Orlando Magic guard Mario Hezonja has certainly stepped up, but it seems the entire rookie crop has in actuality.
It is time for the second edition of the NBA Rookie Rankings here at Orlando Magic Daily. Several rookies have really started to break out of their respective shells. It seems there has been an epidemic of rookie takeovers, so much so that it was hard not to make this top-10 a top-20.
Four of these top-10 rookies are in the rotation on playoff contending or actual playoff (Indiana Pacers and Miami Heat) teams. For a first year player to crack the rotation on a good team is an overwhelming sign he has worked hard and is not so mistake prone as to disrupt the team. Especially if that team is playing for something.
As the season goes on, the players become more mature, but it is counter-balanced by the fact some hit the “rookie wall.”
Well, we are now arriving on the juncture of the season at which some of these rookies would be hitting the wall, but most of these guys are only playing better of late. The “rookie wall” may be something of a myth, it seems.
Let’s dive into this top-10 and see how it has changed since the first iteration of this slideshow as the rookies gather for the BBVA Compass Rising Stars Challenge in Toronto.
Next: A Mature Rookie