Rookie Ladder - 3013 (297 views)

[delap]

PreSeason Standings

First look at this class and I don't see much efficiency or rebounding, but a lot of high-floor/low-ceiling guys.  Should be very interesting to see how the group looks after receiving upgrades and playing 40-80 days in the real season.  We get a bonus rung for the ladder, as there is a mass of bigs that I don't feel like separating right now.

1. George Mikan - Minneapolis Los Angeles Lakers

T-2nd in scoring, 5th in P/TSA (which = league average-ish), 1st in rebounding (but that isn't saying much in this group), 1st in shot blocking (again, not hyper-impressive).  Easy choice for #1 right now.

2. Bob Cousy - Milwaukee Bucks

Looks like a real steal falling out the Top 10 right now. 3rd in P/TSA, fairly low TOs, solid scoring punch for a PG. 

3. Frank Selvy - Carolina Cougars

Another sharp-eyed gunner in the Cougars OUTSIDE system, Selvy looks to be the best pure shooter in the class by a considerable margin. 1st in P/TSA, low TO, decent rebounding player.  Defense leaves something to be desired, though.

4a. Bob Pettit - Chicago Bulls

4b. Joe Lapchick - Toronto Raptors

4c. Dolph Schayes - Seattle SuperSonics

4d. Ed Wachter - Cleveland Cavaliers

4e. Maurice Stokes - Orlando Magic

A big mass of big men with very similar outputs during the PreSeason... roughly ordered.  They all scored between 17-20 pts/36 and notched double-digit boards/36 in this small sample. "Little" Bob is the most efficient and takes care of the ball well. Lapchick is oozing with potential and is a known hidden gem. He's 4th in the class in blocked shots (1st among these 5). Dolph led the group in steals and had great display grades for defense/rebounding/potential. Wachter scored the most of the group.  Stokes is the least efficient, but rebounding at the highest clip.

9. Al Cooper - Phoenix Suns

The Bold British Ballhandler debuts on the ladder after a solid PreSeason which saw him match Cousy's output in almost every regard, except efficiency.

10a. William Gates - Texas Chaparrals

10b. Branch McCracken - Seattle SuperSonics

Bill Gates shows at least one elite skill, taking care of the ball, as he posted a minuscule TO rate in the PreSeason. If he can increase his defense or scoring a tad, he could be a really solid wing pretty quickly. His display grades are quite nice. Branch, the greater McCracken, scored in bunches, but doesn't show elite form in anything else. If he can develop one additional skill he will quickly find his way into a rotation.

Honorable Mentions:

Points:

John Beckman - Pittsburgh Pipers

Barney Sedran - Anaheim Amigos

Wings:

Bill Sharman - Houston Rockets

Angelo Luisetti - Milwaukee Bucks

Charles Hyatt - Indiana Pacers

Bigs:

Larry Foust - Philadelphia 76ers

Ace Gruenig - Utah Jazz

Harry Gallatin - Portland Trail Blazers

Tom Barlow - Toronto Raptors

[Yawn of the Dead]

I don't know about the players but the name ladder would be pretty good for this year

[delap]

Day 40 Update

Clarity at the top, I think... but past that is a jumble of players that can really be viewed in many orders. I like this class. Mikan still on top, but some real movers and shakers and hep cats up and down the board. This class is doing a ton of work adding depth to the league, especially at the PG spot. If you made a spot on the ladder, you are already a quality piece. The HM list is full of good players, too. I really like this class.

1. George Mikan - Minneapolis Los Angeles Lakers (previous: 1)
Tops the class in P/TSA, 4th in scoring on GMed teams, and a clear 1st in rebounding and blocks... and low TOs? It really isn't even close to close. Mikan should have this sewn up unless something drastic happens.



2. Dolph Schayes - Seattle SuperSonics (previous: 4c)
2nd in scoring, 6th in P/TSA, 3rd in rebounding. He's not ever gonna be a defensive +, but he can score and board at a high clip. Should be a growth candidate, too.



3a. William Gates - Texas Chaparrals (previous: 10a)
3b. Jack Twyman - Anaheim Amigos (previous: NR)
Efficient scoring wings, built as SFs wtih SG eligibility, Gates and Twyman are lumped together due to similar outputs. Gates gets the nod, though, as he takes better care of the ball and adds 33% more rebounds per36 right now.




5. Joe Lapchick - Toronto Raptors (previous: 4b)
Best defensive player in the class, probably (as gauged by stocks/bleals). 2nd in blocks, 4th in rebounding. Lapchick is about league-average in efficiency, but he doesn't turn it over and still has A potential and +20 in uppies to receive.



6. Frank Selvy - Carolina Cougars (previous: 3)
His regular season production has more or less mirrored his PreSeason. He's still an electric shooter, but with SG position there is some concern about his ceiling and growth to take more shots. Still a very good player, though.



7. Harry Hough - Indiana Pacers (previous: NR)
Another Pacer rocking out on defense. Hough also brings a fairly low TO rate and a great P/TSA for a rookie PG, where he ranks 5th overall in the class on decent volume.



8. Paul Arizin - Vancouver Grizzlies (previous: NR)
Another ladder newbie, Arizin is a rebounding machine from the wing and does everything else fairly OK. Big red flag on defense, though, where he only manages 1/2 steal per 36. That will effectively cap his ceiling if it doesn't improve dramatically in the future.



9. Al Cooper - Phoenix Suns (previous: 9)
Holding steady toward the end of the ladder, Big Al is dealing dimes, taking care of the rock, and shooting VERY well (4th in P/TSA), especially from inside the arc.



10. Joseph Fogarty - Los Angeles Clippers (previous: NR)
Finally we get to Fogarty, a minuscule, undrafted kid straight from high school... moves across the country to La La Land and BOOM! Is this a mirage? I'm in wait and see mode for him. He's currently 3rd in P/TSA, 1st in scoring and is probably only behind Selvy in terms of pure outside marksmanship. Normally we only see production like this from rookies on crap teams... but with Kemp, Horford, 3D, and Mullin all on the squad... Fogarty is still getting his shots up. He is in the best position to make a huge leap at the next update... assuming he holds onto his good and lets go of the bad (he's a TO waiting to happen on a lot of plays)



Points:
Cum Posey - Cleveland Cavaliers
Barney Sedran - Anaheim Amigos
John Beckman - Pittsburgh Pipers
Bob Cousy - Milwaukee Bucks

Wings:
Bill Sharman - Houston Rockets
John Wooden - Washington Bullets
Branch McCracken - Seattle SuperSonics

Bigs:
Maurice Stokes - Orlando Magic
Ed Wachter - Cleveland Cavaliers
Fuzzy Vandivier - Los Angeles Clippers
Skinny Johnson - Orlando Magic

[20s]

Selvy moved down from 3 to 6 while playing the same…

Also, he still has all his Uppies and Camp left

[delap]

Day 90 Update
Same Top 10 as before... different order. I think... I dunno, I always write this intro part before I really sort the Top 10 (but AFTER selecting who the Top 10 are)... so maybe the order will be the same? Same song and dance as last time, this class is quite deep. There are at least 5-6 players (Wachter, Cousy, Sedran, Branch, etc.) who are very much ladder-worthy... but this ladder simply isn't that tall.

1. George Mikan - Minneapolis Los Angeles Lakers (previous: 1)
The very easiest selection. Mr. Mikan is 1st in P/TSA, near the top in scoring, 1st in rebounding, and 1st in shot-blocking. There really aren't many things for him to work on, except maybe MPG.



2. William Gates - Texas Chaparrals (previous: 3a)
A surprise! Bill Gates is 3rd in P/TSA, but scoring at a higher rate than Mikan, with strong rebounding, low TOs... and what could actually matter down the line is that he is already playing nearly 40mpg. Good for him



3. Joe Lapchick - Toronto Raptors (previous: 5)
The best defensive big in the class, with a solid +20 and A pot remaining, Chicky Joe is a solid 5th in boards as well. His efficiency is OK, but his FT% needs to bump up a bit to really become a serious offensive force.



4. Dolph Schayes - Seattle SuperSonics (previous: 2)
Big scorer (2nd), 2nd in rebounding, 4th in P/TSA... no defense at all. But hey, you take what you can get. He had good display potential, so there is hope!



5. Frank Selvy - Carolina Cougars (previous: 6)
A dazzling jumpshooter who isn't totally lost as a rebounder, Selvy still has a lot of targeted growth left (though his C pot is probably not gonna do him many favors).



6. Jack Twyman - Anaheim Amigos (previous: 3b)
Good scorer, average rebounder... but careful with the rock? His defense is curious, as he doesn't steal... but 1/2 block per 36 for a wing is a decent start. The more I look the less I really really like him, given that his growth is likely complete... hence the fall to this spot.



7a. Harry Hough - Indiana Pacers (previous: 7)
7b. Al Cooper - Phoenix Suns (previous: 9)
A pair of incredibly competent, yet undersized, guards, almost identical in output, except Hough seems to want to shoot a tad more. Both had good/great display potentials and Cooper still has +20 left. Big fan of both.




9. Paul Arizin - Vancouver Grizzlies (previous: 8)
I may be under-ranking Paul more than anyone else, but his TOs scare me some. He's a solid 2nd in P/TSA and rebounds well. Defense is non-existent though.



10. Joseph Fogarty - Los Angeles Clippers (previous: 10)
As pledged last time, he would leap up the rankings if his output held... but it didn't. He dropped a good bit in P/TSA, scoring, and he still doesn't play defense. TOs dropped a tiny amount, but not enough to move him up. He's very much still wait-and-see for the next update.



Honorable Mentions:

Points:
Barney Sedran - Anaheim Amigos
Bob Cousy - Milwaukee Bucks
John Beckman - Pittsburgh Pipers

Wings:
Branch McCracken - Seattle SuperSonics
Bill Sharman - Houston Rockets
John Wooden - Washington Bullets

Bigs:
Ed Wachter - Cleveland Cavaliers
Bob Pettit - Chicago Bulls
Maurice Stokes - Orlando Magic
Charles Cooper - Orlando Magic
Skinny Johnson - Orlando Magic
Ernest Schmidt - Dallas Mavericks

[Deleted]

"I hate anaheims rookies that are better than everyone else because their growth is complete"

Delap on Mike smrek (who has blown up to become a monster) and now jack twyman

[Chaps]

I heard Mike smrek is having a better season than Embiid!!!

[delap]

Mike Smrek is a big averaging 6.7 rebounds/game ... are we talking about the same Mike Smrek?

[Chaps]

I'm justsayin what I heard delap (bk actually said this)

[delap]

Final Standings

Congrats to Handsome Pete for making the obvious draft pick. TinyTimPig , please move 1k from my bank to his. Again, for the final time, I reiterate that I really love this class. It might be the strongest class we've had since 3001 in terms of depth. There is a solitary clear shining star... but 2-10 are all surefire starting contributors in my mind, along with 4-5 of the HM guys, too. The class is especially deep at the point and wing spots, which should help shift some balance in the league.

1. George Mikan - Minneapolis Los Angeles Lakers (previous: 1)
Easy pick. 1st in P/TSA, 3rd in scoring (removing players with inflated numbers from the contracto-bots), easily 1st in rebounding, and 2nd in blocks... Mikan is exceptional at everything.



2. William Gates - Texas Chaparrals (previous: 2)
Actually a pretty easy choice here, too... DaChap looks to have landed the spiritual and physical successor to Danny Granger here. 4th in scoring, 5th in P/TSA, 2nd in rebounding among wings, and a tiny TO rate all lead to a quality starter and possible fringe All-Star in a few years with decent growth.



3. Joe Lapchick - Toronto Raptors (previous: 3)
The top defensive big in the class, who is no slouch in scoring or rebounding, while taking care of the ball, Lapchick is a high-growth prospect who already has a solid array of skills.



4a. Paul Arizin - Vancouver Grizzlies (previous: 9)
4b. Jack Twyman - Anaheim Amigos (previous: 6)
Very similar wings here, with Arizin being an efficient scorer and + rebounder (1st among wings) and Twyman being an efficient scorer who doesn't turn it over much and plays a tad more defense. Arizin gets the nod here... and I'm making a gut-feeling choice moving him up all the way from 9, based on his higher starting POT and the fact that he still has a +10 sitting there for druce to use.




6. Harry Hough - Indiana Pacers (previous: 7a)
Harry has acquitted himself quite well in a smaller role all season. He scores at volume, especially for a PG on a team with multiple other strong scorers, takes care of the rock, and scores efficiently. He is 3rd in P/TSA and isn't a liability on the boards or on defense.




7. Dolph Schayes - Seattle SuperSonics (previous: 4)
Efficiency has really slipped in the last 40 days, but still a solid volume scorer and strong rebounder. Schayes TO rate needs to get down, especially since he isn't making it up by playing amazing defense.



8. Frank Selvy - Carolina Cougars (previous: 5)
I clearly don't know what to do with Frank. He is unlikely to get TC love, and got his +30 midway through the season. He's gonna be efficient in an outside offense, but not sure he will be as versatile as the other players on the list. Defense is an issue for sure.



9. Barney Sedran - Anaheim Amigos (previous: HM)
Sneaking on the Ladder in the last installment is your software ROTY. Sedran is a ++ defender at the point and honestly a + rebounder, too. He's built as a no-score guard, so that limits his value in some ways, but he is likely to be among the best of that type of PG for years to come.



10. Joseph Fogarty - Los Angeles Clippers (previous: 10)
Still hanging out here, Fogarty is a mystery. Does he just score a ton because the Clippers are bad? Or ... with his efficiency... is he actually the next big scoring PG in the league? I really can't tell. But... he doesn't play defense and he's a walking TO, so he remains firm at #10 with a major ??? attached to him until we know a bit more.



Honorable Mentions:

Points:
Al Cooper - Phoenix Suns
Bob Cousy - Milwaukee Bucks
John Beckman - Pittsburgh Pipers

Wings:
Branch McCracken - Seattle SuperSonics
Bill Sharman - Houston Rockets
John Wooden - Washington Bullets

Bigs:
Ed Wachter - Cleveland Cavaliers
Bob Pettit - Chicago Bulls
Charles Cooper - Orlando Magic
Clyde Lovellette - Miami Heat

Larry Foust - Philadelphia 76ers

Skinny Johnson - Orlando Magic

[Herby New Year!]

85k

[Fason]

85k

[20s]

80k

[andrewluck]

90k

[Handsome Pete]

81k

[Handsome Pete]

John Beckman criminally underrated