For some reason I have missed this, but EOB has been counting down the top 100 basketball players in the NBA… Here are the players from Kentucky and the rankings…Do you agree with them?? Should they be higher or lower??
[B]77. DeMarcus Cousins, F, age 20, Sacramento Kings[/B]
[B]2011 Stats: 14.1 points, 8.6 rebounds, .8 blocks, 43.0 FG%, 14.62 PER[/B]
[B]Composite rankings (random order): 84, 76, 72[/B]
Cousins was a top-10 knucklehead last year. He was benched for making a choke sign at an opponent during a free throw attempt. He was thrown off the team plane for fighting with a teammate. He was kicked out of practice. He was fined for undisclosed reasons. He was ejected from a game for shoving [URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/nba/players/playerpage/555985″][COLOR=#3b5998]Martell Webster[/COLOR][/URL] during a fracas. The list goes on and on.
There were two bigger concerns than all of that immaturity: turnovers and efficiency. Cousins committed 3.3 turnovers in just 28.5 minutes per game and shot just 43% from the field. It’s not unusual for young big men to deal with those issues, though, and improvement in both categories going forward is a virtual certainty, as Cousins learns how to adjust to the NBA game, NBA officials and figures out how to best use his huge frame and excellent instincts around the basket. Despite his many flaws, Cousins’ size and skill give him a chance to be a top-25 NBA player far more quickly than you might expect. The talent and potential are there, lurking beneath the surface.
[B]41. [/B][URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/nba/players/playerpage/1755192″][COLOR=#3b5998][B]John Wall[/B][/COLOR][/URL][B], PG, age 20, Washington [/B][URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/page/WAS”][B][COLOR=#3b5998]Wizards[/COLOR][/B][/URL]
[B]2011 stats: 16.4 ppg, 8.3 apg, 4.6 rpg, 40.9 FG%, 15.85 PER
Composite rankings (random order): 50, 45, 34
[/B]
I don’t get the sense Wall will be staying anywhere near the 40s for long. His rookie season would’ve grabbed a lot more attention if it weren’t for that mammoth dunking over cars out in Los Angeles. Looking at his year — 16.4 points and 8.3 assists per game — that’s pretty darn good for a rookie point guard. Especially considering he was dealing with a mostly dysfunctional roster and teammates that may or may not have been told they were playing in the NBA.
Wall’s place is temporary so really, it’s more of a question of where he’s going to eventually end up rather than where he sits currently. Is he going to be on the level of Rose and Westbrook? I absolutely think so. And if that’s the case, in another year or two Wall will likely have carved out a spot at the table in the top 15. Point guards are making big jumps in their third seasons nowadays. And that’s still another to go for Wall. Somehow he found himself overlooked a bit last year but as he progresses and trends more toward the top 20 and maybe top 10, he’ll have plenty of attention.
[B]22. Rajon Rondo, G, age 25, Boston Celtics[/B]
[B]2011 Stats: 10.6 points, 11.2 assists, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 steals, 47.5 FG%, 17.11 PER[/B]
[B]Composite rankings (random order): 19, 21, 25[/B]
Rondo may very well be the most magical point guard since [URL=”http://www.cbssports.com/nba/teams/page/ORL”][COLOR=#3b5998]Magic[/COLOR][/URL] Johnson, his knack for fitting passes into tight spaces is uncanny and his vision is peerless. At his best, he conducts games rather than simply playing in them, weaving together his teammates in such a way that open shots result. His eye-popping wingspan is matched only by his gambler’s instinct, making Rondo an excellent on-ball and off-ball defender. Of course there’s the whole business about his shooting, which remains troublesome and limiting, but he compensates with a warrior’s spirit and a full understanding of his own limitations. He is the future.
I will update if there are anymore Kentucky alumni on the list…[URL=”http://eye-on-basketball.blogs.cbssports.com/mcc/blogs/entry/22748484/31474738″]but here is a link so you can keep up[/URL]…
