https://reurl.cc/lnxREv John Hollinger No wonder everyone tanked last year. Watching this NBA Draft class has been a revelation, but it didn’t really hit me until I took in the Memphis-Sacramento game on Saturday and realized that two rookies — the Grizzlies’ Cameron Boozer and the Kings’ Darius Acuff Jr. — were by far the two best players on the court. That just doesn’ t happen in an NBA game, especially one in the first two weeks of the season. I don’t think I’ve ever seen a rookie class where this many players were this good this early. It’s not just Boozer, who picked up a triple-double in his fifth game and is a key reason Memphis is an overtime loss away from being shockingly undefeated, or Acuff, who entered Monday ranked ninth in the league in scoring after erupting for 37 points against the Grizzlies. Consider that the 11th pick, Golden State’s Yaxel Lendeborg, is already dazzling, hanging 37 on the Clippers over the weekend while showing more early proficiency from 3 (40.9 percent on high volume through Sunday) than most projected. Or that top pick AJ Dybantsa is just getting started in Washington. He had 36 points in his first 57 minutes as a pro. 难怪去年大家都在摆烂抢状元 观看这届 NBA 选秀新秀的表现，真的让人大开眼界。不过，直到周六看完 Memphis 对 Sacramento 的比赛，我才真正意识到这届新秀有多出色：两名菜鸟球员——Grizzlies 的 Cameron Boozer 和 Kings 的 Darius Acuff Jr.——竟然是场上实力明显最好的两名 球员。这种情况在 NBA 比赛中根本不常见，尤其还是在球季开打的前两周。 我不认为自己曾经看过哪一届新秀，能有这麽多球员在球季初期就展现出如此出色的水准 。这不只是 Boozer 而已，他在生涯第 5 场比赛就拿下大三元，而且 Memphis 能够打出 令人意外的近乎全胜战绩，他也是关键原因之一；也不只是 Acuff，他在对上 Grizzlies 时狂砍 37 分，到了周一，他的场均得分已经高居全联盟第 9。 想想看，首轮第 11 顺位被 Golden State 选中的 Yaxel Lendeborg，如今已经展现出令 人惊艳的表现。周末对上 Clippers 时，他狂轰 37 分，而且截至周日为止，他的三分球 命中率达到 40.9%，在大量出手的情况下，外线手感比大多数人的预期还要出色。 又或者，状元 AJ Dybantsa 才刚开始在 Washington 展开职业生涯。他在职业生涯前 57 分钟，就已经拿下 36 分。 Wait, there’s more: Chicago’s Caleb Wilson had 15 dunks in his first six games and leads his team in scoring. Unflappable Clippers rookie Keaton Wagler has unexpectedly drawn heaps of free throws (42 entering Monday) despite his skinny frame (he’s fifth in the league in free-throw rate), offsetting a cold start from his usually deadly 3-ball. And Utah’s Darryn Peterson has been one of the few bright spots in a sad-trombone start to the Jazz’s season. We’ve had plenty of classes that eventually turned out amazing, but many of these players are making a near-instant impact, even as several of them are teenage one-and-dones. Through Sunday’s games, eight rookies were averaging at least 13 points per game; that includes the seven players I’ve already mentioned, as well as Cleveland second-rounder Meleek Thomas. Of those eight, only Lendeborg is old enough to order a drink. 等等，还有更多值得关注的球员：Chicago 的 Caleb Wilson 在生涯前 6 场比赛就完成 了 15 次灌篮，目前还是球队的得分王。Clippers 那位沉着冷静的新秀 Keaton Wagler ，则意外地获得大量罚球机会。尽管他的身材相当单薄，却已经制造了大量犯规（截至周 一共获得 42 次罚球机会），罚球率排名全联盟第 5，弥补了他原本相当致命的三分球手 感开季低迷的问题。至於 Utah 的 Darryn Peterson，则是 Jazz 悲惨开季中少数值得欣 慰的亮点之一。 我们看过不少最终证明非常出色的选秀梯次，但这届有许多球员几乎在踏入联盟後立刻就 产生影响力，即使其中好几人都还只是打完大学一年就投入选秀的青少年球员。 截至周日的比赛结束，共有 8 名新秀场均至少拿下 13 分，其中包括我前面提到的 7 名 球员，以及 Cleveland 在第二轮选中的 Meleek Thomas。在这 8 人当中，只有 Lendeborg 已经达到美国合法饮酒年龄。 We’re in rare air if that holds up. Last season, only six rookies averaged at least 13 points per game among those who played at least 25 games. The season before, only two. The average has been five over the last decade; the only time we had eight was in 2019-20, and one of them was Kendrick Nunn, who was 24 and had been in the G League the entire previous season. Even the amazing draft class of 2018 only gave us six rookies averaging at least 13 points per game; future stars Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Brunson and Mikal Bridges all fell short, while Donte DiVincenzo and Grayson Allen hardly played at all. This figure is more amazing because we’re just two weeks into the season. Rookie scoring tends to pick up most late in the year, partly because losing teams more freely throw their rookies into the fire, and partly because the rookies themselves have gained valuable experience. Last season, for instance, Utah’s Ace Bailey eclipsed the 13-point barrier by averaging 4.4 points per game in October and 18.3 points after the All-Star break. What’s even more impressive is that these rookies are doing this in a non-tanking environment. Players such as Bailey last season, or GG Jackson and Scoot Henderson in 2023-24, got over 13 points per game with a major tanking wind at their back, basically getting charity minutes for teams that weren’t trying to win anyway. That’s not really a thing this season with the league’s lottery reform, and it cuts both ways: There are also no cheap points to be had against a tanking opponent playing its G Leaguers. 如果这个趋势能够持续下去，那我们就真的见证了相当罕见的情况。上个球季，在至少出 赛 25 场的新秀当中，只有 6 人场均得分达到 13 分；再前一个球季，则只有 2 人。过 去 10 年平均每季只有 5 人达到这个标准。唯一一次出现 8 人的情况是在 2019-20 球 季，而其中一人是 Kendrick Nunn，当时他已经 24 岁，而且前一整季都待在 G League 。 即使是 2018 年那届令人惊艳的选秀梯次，也只有 6 名新秀场均至少拿下 13 分。未来 的明星球员 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander、Jalen Brunson 和 Mikal Bridges 都没能达到 这个标准，而 Donte DiVincenzo 和 Grayson Allen 当时几乎没有获得上场机会。 这项数据之所以更加惊人，是因为我们才刚进入球季第二周。新秀的得分表现通常要到球 季後段才会明显提升，部分原因是战绩不佳的球队会更放心地让新秀上场接受考验，另一 部分原因则是新秀本身也累积了宝贵的经验。 举例来说，上个球季 Utah 的 Ace Bailey 就是如此。他在 10 月场均只有 4.4 分，但 全明星赛後场均得分提升到 18.3 分，成功突破场均 13 分的门槛。 更令人印象深刻的是，这些新秀并不是在球队刻意摆烂的环境下打出这些成绩。 像是上个球季的 Bailey，或是 2023-24 球季的 GG Jackson 和 Scoot Henderson，他们 之所以能够达到场均 13 分，很大程度上是因为球队摆烂的氛围对他们相当有利。简单来 说，球队本来就没有打算赢球，因此他们获得了大量近乎免费的上场时间。 但受到联盟乐透制度改革的影响，本季这种情况已经不太存在，而且影响是双向的：你也 不再能轻易从一支派出 G League 球员、刻意摆烂的对手身上取得大量分数。 Moreover, this class goes much deeper than eight. That list of eight doesn’t include: Oklahoma City big man Aday Mara, who had an impressive double-double when I saw him against Phoenix last week, after which Thunder coach Mark Daigneault told me, “I didn’t really think he had his fastball tonight.” OK, so what does the good version of this guy look like? Mara had a 10.1 percent block rate through six games and is about to see a big uptick in minutes with Chet Holmgren’s injury. Milwaukee’s Brayden Burries, who is pushing for the team lead in PER (18.5) even while his minutes are constrained by a crowded backcourt and the rule that requires the Bucks to play AJ Green. For the YouTubers, Burries also unleashed a vicious dunk in garbage time Saturday against Cleveland. Denver second-rounder Trevon Brazile, who is playing an unexpectedly important role for a team with contender aspirations. He’s leading the squad in rebound rate while also launching more than half his shots from 3 and knocking down a respectable portion (35.3 percent). Toronto’s Allen Graves, who is minutes-constrained on a good team, but, in his brief stretches, has showcased some of the rare skills that got him selected out of tiny Santa Clara. He has nine “stocks” (steals and blocks) in just 82 minutes and an amazing 13 offensive rebounds in that time, nearly leading the team in that category despite hardly playing. 此外，这届新秀的深度远远不只前面提到的 8 人。以下几名球员也没有被列入这份名单 ： - Oklahoma City 内线球员 Aday Mara： 我上周亲眼看他对上 Phoenix 时，缴出了一场 令人印象深刻的双十表现。赛後，Thunder 总教练 Mark Daigneault 还告诉我：「我其 实不觉得他今晚有拿出自己最好的状态。」好吧，那麽状态好的他究竟能有多出色？ Mara 前 6 场比赛的阻攻率达到 10.1%，而且随着 Chet Holmgren 受伤，他即将获得大 幅增加的上场时间。 - Milwaukee 的 Brayden Burries： 即使他的上场时间受到後场球员过於拥挤，以及球 队必须让 AJ Green 上场的规定所限制，他的 PER（球员效率值）仍达到 18.5，正在挑 战成为球队的第一名。对於喜欢看 YouTube 精华的观众来说，Burries 周六对上 Cleveland 时，还在比赛垃圾时间上演了一记相当凶猛的灌篮。 - Denver 第二轮新秀 Trevon Brazile： 他在一支以争冠为目标的球队中，意外扮演了 相当重要的角色。他的篮板率高居全队第一，同时超过一半的出手都是三分球，而且还投 进了相当不错的比例，三分命中率达到 35.3%。 - Toronto 的 Allen Graves： 他身处一支实力不错的球队，因此上场时间受到限制，但 即使只有短暂的出场时间，他仍展现出一些当初让他从规模不大的 Santa Clara 大学获 选的稀有能力。他只打了 82 分钟，就累积了 9 次「Stocks」（抄截与阻攻），还抓下 惊人的 13 个进攻篮板。即使上场时间非常有限，他在进攻篮板这项数据上仍几乎排名全 队第一。 All that said, let’s talk about those first eight players in a bit more detail. Let’s start with Thomas, the 34th pick in the draft, as he might have the most trouble keeping his head above the 13-point threshold. Thomas has only played three games because of a sore foot and two early DNPs, but the 20-year-old guard from Arkansas has earned raves for his early work — to the point that the head coach of last season’s Eastern Conference finalists started gushing about how much he could help them right now. “He’s got a special way of moving,” Cleveland coach Kenny Atkinson said before the Cavs’ game Thursday in Atlanta. “He’s amazingly shifty offensively, but what I’ve liked so far is his defense, like, his contests, his ability to get up and contest, his reaction time. It’s really stunning when you watch him.” “I can’t tell you how excited we are about him — it’s a few (games), but how he can help this team this year.” Thomas may have a hard time keeping his scoring average in double figures on a Cavs team where Donovan Mitchell and James Harden hoard most of the guard minutes and the majority of the touches, but the fact the second-rounder is part of this discussion is a testament to the quality of this class. Let’s circle back to the top. If we’re handicapping the Rookie of the Year race, Lendeborg might have the inside track given his massive role on an aging Golden State team that would be up a creek without his young legs at both ends. The shooting is probably a bit of an outlier, but what also impresses me isn’t the good games; it’s his reaction to the bad ones. Lendeborg had a stinker Friday against the Lakers but didn’t force it when the game wasn’t going his way. He ended up taking just three shots, but the Warriors came back from 25 down to beat the Lakers. On what is otherwise one of the league’s least athletic teams, an exciting race is developing as well: Lendeborg had five dunks entering Monday’s game against the Suns; the rest of his team combined has seven. Boozer, meanwhile, is showing that he has the mobility to guard the power forward position at this level and the shooting range to play it on offense. He’s made 13 3-pointers in six games and shot 28 of 29 from the free-throw line. Some of the short-range finishing concerns that scouts underlined have been there (he’s at just 38.3 percent from 2), and he’s had some grade-school-level turnovers, but his processing ability for his age and size is pretty ridiculous. Boozer already zips some of the best outlet passes in the league and makes on-ball pick-and-roll reads like a guard. He just has to tighten his handle a bit and develop more counters around the rim. 说了这麽多，接下来让我们更深入地聊聊前面提到的 8 名新秀。 先从选秀会第 34 顺位的 Thomas 开始，因为他可能是这 8 人当中，最难维持场均 13 分的球员。Thomas 因为脚部酸痛，加上开季前两场比赛都没有获得出赛机会，目前只打 了 3 场。不过，这位来自 Arkansas、年仅 20 岁的後卫，已经因为开季的表现获得高度 评价，甚至让上个球季东区决赛球队的总教练开始大力称赞他，认为他现在就能为球队带 来很大的帮助。 「他的移动方式很特别。」Cleveland 总教练 Kenny Atkinson 在周四 Cavaliers 对上 Atlanta 的比赛前表示。 「他在进攻端的变向能力非常出色，但目前为止，我最喜欢的是他的防守表现，像是他的 干扰能力、起跳封阻投篮的能力，以及反应速度。当你亲眼看他打球时，真的会觉得非常 惊人。」 「我真的无法用言语形容我们对他的期待有多高。虽然他目前只打了几场比赛，但他今年 就能为这支球队带来多少帮助，实在令人兴奋。」 Thomas 可能很难在 Cavaliers 维持场均得分双位数，毕竟 Donovan Mitchell 和 James Harden 几乎包办了大部分後卫位置的上场时间，以及球队大多数的球权。但一名 第二轮新秀能够进入这样的讨论，本身就足以证明这届选秀的整体品质有多高。 让我们回到最前面的几名球员。如果现在要评估年度最佳新秀（Rookie of the Year）的 竞争情势，Lendeborg 可能已经取得领先优势。原因在於，他在这支阵容老化的 Golden State 球队中扮演极为重要的角色。这支球队在攻防两端都需要他的年轻活力，否则处境 将会相当艰难。 他的投篮表现可能有些超出正常水准，但另一个让我印象深刻的地方，不是他打得好的比 赛，而是他面对状态不佳时的反应。Lendeborg 周五对上 Lakers 时打了一场很糟糕的比 赛，但当比赛进行得不顺利时，他并没有勉强自己出手。他最後只出手了 3 次，但 Warriors 最终还是从落後 25 分的情况下逆转击败 Lakers。 在这支联盟中运动能力相对较差的球队里，还有一项有趣的数据值得关注：Lendeborg 在 周一对上 Suns 的比赛前，已经完成 5 次灌篮；而他其余队友加起来也只有 7 次。 另一方面，Boozer 正在证明自己具备足够的机动性，能够在这个层级防守大前锋位置， 同时也拥有在进攻端胜任这个位置所需的投射范围。他在前 6 场比赛投进 13 颗三分球 ，罚球则是 29 投 28 中。 球探之前特别指出的一些问题，例如他在禁区附近的终结能力，确实还是存在。他目前两 分球命中率只有 38.3%，而且也出现过一些程度堪比国小球员的失误。不过，以他的年纪 和身材来说，他在场上的判断与处理球能力实在相当惊人。 Boozer 已经能够送出联盟顶尖水准的长传快攻，也能像後卫一样，在持球挡拆时迅速阅 读防守并做出判断。他只需要稍微改善自己的运球控制，并且在篮框附近开发更多不同的 进攻手段。 And Acuff? My goodness. He is the only elixir for the sadness that is the experience of watching this Kings team, and he looks like the reincarnation of Damian Lillard in his best moments. He has great elevation on his shot and range for miles, including a catch-and-shoot 3 Saturday that was so deep he was out of the camera shot when the pass went out to him. Right now, the shot selection is a bit too thirsty, and the defense a bit too casual, and you worry that the Kings’ Kangz-iness will rub off on him. But the talent level as a shot-creator is undeniable, and the passing ability is there when he chooses. In the East, Wilson probably has too big an offensive role for where his skill level is right now and has thus far proven to be more willing to take a 3-pointer than able to make one (14 of 47 through six games). Nonetheless, his intensity stands out on both ends on a Bulls team that will be taking its lumps all season, and his grab-and-gos from defense to offense can be breathtaking. The efficiency may come and go given the offensive load, but the flashes from his best plays are eye-popping. And again, we’re just getting warmed up. Dybantsa already looks like an elite scorer. Peterson hasn’t really started cooking from the perimeter. Wagler isn’t getting a ton of run yet with Darius Garland in the same backcourt, but between his play and the Clippers’ general badness, he may force his way into a bigger role. No. 16 pick Bennett Stirtz just moved into the rotation in Oklahoma City thanks to the Thunder’s hell week, while No. 6 pick Mikel Brown Jr. and No. 13 pick Nate Ament have been held back because of early injuries. Atlanta’s Kingston Flemings is impacting games with his speed already and just needs to slow down a bit (and keep his elbows down). A few intriguing mid- and late-first-round picks, such as Dallas’ Sergio De Larrea, Philadelphia’s Labaron Philon, Detroit’s Ebuka Okorie and Charlotte’s Hannes Steinbach, have hardly tasted the court. Time will tell whether this rookie class ends up on par with that exalted group from 2018 or the LeBron James-Carmelo Anthony-Dwyane Wade-Chris Bosh class of 2003, but we’re off to an amazing start. It’s clear that the volume of year-one impact players from this group could be historic. 至於 Acuff 呢？我的天啊。 他是这支 Kings 球队令人沮丧的比赛体验中，唯一能带来慰藉的解药。在他表现最出色 的时刻，你会觉得他就像是 Damian Lillard 转世一样。他的跳投有很好的滞空高度，而 且射程远得惊人。周六有一球接球就投的三分球，距离远到传球送到他手上时，他甚至已 经跑出摄影机的画面范围。 目前他的出手选择有些过於急躁，防守态度也稍嫌随便，而且你会担心 Kings 那种根深 蒂固的混乱球队文化（Kangz-iness）会不会影响到他。不过，他作为一名自主创造投篮 机会的得分手，天赋绝对无庸置疑；而当他愿意传球时，也确实展现出不错的传球能力。 至於东区的 Wilson，以他目前的技术水准来说，可能在进攻端承担了太多责任。到目前 为止，他似乎比较愿意出手三分球，而不是有能力把球投进。前 6 场比赛，他三分球 47 投仅 14 中。 尽管如此，在这支整个球季都可能持续遭遇挫折的 Bulls 阵中，他在攻防两端展现出的 拚劲仍然非常突出。他从防守转换成进攻、抢下篮板後直接推进的能力，有时甚至令人叹 为观止。考量到他承担的进攻责任，他的效率可能时好时坏，但他在最出色的几次进攻中 展现出的能力，确实令人眼睛一亮。 而且再说一次，这一切都才刚开始。 Dybantsa 已经看起来像是一名顶级得分手。Peterson 还没有真正展现出自己的外线投射 能力。Wagler 因为和 Darius Garland 同处一个後场，目前还没有获得太多上场时间， 但考量到他的表现，以及 Clippers 整体战力不佳的情况，他可能会逐渐争取到更重要的 角色。 选秀第 16 顺位的 Bennett Stirtz，则因为 Thunder 经历了一段艰难的一周，最近才开 始进入轮替阵容。至於第 6 顺位的 Mikel Brown Jr. 和第 13 顺位的 Nate Ament，则 因为开季初期受伤而受到影响。 Atlanta 的 Kingston Flemings 已经凭藉自己的速度对比赛产生影响，只是他需要稍微 放慢脚步（还有把手肘收好）。 另外，还有几名值得期待的首轮中後段新秀，像是 Dallas 的 Sergio De Larrea、 Philadelphia 的 Labaron Philon、Detroit 的 Ebuka Okorie，以及 Charlotte 的 Hannes Steinbach，目前几乎还没有真正获得上场机会。 时间会证明这届新秀最终能否达到 2018 年那届杰出选秀梯次，或是 2003 年 LeBron James、Carmelo Anthony、Dwyane Wade 和 Chris Bosh 所在的那届选秀水准，但至少目 前为止，我们已经有了一个令人惊艳的开局。 很明显，这届新秀在生涯第一年就能产生影响力的球员数量，有可能创下历史纪录。 -- 史上最伟大的一届要诞生了吗 --

※ 发信站: 批踢踢实业坊(ptt.cc), 来自: 220.141.195.37 (台湾) ※ 文章网址: https://webptt.com/cn.aspx?n=bbs/NBAEasyChat/M.1793761688.A.0B2.html