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. 難怪去年大家都在擺爛搶狀元 觀看這屆 NBA 選秀新秀的表現，真的讓人大開眼界。不過，直到週六看完 Memphis 對 Sacramento 的比賽，我才真正意識到這屆新秀有多出色：兩名菜鳥球員——Grizzlies 的 Cameron Boozer 和 Kings 的 Darius Acuff Jr.——竟然是場上實力明顯最好的兩名 球員。這種情況在 NBA 比賽中根本不常見，尤其還是在球季開打的前兩週。 我不認為自己曾經看過哪一屆新秀，能有這麼多球員在球季初期就展現出如此出色的水準 。這不只是 Boozer 而已，他在生涯第 5 場比賽就拿下大三元，而且 Memphis 能夠打出 令人意外的近乎全勝戰績，他也是關鍵原因之一；也不只是 Acuff，他在對上 Grizzlies 時狂砍 37 分，到了週一，他的場均得分已經高居全聯盟第 9。 想想看，首輪第 11 順位被 Golden State 選中的 Yaxel Lendeborg，如今已經展現出令 人驚豔的表現。週末對上 Clippers 時，他狂轟 37 分，而且截至週日為止，他的三分球 命中率達到 40.9%，在大量出手的情況下，外線手感比大多數人的預期還要出色。 又或者，狀元 AJ Dybantsa 才剛開始在 Washington 展開職業生涯。他在職業生涯前 57 分鐘，就已經拿下 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，還有更多值得關注的球員：Chicago 的 Caleb Wilson 在生涯前 6 場比賽就完成 了 15 次灌籃，目前還是球隊的得分王。Clippers 那位沉著冷靜的新秀 Keaton Wagler ，則意外地獲得大量罰球機會。儘管他的身材相當單薄，卻已經製造了大量犯規（截至週 一共獲得 42 次罰球機會），罰球率排名全聯盟第 5，彌補了他原本相當致命的三分球手 感開季低迷的問題。至於 Utah 的 Darryn Peterson，則是 Jazz 悲慘開季中少數值得欣 慰的亮點之一。 我們看過不少最終證明非常出色的選秀梯次，但這屆有許多球員幾乎在踏入聯盟後立刻就 產生影響力，即使其中好幾人都還只是打完大學一年就投入選秀的青少年球員。 截至週日的比賽結束，共有 8 名新秀場均至少拿下 13 分，其中包括我前面提到的 7 名 球員，以及 Cleveland 在第二輪選中的 Meleek Thomas。在這 8 人當中，只有 Lendeborg 已經達到美國合法飲酒年齡。 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. 如果這個趨勢能夠持續下去，那我們就真的見證了相當罕見的情況。上個球季，在至少出 賽 25 場的新秀當中，只有 6 人場均得分達到 13 分；再前一個球季，則只有 2 人。過 去 10 年平均每季只有 5 人達到這個標準。唯一一次出現 8 人的情況是在 2019-20 球 季，而其中一人是 Kendrick Nunn，當時他已經 24 歲，而且前一整季都待在 G League 。 即使是 2018 年那屆令人驚豔的選秀梯次，也只有 6 名新秀場均至少拿下 13 分。未來 的明星球員 Shai Gilgeous-Alexander、Jalen Brunson 和 Mikal Bridges 都沒能達到 這個標準，而 Donte DiVincenzo 和 Grayson Allen 當時幾乎沒有獲得上場機會。 這項數據之所以更加驚人，是因為我們才剛進入球季第二週。新秀的得分表現通常要到球 季後段才會明顯提升，部分原因是戰績不佳的球隊會更放心地讓新秀上場接受考驗，另一 部分原因則是新秀本身也累積了寶貴的經驗。 舉例來說，上個球季 Utah 的 Ace Bailey 就是如此。他在 10 月場均只有 4.4 分，但 全明星賽後場均得分提升到 18.3 分，成功突破場均 13 分的門檻。 更令人印象深刻的是，這些新秀並不是在球隊刻意擺爛的環境下打出這些成績。 像是上個球季的 Bailey，或是 2023-24 球季的 GG Jackson 和 Scoot Henderson，他們 之所以能夠達到場均 13 分，很大程度上是因為球隊擺爛的氛圍對他們相當有利。簡單來 說，球隊本來就沒有打算贏球，因此他們獲得了大量近乎免費的上場時間。 但受到聯盟樂透制度改革的影響，本季這種情況已經不太存在，而且影響是雙向的：你也 不再能輕易從一支派出 G League 球員、刻意擺爛的對手身上取得大量分數。 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，這屆新秀的深度遠遠不只前面提到的 8 人。以下幾名球員也沒有被列入這份名單 ： - Oklahoma City 內線球員 Aday Mara： 我上週親眼看他對上 Phoenix 時，繳出了一場 令人印象深刻的雙十表現。賽後，Thunder 總教練 Mark Daigneault 還告訴我：「我其 實不覺得他今晚有拿出自己最好的狀態。」好吧，那麼狀態好的他究竟能有多出色？ Mara 前 6 場比賽的阻攻率達到 10.1%，而且隨著 Chet Holmgren 受傷，他即將獲得大 幅增加的上場時間。 - Milwaukee 的 Brayden Burries： 即使他的上場時間受到後場球員過於擁擠，以及球 隊必須讓 AJ Green 上場的規定所限制，他的 PER（球員效率值）仍達到 18.5，正在挑 戰成為球隊的第一名。對於喜歡看 YouTube 精華的觀眾來說，Burries 週六對上 Cleveland 時，還在比賽垃圾時間上演了一記相當兇猛的灌籃。 - Denver 第二輪新秀 Trevon Brazile： 他在一支以爭冠為目標的球隊中，意外扮演了 相當重要的角色。他的籃板率高居全隊第一，同時超過一半的出手都是三分球，而且還投 進了相當不錯的比例，三分命中率達到 35.3%。 - Toronto 的 Allen Graves： 他身處一支實力不錯的球隊，因此上場時間受到限制，但 即使只有短暫的出場時間，他仍展現出一些當初讓他從規模不大的 Santa Clara 大學獲 選的稀有能力。他只打了 82 分鐘，就累積了 9 次「Stocks」（抄截與阻攻），還抓下 驚人的 13 個進攻籃板。即使上場時間非常有限，他在進攻籃板這項數據上仍幾乎排名全 隊第一。 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. 說了這麼多，接下來讓我們更深入地聊聊前面提到的 8 名新秀。 先從選秀會第 34 順位的 Thomas 開始，因為他可能是這 8 人當中，最難維持場均 13 分的球員。Thomas 因為腳部痠痛，加上開季前兩場比賽都沒有獲得出賽機會，目前只打 了 3 場。不過，這位來自 Arkansas、年僅 20 歲的後衛，已經因為開季的表現獲得高度 評價，甚至讓上個球季東區決賽球隊的總教練開始大力稱讚他，認為他現在就能為球隊帶 來很大的幫助。 「他的移動方式很特別。」Cleveland 總教練 Kenny Atkinson 在週四 Cavaliers 對上 Atlanta 的比賽前表示。 「他在進攻端的變向能力非常出色，但目前為止，我最喜歡的是他的防守表現，像是他的 干擾能力、起跳封阻投籃的能力，以及反應速度。當你親眼看他打球時，真的會覺得非常 驚人。」 「我真的無法用言語形容我們對他的期待有多高。雖然他目前只打了幾場比賽，但他今年 就能為這支球隊帶來多少幫助，實在令人興奮。」 Thomas 可能很難在 Cavaliers 維持場均得分雙位數，畢竟 Donovan Mitchell 和 James Harden 幾乎包辦了大部分後衛位置的上場時間，以及球隊大多數的球權。但一名 第二輪新秀能夠進入這樣的討論，本身就足以證明這屆選秀的整體品質有多高。 讓我們回到最前面的幾名球員。如果現在要評估年度最佳新秀（Rookie of the Year）的 競爭情勢，Lendeborg 可能已經取得領先優勢。原因在於，他在這支陣容老化的 Golden State 球隊中扮演極為重要的角色。這支球隊在攻防兩端都需要他的年輕活力，否則處境 將會相當艱難。 他的投籃表現可能有些超出正常水準，但另一個讓我印象深刻的地方，不是他打得好的比 賽，而是他面對狀態不佳時的反應。Lendeborg 週五對上 Lakers 時打了一場很糟糕的比 賽，但當比賽進行得不順利時，他並沒有勉強自己出手。他最後只出手了 3 次，但 Warriors 最終還是從落後 25 分的情況下逆轉擊敗 Lakers。 在這支聯盟中運動能力相對較差的球隊裡，還有一項有趣的數據值得關注：Lendeborg 在 週一對上 Suns 的比賽前，已經完成 5 次灌籃；而他其餘隊友加起來也只有 7 次。 另一方面，Boozer 正在證明自己具備足夠的機動性，能夠在這個層級防守大前鋒位置， 同時也擁有在進攻端勝任這個位置所需的投射範圍。他在前 6 場比賽投進 13 顆三分球 ，罰球則是 29 投 28 中。 球探之前特別指出的一些問題，例如他在禁區附近的終結能力，確實還是存在。他目前兩 分球命中率只有 38.3%，而且也出現過一些程度堪比國小球員的失誤。不過，以他的年紀 和身材來說，他在場上的判斷與處理球能力實在相當驚人。 Boozer 已經能夠送出聯盟頂尖水準的長傳快攻，也能像後衛一樣，在持球擋拆時迅速閱 讀防守並做出判斷。他只需要稍微改善自己的運球控制，並且在籃框附近開發更多不同的 進攻手段。 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。 他是這支 Kings 球隊令人沮喪的比賽體驗中，唯一能帶來慰藉的解藥。在他表現最出色 的時刻，你會覺得他就像是 Damian Lillard 轉世一樣。他的跳投有很好的滯空高度，而 且射程遠得驚人。週六有一球接球就投的三分球，距離遠到傳球送到他手上時，他甚至已 經跑出攝影機的畫面範圍。 目前他的出手選擇有些過於急躁，防守態度也稍嫌隨便，而且你會擔心 Kings 那種根深 蒂固的混亂球隊文化（Kangz-iness）會不會影響到他。不過，他作為一名自主創造投籃 機會的得分手，天賦絕對無庸置疑；而當他願意傳球時，也確實展現出不錯的傳球能力。 至於東區的 Wilson，以他目前的技術水準來說，可能在進攻端承擔了太多責任。到目前 為止，他似乎比較願意出手三分球，而不是有能力把球投進。前 6 場比賽，他三分球 47 投僅 14 中。 儘管如此，在這支整個球季都可能持續遭遇挫折的 Bulls 陣中，他在攻防兩端展現出的 拚勁仍然非常突出。他從防守轉換成進攻、搶下籃板後直接推進的能力，有時甚至令人嘆 為觀止。考量到他承擔的進攻責任，他的效率可能時好時壞，但他在最出色的幾次進攻中 展現出的能力，確實令人眼睛一亮。 而且再說一次，這一切都才剛開始。 Dybantsa 已經看起來像是一名頂級得分手。Peterson 還沒有真正展現出自己的外線投射 能力。Wagler 因為和 Darius Garland 同處一個後場，目前還沒有獲得太多上場時間， 但考量到他的表現，以及 Clippers 整體戰力不佳的情況，他可能會逐漸爭取到更重要的 角色。 選秀第 16 順位的 Bennett Stirtz，則因為 Thunder 經歷了一段艱難的一週，最近才開 始進入輪替陣容。至於第 6 順位的 Mikel Brown Jr. 和第 13 順位的 Nate Ament，則 因為開季初期受傷而受到影響。 Atlanta 的 Kingston Flemings 已經憑藉自己的速度對比賽產生影響，只是他需要稍微 放慢腳步（還有把手肘收好）。 另外，還有幾名值得期待的首輪中後段新秀，像是 Dallas 的 Sergio De Larrea、 Philadelphia 的 Labaron Philon、Detroit 的 Ebuka Okorie，以及 Charlotte 的 Hannes Steinbach，目前幾乎還沒有真正獲得上場機會。 時間會證明這屆新秀最終能否達到 2018 年那屆傑出選秀梯次，或是 2003 年 LeBron James、Carmelo Anthony、Dwyane Wade 和 Chris Bosh 所在的那屆選秀水準，但至少目 前為止，我們已經有了一個令人驚豔的開局。 很明顯，這屆新秀在生涯第一年就能產生影響力的球員數量，有可能創下歷史紀錄。 -- 史上最偉大的一屆要誕生了嗎 --

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