Though the season is still young, it is nevertheless time to take a survey of the 2015 rookie class and see where Mario Hezonja stands through 34 games.
The 2015 draft class is proving itself to be a rich crop of rookies, though it is early to form any concrete conclusions. This now looks like a draft that could yield multiple All Stars, including Orlando Magic swingman Mario Hezonja.
While several of these players have yet to earn themselves big minutes, that is often the case with rookies and early evaluations are highly contingent on what we call being “NBA ready.”
Some of these players came in ready to make an immediate impact, but others are going to need tutelage, seasoning and experience.
Hezonja does not fall in the NBA-ready category as his minutes have fluctuated some this year — he is averaging 13.1 minutes per game and has yet to get a start. He has just started getting minutes again.
So where does Hezonja rank among this celebrated rookie class to this point?
Next: First pick goes No. 1
1. Karl-Anthony Towns
Karl Anthony-Towns came into this draft the most NBA ready, and he was rightfully selected by the Minnesota Timberwolves with the No. 1 overall pick. He has been mostly brilliant this season, averaging 16.1 points and 9.4 rebounds while outplaying most at the 5-spot, evidenced by his 22.00 PER.
Towns has the shooting touch and natural IQ to be a perennial All-Star, and he even has superstar potential.
Combining Towns with last year’s Rookie of the Year Andrew Wiggins could eventually make the Timberwolves into a feared, dominant team. That has not happened yet as the Wolves are just 12-22, but the early season surge by Minnesota showed the latent potential in the lineup.
Next: Proving the doubters wrong
2. Kristaps Porzingis
Kristaps Porzingis has been all the rave in the Big Apple. It comes with an “I told you so,” as he was booed in loud and dramatic fashion after being taken No. 4 overall in the 2015 draft. Knicks fans seldom are pleased with draft choices, but this stands as one of their most egregious misjudgments so far.
Essentially so far, Porzingis has demonstrated he is a shot blocker and excellent rim protector. He has demonstrated a shooting stroke worthy of camping out behind the line on some plays. In many senses, Kristaps is the Latvian version of one-time Utah Jazz forward Andrei Kirilenko. Both sport the wingspans of a golden condor, and it abets Porzingis in covering more space than the typical forward along the baselines.
And as good as he has been defensively, his offensive promise is hardly lacking either.
This season he is posting 13.1 points, eight rebounds and 2.74 blocks/steals. His 18.0 PER trails only Towns among rookies, but the eye test reveals a player who might just be the toast of this draft class. It is too early to say that with definitiveness, however.
Next: The rookie sophomore
3. Julius Randle
Julius Randle clocks in at No. 3 in the rookie rankings (although he is not technically a rookie after playing just one game in his true rookie season), and it is mostly because he is on the cusp of doing something rare for rookies: averaging a double-double.
The Los Angeles Lakers are a sheer disaster this season, but Los Angeles has won two straight and seems to be gaining momentum as Kobe Bryant starts playing more like his old self. Randle is seeing 27 minutes per night and averaging 11.6 points and 9.5 rebounds per game.
Randle’s stats hover at the league average for a power forward, but the early signs show a player not dissimilar from the late Anthony Mason. Randle can put it on the floor and get inside to bang, and that playing style should prove valuable even in this era of the three-point shot.
Next: The troubled post savant
4. Jahlil Okafor
Jahlil Okafor would likely rank at least a spot higher if not for his off-court troubles. He was caught getting in a fight at a night club, casting a dark shadow on what has otherwise been a good start to his NBA career.
Okafor is averaging 17.3 points and 7.7 rebounds per game while shooting 46.6 percent from the field.
The upside he has is readily apparent, even if the 76ers have been a source for laughs league-wide.
Okafor is hardly the reason behind the team’s struggles, and at this point the best thing the Sixers have going is that he and Nerlens Noel make attractive puzzle pieces to better balance the Sixers lineup.
For as good as Isaiah Canaan can be, he is still mostly a shooter and the Sixers are all but devoid of playmakers in its starting five. That is how a team ends up 3-33.
Next: Injured, but thriving
Emmanuel Mudiay is finding himself battling injury at this point in the season, but up until his ankle injury he was helping the Nuggets become a surprise team in a weakened Western Conference. He should be back in the next 7-10 days, and his work is cut out for him.
While Mudiay is averaging 10.7 points and 5.7 assists per game, his shot has been a lot like Elfrid Payton’s thus far. It causes teams to dare the youngster to shoot, but he is at his best when he is forcing turnovers and getting Denver out in transition.
Mudiay also is having turnover issues, which is not unusual for a starting rookie point guard (see: four per game). But he should first work at addressing the most pressing need: his jumper. Mudiay is shooting 31.1 percent from the field this season on 12.7 attempts per game.
If he is going to be a high-usage and volume scorer, it is imperative he hones a respectable jumper.
Next: A name on defense
6. Justise Winslow
Justise Winslow is hardly here on the basis of statistical production, but rather he has earned this spot with tough man-to-man defense that will not show up in box scores. That is why he is seeing 27 minutes per game on a playoff caliber Heat team.
Winslow averages just six points and four rebounds per game while posting an abysmal PER of 7.2.
But those numbers are deceiving as is the fact he is only tallying 1.04 steals/blocks per game. It would seem his defense could not be that good.
But that simply is not true, and Winslow is legitimately looking as though he could be the best swingman in the draft class. The Heat have a 96.0 defensive rating with Winslow on the floor.
He has been battling an ankle injury but should be back soon. With Luol Deng in his twilight years, the Heat have the perfect replacement at small forward in Winslow.
Next: The surprise No. 2
7. D’Angelo Russell
D’Angelo Russell drew some laughs when he did his Kobe Bryant impersonation in throwing up a wicked airball. But that kind of thing may be best reserved for Vine, because Russell sure has not faired much better than Bryant this season.
While the glimmers of superstar potential have been there, Russell is failing to capitalize on a perfect situation to showcase his talents — at least so far.
In 28 minutes per game, the former Ohio State Buckeye has averaged 11.7 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.4 assists. Where the story gets ugly is his 39 percent shooting and the fact the Lakers are 7-27 despite having two rookies in this top-10.
While most look at the Lakers as performing Kobe Bryant’s farewell to the NBA, the chance is still there for Russell to prove himself further. He has not played poorly this season, but he certainly is nowhere near the level to even jokingly parody Bryant’s struggles.
Next: Another defensive ace
8. Stanley Johnson
Stanley Johnson has a chance to become a fully loaded weapon at the 3 or the 4 spot for the Detroit Pistons. Thus far he has posted 8.1 points, 3.7 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 0.74 steals/blocks per game in about 22 minutes a night.
While those numbers hardly jump off the box scores, his play has been solid and Stan Van Gundy is not one to play guys just because they were selected high in the draft. He brings players along at a reasonable pace, and that seems to be the approach he is taking with Johnson.
The long-term question for both the Pistons and Heat will be who is better between Johnson and Winslow.
At this point, it has been Winslow, but only by a hair and still ever so early in their respective NBA careers.
Johnson has the athleticism and strength to cause a lot of problems for smaller 3-men, and that may be the forward slot he is best at. Certainly all worries of him being a tweener have been dispelled because the guy can flat out hoop.
Next: The surprise breakout?
9. Frank Kaminsky
The Charlotte Hornets have been pleased with former NCAA star Frank Kaminsky. While his upside may not top out as high as some of the other guys in his class, he has the best chance at being a solid starter and a guy whose abilities were exactly as promised.
Kaminsky has averaged seven points, three rebounds and an assist per game in 20 minutes per game, and he is posting a PER of 12.6. While that places him below the league average at his position offensively, it fails to tell the story of what he does for the Hornets.
As a stretch-5, Kaminsky is hitting 32.5 percent from 3-point range, and that is a figure that is surely to go up as the season wears on.
What Kaminsky does need to do is be more efficient from within the arc, as he hits just 45.7 percent of his 2-point field goals.
As a seven-footer, albeit not a long one, Kaminsky needs to establish himself as a threat on the blocks. Even floor stretching big men have to be reliable in the post at times. Thus far, he has not been.
Next: Hezonja's slow build
10. Mario Hezonja
Mario Hezonja has had trouble getting minutes this season for the Orlando Magic, but that is quite understandable given the glut of talent at his natural positions.
The reaction by Scott Skiles has been to play Hezonja out-of-position at times, with the Croatian prodigy moonlighting at the point guard spot. Make no mistake, he can run the point — Hezonja’s court vision is perhaps second only to Elfrid Payton at this point.
Hezonja was a rare bright spot in the lopsided loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers on Saturday, as he made several jaw-dropping passes and had a few impressive jaunts to the rim on a night when the Magic were mostly settling for (missed) jump shots.
Hezonja has appeared in 31 of the 34 Magic games this season while seeing an average of 13.1 minutes per night.
The case is certainly there for him to see an uptick in minutes, even if it means leaving his comfort zone and becoming the go-to backup point guard. His humble averages of 4.5 points and one assist per game hardly illustrate the talent we have seen him display thus far.
So, while Hezonja clocks in rather low in the rookie rankings, he could easily propel himself up the chart if Skiles doles out more minutes and as Hezonja gets more comfortable in the league.