Week 8: Eye on the Rookies

Draftnation's Zach Bowers is keeping his eye on the NBA rookies and gives us his Top Five Rookie of the Year canidates and his "Impact Three" rookies.

Top Five

1. Derrick Rose, PG, Chicago Bulls- Rose continues to play well this season. He looks more like a 5 year veteran than a rookie point guard, which is a testament to his amazing skills. He remains on top of this list because the Rose lead Bulls are playing better than the Mayo lead Grizzlies.


2. OJ Mayo, SG, Memphis Grizzlies-  As previously pointed out, Mayo's numbers this year are extremely similar to those of Kevin Durant's rookie season. Mayo is a great scorer who can get his shot off anytime. I love the way Mayo comes to play against the NBA's best players; Mayo scored 22 points against Kobe Bryant and 28 against Dwayne Wade.


3. Rudy Fernandez, SG, Portland Trailblazers- The Trailblazers are hoping Fernandez, who has pro experience in Europe, won't hit the "Rookie Wall" because he is an important member of their second unit. Not only is Fernandez a great shooter, he  has a chance to make it to the All-Star Slam Dunk contest.


4. Russell Westbrook, PG, Oklahoma City Thunder- Westbrook finally found his way into the starting lineup which is basically what was keeping him out of our rankings. His shot (selection) needs some work, but Westbrook continues to get to the line to earn his points. Westbrook also has a chance to be in the Slam Dunk Contest.


5. Michael Beasley, PF, Miami Heat- Beasley can't seem to find any consistency. In his last six games he has scored 20, 13, 6, 11, 5 and 14 points. His rebounding numbers are equally inconsistent over the last six games 8, 1, 1, 5, 2 and 6. Playing inside more and getting to the free throw line would help Beasley a lot.

Impact Three

1. Luc Mbah a Moute, F, Milwaukee Bucks- After a rough stretch of the season in November, Mbah a Moute has started to gain more minutes and his production is improving as well. He has grabbed 9 boards in each of his last three games and scored over 10 points in each game.


2. Marreese Speights, PF, Philadelphia 76ers- Speights' minutes have been inconsistent all year, but over his last three games he is averaging 15 points and a ridiculous three blocks per game. With Elton Brand out Speights will continue to get more minutes.


3. Courtney Lee, SG, Orlando Magic- Lee has been a efficient scorer off the bench for the surging Magic. He is shooting 50% from three in December (11-22) and is the back up guard the Magic needed.