. Wright gives them a much more defensive option off the bench and his solidity will give extra rest to the likes of Jonas Valanciunas, who was overworked at times towards the end of the Basketball season.

Defense was obviously the need for Toronto, but Wright is a competent offensive player who has the potential to become a useful pick and roll point guard. He only turned the ball over two times per 40 minutes which suggests he is a good ball handler and he shot well from the field at around 48 percent over his two seasons at Utah. He could become deadly, especially when you consider the fact people such as Patrick Patterson excel at scoring off of screens. This was one of the under the radar draft picks, which is strange considering the excellent fit he offers.

Stanley Johnson 

I have included the former Arizona forward due to the tactical flexibility he will offer Detroit. Statistically, he fits their system as he can stretch the floor at an impressive rate. He shot 37 percent from downtown in college and he showed he could create his own shot with an overall field goal percentage of 48 percent. Stan Van Gundy ideally likes to run a ‘four out one in’ offense, and Johnson’s ability to play at both small and power forward means he is a good fit for this offense. There is an outside chance that he starts for this team, but even if he doesn’t, he will still be their most important bench player due to his well-rounded skillset. Marcus Morris offers them a similar ‘3 and D’ skillset, but Johnson will do a lot more work off the ball and he is a constant transition threat due to his speed and length. His summer league performances were superb, even ignoring his stat-line it was clear he is an intelligent player who can adapt to the NBA quickly. Van Gundy said of him on CBSSports that Johnson could play shooting guard. This may seem a slight overreaction and maybe a little bit too far of a statement, but he has such a versatile skillset that he could easily play off the ball alongside someone like Reggie Jackson. Expect Johnson to be an important player for Detroit, and a contender for Rookie of the Year.

Cameron Payne

A personal favourite of mine, the former Murray State star is the backup point guard that the Thunder have been looking for for some time. He excels in the pick-and-roll game and can come off screens and he could form a great partnership with Enes Kanter on the Thunder bench. The draft was summed up by teams getting lucky in the sense that players they need fell to them, for example Winslow fell to Miami and RJ Hunter fell to Boston, Payne offers the exact skillset Oklahoma City needed coming into the draft. His attitude is stellar, Thunder GM Sam Presti told the Oklahoman: “he doesn’t feel entitled to anything.” In an era where some sportsmen are hard to work with, an attitude like Payne’s is a welcome relief for GMs and somewhat essential. He will work very hard to improve his game. Even with all the development needed, he is still an instant fit for the team. His high basketball IQ suits the team as the bench unit contains other scorers who are good off the ball such as Enes Kanter and Dion Waiters. Payne was seventh in scoring, but his assist percentage was very high at 40 percent which means he is an unselfish player who also has the capacity to score big points. DJ Augustin appears to be nothing more than a role player at this point, he spaces the floor well but his basketball IQ is very questionable and he isn’t an ideal defender. Payne on the other hand can defend in both the half court and against fast breaks due to his speed. A half-court of Payne and Westbrook could be relatively scary, as both can score but Payne’s vision will allow him to find the other players left open due to the attention Westbrook draws. Payne is another contender for Rookie of the Year.