Sophomores:
PG: John Wall, Washington Wizards. No surprise here, the freshman sensation at Kentucky has been everything as advertised. It’s a point guard’s league right now, and Wall is well on his way to Top 5 status.
SG: Xavier Henry, Memphis Grizzlies. A travesty he went 12th overall in the 2010 draft. This blogger had him ranked as the second best player in his class behind Wall. A cross between Tayshaun Prince and Joe Johnson, he already has established himself as a top shooting guard in the league.
SF: Al-Farouq Aminu, Los Angeles Clippers. A Wake Forest product. Lasted two years in that hell-hole, unlike Mike who bailed after just the one. Still needs to refine his offensive game, but the raw talent is there. Provides great rebounding from the 3 position.
PF: Derrick Favors, Brooklyn Bridge. Finally, we get to see what he can do with teammates who can get him the ball in the favorable post positions. Defensively he’s a monster, too. The best big man to enter the league since Dwight Howard.
C: DeMarcus Cousins, Sacramento Kings. Has been a complete beast all year. Will never be much more than a 15-10 guy, but it looks like he’ll be putting up those numbers consistently for the next 10 years.
Bench: Evan Turner, Philadelphia 76ers. Gordon Hayward, Utah Jazz. Greg Monroe, Detroit Pistons. Cole Aldrich, Oklahoma City Thunder. Eric Bledsoe, Los Angeles Clippers. Andy Rautins, New York Knicks.
Rookies:
PG: Cal, LA Lakers. (I’m really debating whether or not to make a “Derek Fisher’s kid got cancer again and Calvin took advantage” joke right here). Nah, let’s go with this: Every time Cal shoots a free throw, he puts on his SAE shades, waves to Jack and all the other courtside celebs, asks the ref for a “rack,” then takes the shot.
SG: Jamie, Miami Heat. Has only showed up hammered for 2 games this season, in which he scored 21 and 19 points. Is averaging 9.3 points in all other sober games.
SF: Farina, Brooklyn Deckers. Avery Johnson was upset with his top draft pick for choosing Garden City Baseball Camp over the NBA Summer League, but whatever works for ya, right?
PF: Quinn, Golden State. Leads all rookies in scoring with 16.4 ppg. What little street cred he had, though, has completely disappeared since he started hanging out with Jeremy Lin.
C: Brenny, NY Knicks. Started immediately for the Knicks and has been serviceable all season. Has improved his offensive game. Likes pulling pranks on Danilo Gallinari, such as telling him this is the best place to pick up chicks in New York.
Bench: Mike, Portland Trail Blazers. Mitch, Sacramento Kings. Tom, Boston Celtics. Dave Robb, San Antonio Spurs. Jesse, Phoenix Suns.
*Sam Hyatt not selected for Rookies but will be participating in the 3-point contest.
