Five Teams Hoping Rookies Stay Fresh for Playoff Push

[duncan228]

Five Teams Hoping Rookies Stay Fresh for Playoff Push
SportingNews

It has turned the knees of the strongest young hoopsters to jelly: the rookie wall. After cruising through 35-game seasons as collegians, rookies often find the NBA grind—long-distance travel, back-to-backs, little downtime—too fatiguing. For five teams with sights on securing home-court advantage (at least the No. 4 seed) in the playoffs, fingers are crossed that rookie walls, which generally hit in early February, can be avoided. That’s because these rookies are playing important roles for teams that aspire to be among the elite.

1. Ty Lawson, Nuggets

Lawson’s quickness and playmaking were expected, but his shooting—42.6 percent on 3-pointers—has been a surprise. “He’s been a beast off the bench,” Nuggets guard Chauncey Billups said.

Wall concern: Minor. As long as Billups is healthy, the Nuggets can keep Lawson’s minutes confined, which should keep him fresh.


2. Marcus Thornton, Hornets

Pressed into duty because of a lack of depth, Thornton flashed his offense, averaging 9.9 points in 19.6 minutes. The trade of Devin Brown put Thornton into the starting lineup.

Wall concern: Major. Thornton will be playing 35-40 minutes per game and, as an undersized (6-4) wing, will be picked on defensively.


3. DeJuan Blair, Spurs

The Spurs demoted Blair from the starting five, but he and Matt Bonner are the Spurs’ big men off the bench. Blair has averaged 7.1 points and 6.6 rebounds.

Wall concern: Major. Blair sank in the draft over concerns about conditioning and the health of his knees. Teams are watching to see how both hold up.


4. Sam Young, Grizzlies

Young has been the top scorer on a weak bench, averaging 7.5 points. “Sam’s a mature guy,” teammate Zach Randolph said. “He’s come in and been a professional from the beginning.”

Wall concern: Minor. The only chance he’ll wear down is if injury forces him into the starting lineup.


5. Wes Matthews, Jazz.

Matthews was undrafted, but the Jazz played him big minutes in place of C.J. Miles early on.

Wall concern: Moderate. His playing time has dipped, but he has already logged 11 games of 32-plus minutes.

[Libri]

3. DeJuan Blair, Spurs

The Spurs demoted Blair from the starting five, but he and Matt Bonner are the Spurs’ big men off the bench. Blair has averaged 7.1 points and 6.6 rebounds.

And 18.2 MPG for the season and 21.8 MPG in January.

[Sigz]

Shout out to my buddy from HS Wesley Matthews!!

James Madison Memorial at state... WINNING state..... those were the days.