NBA Report Card: How have the 2015-16 Rookie of the Year candidates fared so far?
Class of 2015“For last year's words belong to last year's languageAnd next year's words await another voice.And to make an end is to make a beginning”- Little Gidding by T.S. EliotOne of the best things about the NBA and a not-so-insignificant contributor to its appeal is novelty. Every year, the top young talent from across America and in fact, the world, are pursued by teams for gawk-worthy sums of money.These young Turks represent the future of the NBA and truth be told, the evolution of the game of basketball itself. So it’s no small wonder that they’re so almost eerily scrutinized by fans, foes and front offices alike. The average age for NBA rookies is 20 years, and they need a steady head on their young shoulders to be able to perform appreciably in the face of pressure, pageantry and expectations. A while ago, we published a collection of the frontrunners for this season’s Rookie of the Year award.A little over a month into the season, let us see how the fledgling stars have fared:
#5 D\'Angelo Russell - Los Angeles Lakers
The rookie touted to be the Lakers best point guard since Magic Johnson has been underwhelming, to say the least. After drawing much flak for being complacent and letting the attention get to him, the 19-year-olds averages have crawled upwards, but upwards they have crawled.
This could be attributed to the heart-breakingly loyal Lakers fans, whose outcry that Russell was being underutilized has made coach Byron Scott relent and give the youngster more minutes on the court.
Season stats
Games played 17
Average minutes per game 27.6
Average points 10.5
Average rebounds 4.6
Average assists 3.1
FG percentage 40.4
3 Pt percentage 30.4
FT percentage 73.7
REMARKS: Patience. Russell is just one of the rusty gears in the splutteringmachine that is the Lakers. But it looks like he's gradually coming to life. There are no quick fixes for the NBA's most valuable franchise. They must have foresight and act accordingly.