Chandler Parsons now #3 on Thorpe's Rookie Rankings

another great morey pick. unbelievable

 

Agreed, let's hope he plays like his shorts are on fire his entire career.

DD

 

Can someone post the whole article. Are Irving and Rubio in front of him?

 

I would assume so

 

I know a lot of Rockets fans look at Parsons and say we should lower our expectations for him because Buddhinger also had some good moments as a rookie but has since underperformed.

However, unless I am mistaken, Buddhinger never got the love from the national basketball meeting that Parsons is getting...and for good reason.

Parsons is a totally different player than Buddhinger. He excels on defense, he is aggresive and physical, he does not shy away from contact...the list goes on.

My real question is not Parsons vs. Buddhinger, but Parsons vs. Morris. It really seems Parsons is a keeper in this league, and, if he improves, a solid NBA starter. But where does that leave Morris and his ability to find a place on this team and to develop as a player? I think it is clear that both Parsons and Morris each have only one true position in the NBA, which is SF. I also think that if Parsons continues playing like this that he will have the SF position locked down for the next 4 years (the length of his frugal contract). So, does Morris have to sit on the bench during that time? Does he even get to do that?

 

Budinger.

 

Budinger is a better shooter than Parsons and jumps slightly higher. Besides from those two aspects, Parsons is better at every other facet of the game.

 

Buddhinger Buddhinger Buddhinger Buddhinger Buddhinger

 

Any particular reason why you won't post the whole article?

 

It's early. He'll come back to earth.

 

Morris could be a backup player at three or four, or be removed in a trade. He has not shown anything yet in a NBA game. Parsons played well in every game so far, and played great last night, he will have a great future in NBA.

 

Intelligence and court awareness will come back down to earth? Don't think so. Those are things that improve with more experience, and that's the reason he's getting playing time right now.

And his shooting definitely can't get any worse.

 

You see... that's why SOPA was written...

I KID, man.

I think the only thing in which we're intereseted is C-Par... aren't we? Why would you even want to know about others? It's not like they're threatening Parsons' spot on the Freshman game.

 

Now that's a front page picture on ESPN.

 

I actually think he is pretty earthly right now.

Offense is something that could explode and go away. Defense will always be there.

Parsons isn't making a lot of 3 shots, he isn't scoring a lot of points. He's doing every other aspect of the game well, driving in the hoop, rebounding, defense, passing.

For once, in a long time, we are impressed by a rookie's defense. For the most part in the last few years we've been impressed with the rookie offensive production of guys like Budinger, Brooks, Landry and Scola.

 

Here is the entire article... (I don't have a problem posting it).

Rookie Watch: Biggest surprises
With games coming at an alarming rate and players moving in and out of rotations thanks to injuries, fouls or coaching decisions, it's too early to make any kind of permanent decision about how this class is doing. One week a player could be scoring and playing a lot, the next week he could be out of the rotation entirely.

Still, there are five guys who have played well enough, and for enough minutes, to be noticed as having more than just a few good moments. And all five are exceeding expectations by a good degree. Here are my top surprises of the first month of the season.

ROOKIE 50 RANKINGS

We're keeping track of every NBA rook. Here are the latest Top 50 rankings.
1 Kyrie Irving
2 Ricky Rubio
3 Chandler Parsons
4 MarShon Brooks
5 Kahwi Leonard
6 Kemba Walker
7 Jon Leuer
8 Derrick Williams
9 Brandon Knight
10 Iman Shumpert


Kyrie Irving, Cavaliers
(Drafted No. 1 overall; current rookie rank: No. 1)

As a rookie, Derrick Rose posted a player efficiency rating (PER) of 16.05, well below the 18.28 that the following season's rookie of the year, Tyreke Evans, put up. Mike Conley struggled some in Year 1 with a 12.58 PER (and an early-season injury), and John Wall finished his first season with a 15.85 PER.

So when I tell you that Irving -- another one-and-done point guard taken in the top five of the draft -- has a PER of 20.62, it's easy to see how special that is, especially since he barely played during his one season at Duke.

Rose, Evans, Conley and Wall all had monster freshman seasons in college and each seemed ready for the NBA when he declared for the draft. Irving likely would have as well, if not for a toe injury that limited him to 11 NCAA games. But no matter; the Cavs rookie arrived in the NBA ready to start -- and star -- for his franchise. Irving's stats show the deep and varied impact he's having already, and that includes helping the Cavs win games. With Irving as their best player, the Cavs have quickly recovered from last season's 19-63 record and are now legit playoff contenders in the East.

The best news comes in the form of their future. Of the point guards mentioned above, only Evans regressed after his rookie season, while Rose and Conley have greatly improved and Wall looks poised to explode as this season unfolds. Considering how few games Irving has played since his last game in high school, his learning curve is even steeper than the others listed. So as he catches up, his game can take off to an even higher level.


Ricky Rubio, Timberwolves
(Drafted No. 5 in 2009; current rookie rank: No. 2)

As we documented last week, Rubio has already proved to be the kind of player everyone hoped he would be two seasons ago when he fell to the Wolves at No. 5. But that doesn't mean his performance so far has not been a surprise. In fact, many teams in the league expected him to be horrible this season.

Rubio's shooting woes are evident, and he's so focused on making the great pass that he tends to miss easier plays and thus risks unnecessary turnovers, but there's no denying his impact on both sides of the ball.

Consider this: Rubio is already a better defender than Russell Westbrook, Rose, Evans and Wall were when they were rookies -- by a mile. He might even be better on defense than they are now (more data will give us that answer). He's someone offenses have to account for when handling the ball against the Wolves. That alone is shocking to those who think power and speed are defensive requirements in the NBA. Rubio's length, feel and willingness to "muck things up" go a long way on defense.


Chandler Parsons, Rockets
(Drafted No. 38; current rookie rank: No. 3)

Having to beat out lottery pick and All-American Marcus Morris for a spot in the rotation was a tough enough task for Parsons, who was largely an underachiever for most of his career at Florida. As a second-round pick, just getting a spot on the team was not even assured. But after arriving at camp, Parsons was not only good enough for the Rockets to send Morris to the D-League, but he started pressing starter Chase Budinger for playing time. Then he took that starting spot by playing good defense, hustling, making enough shots, finding opportunities to attack the rim on the offensive glass and just generally being a better player than Budinger.

At 6-foot-10, Parsons gives the Rockets the size they often need on defense. When he matched up with Kevin Durant in Oklahoma City, Durant scored a lot of points, but Parsons fought him every step of the way, something he didn't always do in college. If he brings it every night in the NBA, he's going to be a tough player to replace in the starting lineup.


MarShon Brooks, Nets
(Drafted No. 25; current rookie rank: No. 4)

Any time a rookie performs as well as Brooks has, it's a surprise, even if he was the top pick in the draft. But what Brooks is doing as a late first-round pick is stunning.

Brooks' scoring talent was obvious in college, but teams weren't sure how it would transfer to the NBA since he'd be playing second fiddle to Deron Williams after playing like Jimmer Fredette at Providence (he had the ball in his hands all the time and could do whatever he wanted). But Brooks has proved to be many things for the Nets -- an excellent weapon playing off of Williams, a great shot-creator on his own, a terrific finisher in the paint and as a midrange shooter, and a good 3-point specialist. Not only that, but he's rebounding and defending his position like a veteran.

If he maintains this level of play, Brooks becomes a long-term solution as a starting shooting guard in the NBA. He's a strong contender for rookie of the year honors and he looks like he can be the leading scorer of his team in the next few years. Right now, it looks like the Celtics will live to regret not drafting him and trading the pick to the Nets.


Jon Leuer, Bucks
(Drafted No. 40; current rookie rank: No. 7)

I don't think players should stay in school so they can learn more about the game. Colleges do not have a monopoly on "learning" -- whether it's in basketball or in the business world (check out how many billionaires have been college dropouts). Many of the game's greatest players barely went to school or never went at all. Yet, it's certainly true that a player who spends four years with a good coach can come into the league fully prepared to help his team on both ends of the floor. Leuer, who went to Wisconsin, is exactly that kind of guy.

It's not that his skill set is so special, or that his physical gifts are overwhelming. Rather, it's his entire package. He's where he's supposed to be on almost every possession and he's talented enough to then finish off the play.

He's also poised with the ball, a big reason Milwaukee's offense is best when he's on the floor. Leuer ranks in the top 20 among all power forwards in assist rate, fifth among all rooks in lowest turnover rate and first in his class in true shooting percentage. Wisconsin is known for playing amazing half-court man-to-man defense, but it's Leuer's maturity on offense that's helping him be one of the top second-round picks of the draft.

 

Why do they both look like they're special...