Rookie Ladder - 3000 (498 views)

[delap]

Rookie Ladder - PreSeason Rankings

Welcome to the inaugural Rookie Ladder of 6.0 (Note for returning/new GMs: The year-end winner of the ladder gets a shiny 1k skrouse money directly from my bank to yours!)

For this year only, I will include players with 1 or 2 years of experience (Exp.) as "rookies" ... hereafter they must be true rookies.  My write-ups are usually based on p36 stats, whereas their true box scores are shown.

The ladder will be 10 rungs long, with some Honorable Mention picks at the end.  Honestly... it's a pretty big jumble thus far... mostly because of TO issues that are rampant among all of them.  And away... we... go!

1. Aziz N'Diaye - Atlanta Hawks

1st in P/TSA among eligible rooks, fantastic stocks (2.4), 3rd in blocks (behind two guys appearing further down the list), and solid boards.

2. Moala Tautuaa - Dallas Mavericks

3rd in P/TSA, a monster on the boards... and low TOs to boot! (a rarity in this group).  His 0.0 bpg mean that this is probably his ceiling, though.

3. Chief Kickingstallionsims - Carolina Cougars

Half of the Two-Towers of Greensboro, Kickingstallionsims would be a clear #1 if it weren't for his ghastly TO rate of 4.3/36.  2nd in blocks, 1st in stocks, scoring over 30ppg and doing it efficiently... but those TOs are ugly.

4. Lloyd Sharrar - Washington Bullets

Another dominant big that just can't hold onto the ball. 1st in scoring, 1st in rebounding... and pretty efficient! He nudges ahead of Estes (next on the list) because he has a defensive pulse.  TOs are a real problem.

5. Wayne Estes - Charlotte Bobcats

Efficient, an absolute rebounding machine (despite being a 6'6" SF) who played at PF in the PS.  If he moves to SF his rebounds will go down and TOs go up... so maybe he's really a PF long-term?

6. Isaiah Austin - Carolina Cougars

The other half of 20s stud duo, Austin is the consummate D/R big.  1st in blocks, 2nd in stocks.  Surprisingly efficient! But he doesn't shoot at all.  Young and can grow.  Should be a nasty shot blocker in a few years (Capela/DJ 5.0 type)

7. Doug Wrenn - Orlando Magic

Brimming with potential... and a broken jumpshot, Doug Wrenn finishes up what I would consider the top tier of rookies.  He needs some work, but is a efficient wing (despite shooting under 60% from the line) while nabbing double-digit rebounds.

8. Deon Thompson - Portland Trail Blazers

2nd in P/TSA, but nothing else overly special jumps out that screams elite.  Very solid player, especially given where he was taken in the draft, but probably doesn't have the oomph to climb much higher than this.

9. Jarvis Lang - Vancouver Grizzlies

The dying supvernova that is Lang and his F potential is certainly starting out bright.  5th is P/TSA, 2nd in scoring... but TOs are a bad spot and we all know his decline is coming.  He could move higher this season on the ladder, but this expert fears he'll be a one-hit wonder.

10. Mike Gansey - Los Angeles Lakers

The final spot goes to an unheralded 18yr old out of LA.  Incredibly efficient, despite a poor FT stroke that should only improve, Gansey looks to have the building blocks of a player destined to blossom in the near future and look like a steal in a few years.

Honorable Mentions:

Points:

Sergio Llull - Pittsburgh Pipers

Drew Neitzel - Washington Bullets

Wings:

Andrew Andrews - Seattle SuperSonics

Chase Harler - Chicago Bulls

Kevin A. Martin - Portland Trail Blazers

Bigs:

Tyreese Breshers - Pittsburgh Pipers

[20s]

Is this one article for the whole season of rookie ladder?

[delap]

Jan 25, 2021 16:00:44 GMT -5 20s said:

Is this one article for the whole season of rookie ladder?

Yes... forgot that.  I do updates after Day 40, Day 80, and at the end of the Regular Season.

[Soup]

the two time player of the month in the preseason can't get the number one spot? man.

[jhb]

0% chance N'Diaye stays that efficient

[delap]

Day 40

1. Moala Tautuaa - Dallas Mavericks (previous: 2)
His wait to take the top spot didn't last long. 4th in P/TSA (by a very slim margin) and 2nd in scoring... all grouped with a very low TO rate (compared to the rookie class and the league as a whole.) Tautuaa is dominant and is a real MVP candidate in this, his rookie year.



2. Luke Maye - Phoenix Suns (previous: NR)
Vaulting to #2 on the list is Cool Hand Luke in the Valley of the Sun. 5th in P/TSA, 1st in scoring volume and not a killer amount of TOs. His boards are very strong for a SF as well.



3. Wayne Estes - Charlotte Bobcats (previous: 5)
The man from Cache Valley is 3rd in P/TSA, 2nd in rebounding, and 4th in scoring. TOs are a bit high, but Estes is young and may be able to overcome a little bit of that going forward.



4. Aziz N'Diaye - Atlanta Hawks (previous: 1)
Nothing gold can stay... but honestly N'Diaye still looks good. Still far above average in P/TSA, he is the best true rookie defender by a wide margin and is only .1 stocks/blocks behind Chief K for 1st overall in our "rookie" class. Volume is an issue and he's an average rebounder... but there is room to grow for him in the future.



5. Doug Wrenn - Orlando Magic (previous: 7)
Doing everything Luke Maye is doing... just a bit worse, Wrenn has the potential to be a super-duper-star with that sexy A potential.



6. Lloyd Sharrar - Washington Bullets (previous: 4)
TOs will continue to be his bane, but everything else looks pretty nice. 3rd in scoring, great efficiency, 1st in rebounds by a mile. Surprisingly one of the best stealers in the class. If his TOs can come down a bit, he can climb the ladder quickly.



7. Isaiah Austin - Carolina Cougars (previous: 6)
Controversy! In the Piedmont. This Cougar edges ahead of his teammate because Chief's TOs are simply gross. Austin is a hidden gem and is already pushing Chief and N'Diaye for supremacy on defense. His efficiency isn't anything to be proud of, but he takes care of the rock and that's enough.



8. Chief Kickingstallionsims - Carolina Cougars (previous: 3)
The TOs got worse, and that overrides his elite scoring, defense, and his decent rebounding and efficiency. That's how bad the TOs are. I hope 20s really pumps that handling in any way he can.



9. Jarvis Lang - Vancouver Grizzlies (previous: 9)
Good enough to remain on the ladder, probably not hopeful enough to move up much. Scores a ton, at good efficiency, a little below average in boards and taking care of the rock.



10. Sergio Llull - Pittsburgh Pipers (previous: HM)
Another ladder debutante, Llull is here because he looks like a high potential PG who could really use +30 (+ a camp) to become one of the upper echelon PGs in the league in the next year or two. The biggest question mark about Llull is his GM. Will ba give him the training he deserves?



Honorable Mentions:

Points:
Ed Cota - Orlando Magic

Wings:
Mike Gansey - Los Angeles Lakers
Tim Pickett - Orlando Magic
Matt Milon - Carolina Cougars
Chase Harler - Chicago Bulls
LiAngelo Ball - Charlotte Bobcats
Kevin A. Martin - Portland Trail Blazers
Pat Kiscaden - Minnesota Timberwolves

Bigs:
Justin Bean - Charlotte Bobcats

[Trofie]

Kelvin Sampson

[skrouse]

Aziz too high imo

[Soup]

Jan 25, 2021 16:10:22 GMT -5 Soup said:

the two time player of the month in the preseason can't get the number one spot? man.

about time

[delap]

Day 80 Update
A little more sorting and clear separation from the top tier (1-4) and the rest.

1. Wayne Estes - Charlotte Bobcats (previous: 3)
Holding a very narrow edge over Tautuaa at the moment... I came down on the side of youth and potential growth (along with stronger rebounding) over age/lowers TOs. The gap is incredibly small between the top 2, who have differentiated their talent from the rest of the field.



2. Moala Tautuaa - Dallas Mavericks (previous: 1)
Software darling because of his passing, Tautuaa falls a bit flat because of future growth potential... and that's it. His defense is a problem, but not when compared with Estes (who is also bad), but it's the only real weakness in an otherwise perfect-for-the-present player.



3. Luke Maye - Phoenix Suns (previous: 2)
Pure scorer, 1st in points, 3rd in P/TSA... Maye has no real downside. Lower TOs keep him ahead of Wrenn for the time-being.



4. Doug Wrenn - Orlando Magic (previous: 5)
Everything Maye is, except at a lower volume... but higher potential. Wrenn could easily end up being the best player in this class for the long-term... if only he gets those TOs down a bit.



5. Lloyd Sharrar - Washington Bullets (previous: 6)
Same as last update, TOs are way too high, but easily the best rebounder of the group and a great scorer. Add to that jumpshot or decrease TOs and he could join the 4 above him as elite elite.



6. Isaiah Austin - Carolina Cougars (previous: 7)
7. Aziz N'Diaye - Atlanta Hawks (previous: 4)
Lumping these two together... seem to be set as D/R bigs with not great efficiency (N'Diaye's early season buzz has completely withered away). Both take care of the rock, though, which is more than you can say about the next two on the list.




8. Jarvis Lang - Vancouver Grizzlies (previous: 9)
9. Chief Kickingstallionsims - Carolina Cougars (previous: 8)
Both turn the ball over all the time. I'd rather have Jarvis and his 'F' potential going forward... but that could change tomorrow. Jarvis is a better player now, because of much stronger efficiency... but at least Chief plays defense. Both are good players... but both have a major wart.




10. Sergio Llull - Pittsburgh Pipers (previous: 10)
Only holding the 10th spot because of positional scarcity (over Kevin A. Martin), Llull continues to look like a serviceable PG in the league and is young enough with 'B' potential to blossom. Compares favorably to a 5.0 Ricky Rubio... which means he could end up looking like a star one day.



Honorable Mentions:

Points:
Drew Neitzel - Washington Bullets
Ed Cota - Orlando Magic

Wings:
Kevin A. Martin - Portland Trail Blazers
Chase Harler - Chicago Bulls
Matt Milon - Charlotte Bobcats
LiAngelo Ball - Charlotte Bobcats
Terrence Romeo - Sacramento Kings
Mike Gansey - Los Angeles Lakers

Bigs:
Casey Calvary - New Orleans Pelicans
Przemek Karnowski - Orlando Magic

[delap]

Rookie Ladder - Final Standings

Congratulations to anyone who made the ladder, because it is a hyper-competitive environment this year. The biggest congratulations go to Odin , though. Please pay him 1k from my bank, skrouse .

Estes nabs the highest rung over Maye and Tautuaa because of future prospects. Tautuaa is a slightly better player now, but Estes looks to be an absolute stud for the future. Maye's ceiling looks to be slightly lower than Estes'.

1. Wayne Estes - Charlotte Bobcats (previous: 1)
1st in P/TSA, 2nd in rebounding, 3rd in scoring... Estes also boasts A potential. He's the real deal out of Cache Valley and the hottest commodity in 3001 Free Agency.



2. Moala Tautuaa - Dallas Mavericks (previous: 2)
In any normal circumstance, he should be below Maye/Wrenn because of his age and his lack of potential growth... but Moala is just that good. He should remain as the best overall player in the league for the next 2-3 years... and should be enshrined in the first TMBSL 6.0 Hall of Fame class.



3. Luke Maye - Phoenix Suns (previous: 3)
Instant and incendiary offense, very good rebounding, and low TOs. Maye is a star.



4. Doug Wrenn - Orlando Magic (previous: 4)
Another SF with just insane rebounding numbers, Wrenn will be the biggest prize in 3003 Free Agency. He didn't take a single 3 this year, so he may be capped in his ceiling to be a one-way player... but a darn good one.



5. Lloyd Sharrar - Washington Bullets (previous: 5)
The last of the elite elites in the class, Sharrar is functionally capped from being considered to be better than the other players in the top tier by his weak defensive numbers, but his rebounding is other-worldly. He enters FA with Estes as the 1b prize.



6. Isaiah Austin - Carolina Cougars (previous: 6)
7. Aziz N'Diaye - Atlanta Hawks (previous: 7)
Still linked in the final update, the two best D/R bigs in the class, Austin's efficiency has creeped up over the season from bad to merely mediocre, edging him ahead of N'Diaye. Austin also has a better potential rating, as we look forward.




8. Chief Kickingstallionsims - Carolina Cougars (previous: 9)
9. Jarvis Lang - Vancouver Grizzlies - (previous: 8)
Big Chief edges ahead of Jarvis "F" Lang due to his potential for improvement. Beating a dead horse here, but if he can get his TOs down, Chief can be a big-time star. Lang is frankly great right now as an offense-only big, but the decline could be coming sooner rather than later.




10. Mike Gansey - Los Angeles Lakers (previous: HM)
Landing the final spot, Gansey jumps ahead of Harler because of his potential growth. He's a good scoring wing with decent volume as a SG, which seems to be one of the weaker position/skills combo so far in 6.0.



Honorable Mentions:
Points:
Sergio Llull - Pittsburgh Pipers
Ed Cota - Orlando Magic
Drew Neitzel - Washington Bullets

Wings:
Chase Harler - Chicago Bulls
Andrew Andrews - Seattle SuperSonics
Tim Pickett - Orlando Magic
Isma'il Muhammad - Philadelphia 76ers
Kevin A. Martin - Portland Trail Blazers

Bigs:
Casey Calvary - New Orleans Pelicans
Przemek Karnowski - Orlando Magic

[IanBoyd]

50k

[Majic]

65k

[Odin]

65k

[bankz]

50K

[skrouse]

50K, glad to see the Magic splashed across the HMs.

[delap]

Feb 6, 2021 16:19:32 GMT -5 skrouse said:

50K, glad to see the Magic splashed across the HMs.

You run an honorable franchise

[Deleted]

75k

[Soup]

49k

[bankz]

I would've swapped 1 and 2 but nice work

[20s]

50k

[jhb]

60k