The next 'Big Things': Watch out for these Rookies

Every season, the draft always generates a lot of excitement. New hopefuls coming in, dreaming of becoming stars, always kindles interest. Especially if they’re inexperienced rookies. Many rookies who get drafted are more of hit and miss cases. They may or may not make it big. However, basketball pundits and aficionados around the world still spend a lot of time analysing which rookies will become the next big things.

Among the rookies drafted into the NBA this season, this article deals with the top 5 rookies in my opinion:

5. Jack Cooley

Cooley is a 22 year old, 6’9″ PF/C, playing for the Memphis Grizzlies. The undrafted rookie out of Notre Dame is a definite up-and-comer. His summer league statistics are as follows: 15.0 PPG, 9.2 RPG and 18.33 Efficiency.

He’s a physical player and a good rebounder, especially for his height. His strengths lie in his physicality and hustle. He’s also an efficient scorer, especially in the low post region. He’s a good shot blocker and can score with both hands.  Although physical, he’s not that athletic and is a little too short to be a centre. His main drawback lies in his size. He may be able to defend NBA power forwards but could he withstand the Big men of the league? Can he hold his ground against the Centres?