This article is part of our The Prospect Post series.
Grading The Rising Stars Challenge Participants: The World Team
This article aims to provide an ongoing evaluation of the NBA's rookie class from a fantasy standpoint while also offering deep dives on college players with bright futures. Projecting young talent is very subjective, so an open dialogue is encouraged, both in the comments section and on Twitter: @RealJRAnderson
The NBA All-Star Game gets a pretty bad rap this time of year, as traditionalists wring their hands over a game where nobody tries until the final five minutes. Well, the main event of All-Star Weekend looks like Game 7 of the NBA Finals compared to the Rising Stars Challenge, which takes place in two weeks. It often resembles a pick-up game where everyone is tired and there will be a fast break where only two players from each team make it over half court while everyone else waits their turn to hoist a three-pointer or soar for an uncontested dunk. However, it does serve as a way for the rookies and sophomores to distinguish themselves among their peers. As is the case in the All-Star Game, the final minutes typically turn competitive if the score is close, and we get to see which players rise to the occasion. This year, the rosters are split into a U.S. team and a world team, instead of rookies vs. sophomores, a change that may inject some fire into the proceedings, but will more likely not be noticeable at all.
To celebrate such a monumental
Grading The Rising Stars Challenge Participants: The World Team
This article aims to provide an ongoing evaluation of the NBA's rookie class from a fantasy standpoint while also offering deep dives on college players with bright futures. Projecting young talent is very subjective, so an open dialogue is encouraged, both in the comments section and on Twitter: @RealJRAnderson
The NBA All-Star Game gets a pretty bad rap this time of year, as traditionalists wring their hands over a game where nobody tries until the final five minutes. Well, the main event of All-Star Weekend looks like Game 7 of the NBA Finals compared to the Rising Stars Challenge, which takes place in two weeks. It often resembles a pick-up game where everyone is tired and there will be a fast break where only two players from each team make it over half court while everyone else waits their turn to hoist a three-pointer or soar for an uncontested dunk. However, it does serve as a way for the rookies and sophomores to distinguish themselves among their peers. As is the case in the All-Star Game, the final minutes typically turn competitive if the score is close, and we get to see which players rise to the occasion. This year, the rosters are split into a U.S. team and a world team, instead of rookies vs. sophomores, a change that may inject some fire into the proceedings, but will more likely not be noticeable at all.
To celebrate such a monumental event, I went through the rosters and assigned grades to each of the participants based on their careers to this point. The world team gets covered this week, and next week, I will tackle Team USA.
WORLD TEAM
Steven Adams, C, Thunder
Adams is perfect for what the Thunder need him to do as a big man enforcing down low. He would average a double-double if he saw a typical starter's workload, but he fouls at a rate that does not allow him to see that kind of run. Still, the Thunder probably don't mind his fouls, as they typically pack a punch. He is a better real life player than fantasy player, and his 52.9 percent free-throw shooting can be a bit of a drag, but Adams is still worth owning in mid-sized leagues.
Grade: B
Giannis Antetokounmpo, SF, Bucks
Antetokounmpo has made significant strides to improve his offensive efficiency in his second season. He is only attempting 0.6 three-pointers per game after hoisting 1.5 per game in fewer minutes as a rookie. He is also shooting much better on two-point field goals (44 percent to 51.6 percent), and these two factors have led to a major increase in his overall efficiency, as he is shooting 49.4 percent from the field compared to 41.4 percent as a rookie. The Greek Freak is also a better free-throw shooter and a better per-minute rebounder this season. His potential is still unlimited, and as one of the youngest starters in the league, he is well ahead of the curve.
Grade: A-
Bojan Bogdanovic, SF, Nets
While Bogdanovic is a rookie, he is 25 years old, and has been able to fit right into the Nets' shaky rotation since the start of the season. There is not a lot to love here. He doesn't bring much to the table defensively, and he attempts three three-pointers per game, despite only making 30.5 percent of his attempts. Bogdanovic profiles as an eighth or ninth man on a fringe playoff team.
Grade: D
Gorgui Dieng, PF/C, Timberwolves
I wrote about Dieng at length here because he has emerged as one of the best second-year players in the league. Everything is trending up for Dieng, and he should be one of the better two-way big men in the league for the next decade.
Grade: A
Dante Exum, PG, Jazz
It's good to see Exum finally starting to see significant minutes (28.9 mpg over his last five games), but he has still not been very productive. His season high for points is 15, and his high mark for assists is five, so there has not been that one special eye-opening game to this point. He won't turn 20 until July, and I'm still a huge believer in Exum's potential down the road, but he does not appear ready for a major role in the NBA just yet.
Grade: C-
Rudy Gobert, C, Jazz
I wrote about Gobert at length here, and there is really no limit to how good he can be down the road. For now, he is one of the best backup centers in the league (although he should be starting over Enes Kanter), and his ability to block shots is unmatched.
Grade: A
Nikola Mirotic, PF, Bulls
If Mirotic was seeing starter's minutes, he would probably be a top-50 fantasy option, as he averages 15.4 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.2 steals, 1.3 blocks and 2.5 three-pointers per-36 minutes. Unfortunately, Mirotic is on perhaps the worst team in the league to see minutes in the frontcourt and to see minutes as a rookie, as the Bulls are stacked and coach Tom Thibodeau is notoriously impatient with young players. The only knock on Mirotic is his shooting (40.6 percent from the field), but he has the talent to improve in that department, and could eventually turn that into another area of strength.
Grade: A-
Kelly Olynyk, PF/C, Celtics
Olynyk has been a fine fantasy option in deeper leagues this season, as he contributes across the board, but his production has not improved much from his rookie season. His output has stalled in all the counting stats, and while his field-goal percentage has improved (46.6 percent to 50.6 percent), his three-point shooting has remained the same, and his free-throw shooting has actually declined significantly (81.1 percent to 68.2 percent). Olynyk will probably survive as a backup big man for another six or eight seasons, but it is hard to project him to ever be an average starter.
Grade: C
Dennis Schroder, PG, Hawks
After a pretty uneventful rookie season, Schroder has been a true breakout player in his second year with the Hawks. His per-36 minute numbers are way up across the board, and he is shooting 44.6 percent from the field and 77.9 percent from the line, compared to 38.3 percent and 67.4 percent, respectively, last season. He won't turn 22 until September, so there is reason to believe he can continue to improve in the coming seasons, but even now, he is one of the best backup point guards in the league.
Grade: B
Andrew Wiggins, SG, Timberwolves
I wrote a whole article about Wiggins on Jan. 1, and since then, he has averaged 19.2 points, 4.9 rebounds, 1.3 steals and 0.7 blocks while shooting 46.5 percent from the field and 79.2 percent from the line. It helps that he has seen 38.2 minutes per game over that span, thanks in large part to Kevin Martin's absence, but there is no denying that Wiggins is becoming a better player on a week-to-week basis. He still has a long way to go on both ends of the court to completely silence the doubters, but so far, his rookie season has to be seen as a major success.
Grade: B+
