Kia Rookie Ladder: LaMelo Ball claims No. 1 spot after dominant rookie campaign
Both LaMelo Ball from Charlotte and Anthony Edwards from Minnesota had an impressive rookie season in the NBA.
The NBA Rookie of the Year award has been jointly awarded four times throughout NBA history. The latest instance was in 2000 when Elton Brand, a big man from Chicago, and Steve Francis, a guard from Houston, were declared co-winners, each securing 58 votes.
Since the implementation of a point system attached to a three-deep ballot, this occurrence hasn’t happened again and is unlikely to do so. Additionally, the current rules expressly forbid voters from casting split votes.
Therefore, structural reasons prevent Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards from being joint winners in 2021.
The basketball arguments suggest that they shouldn’t be. Hence, there is no “co-” level in this final 2020-21 version of the Kia Rookie Ladder.
Despite the tight competition for this season’s Rookie of the Year award, particularly during the second half when Ball was out for 21 games due to a broken right wrist, he still managed to secure the top position. This was thanks to his overall performance, which even earned him one out of a hundred votes for the actual award.
Take a look at the highlights from LaMelo Ball’s outstanding debut season.
Before the All-Star break in March, Ball was a clear favorite, with his performance producing record-breaking numbers – 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals. As the third pick in the 2020 Draft after Edwards and James Wiseman from Golden State, his play was causing a lot of buzz.
Ball functioned as a pair of jumper cables, electrifying his teammates into higher energy levels. His presence resulted in faster gameplay, increased fast-break points, and an unexpected element courtesy of his exceptional vision and passing skills, all of which were absent when he was off the court.
The issue arose when, on March 20, Ball fell along the baseline during a game against the Clippers, resulting in him being off the court quite frequently. He spent the following six weeks recovering and undergoing rehabilitation from surgery. He made his return on May 1, playing the final 10 games, which reinstated him into the Rookie of the Year contention according to Ladder standards.
Ball participated in 71% of Charlotte’s games, significantly surpassing the informal benchmark of 60% (50 out of 82 games) set by Patrick Ewing of New York when he became the top rookie in 1986. Although Ball’s shooting performance declined upon his return, his productivity levels (15.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds per game, 6.2 assists per game, 1.6 steals) quickly returned to their previous standards.
The development of Edwards, the rookie, was evident in his first and second halves. In his initial 36 games, the Georgia athletic wing player displayed indecisiveness in shooting, defensive weaknesses, and occasionally seemed less impressive than Tyrese Haliburton of Sacramento and Wiseman. His average was 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 2.5 assists with a shooting percentage of 37.1%, including a 30.2% rate for three-pointers.
The coaching change of the Timberwolves that introduced offensive innovator Chris Finch, along with the recovery of teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell, and Edwards’ hard work significantly improved his performance in the last 36 games. He saw more playtime, scored more points (23.8), increased his rebounds (5.3) and assists (3.4) beyond additional minutes and even contributed to more wins. Minnesota’s record improved to 16-20 compared to their 7-29 first half.
During the month of May, Anthony Edwards elevated his game.
Edwards silenced the doubts about his No. 1 draft position and may potentially outperform Ball over the next 5, 10 or 15 seasons. However, the award they are vying for is not for the Most Improved Rookie. Ball’s performance from the start to the end of the season deservedly puts him in the top spot, followed by Edwards and Haliburton.
The Top 5 in the final 2020-21 Kia Rookie Ladder:
(All stats through the end of the regular season)
1. LaMelo Ball, Charlotte Hornets
Season stats: 15.7 ppg, 5.9 rpg, 6.1 apg
Since last Ladder: 12.5 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 5.8 apg
Last Ladder’s rung: 1
Hornets coach James Borrego repeatedly called Ball “the engine” of Charlotte’s attack. He played the toughest position for an NBA rookie, charged not only with performing well himself but boosting the play of teammates with his decisions and ball delivery. He led rookies in assists, steals and player impact efficiency (PIE) and topped Edwards in rebounds, steals, field-goal percentage and net rating. He showed development — once Borrego put the point guard in his starting lineup 20 games in, Ball averaged 18.3 points and made 38% of his 3-pointers. Also, Ball helped get the Hornets to 20 victories in their first 38 games, compared to the 58 it took in 2019-20 to win that many.
“Every phenomenal player and every exceptional team have experienced this moment just like us. Our reaction to this is what matters. We need to improve. The key question is how we bounce back this summer,” said Coach Borrego.
@sam_perley
— Charlotte Hornets (@hornets) May 19, 2021
2. Anthony Edwards, Minnesota Timberwolves
Season stats: 19.3 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.9 apg
Since last Ladder: 26.0 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 4.3 apg
Last Ladder’s rung: 2
Edwards led the Class of 2020 in total minutes (2,314), total points (1,392) and total shots (1,211), which were, respectively, 6%, 60% and 75% more than any other rookie. Only 29 other players matched or topped his scoring, rebound, assist and shooting averages, and 20 were All-Stars this season. Then again, only seven players matched Ball’s across-the-board numbers in the same categories, five of them All-Stars — Luka Doncic, James Harden, LeBron James, Nikola Jokic and Domantas Sabonis — plus Jimmy Butler and Russell Westbrook.
Year Two = All-Star Ant pic.twitter.com/CN07mvSJbM
— Minnesota Timberwolves (@Timberwolves) May 18, 2021
3. Tyrese Haliburton, Sacramento Kings
Season stats: 13.0 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.3 apg
Since last Ladder: DNP
Last Ladder’s rung: 4
Despite not playing recently, Haliburton’s consistent performance, versatility and leadership have elevated him one place from last week in the overall Ladder rankings. Weekly evaluations are important, but this final edition is a reflection of the entire season. The Kings had a record of 10-10 when Haliburton started the games, as opposed to 21-31 when he either came off the bench or didn’t play. He ranked third in scoring, third in 3FG% (40.9) and second in assists among rookies, only behind Ball. On the defensive side, he was third among rookies in recovering loose balls (0.8) and fifth in deflections (2.1). “Next year starts today,” Haliburton stated at the end of the season. After recovering from a knee injury sustained on May 2, he will soon start training.
https://twitter.com/SacramentoKings/status/1394806708254375936
4. Jae’Sean Tate, Houston Rockets
Season stats: 11.3 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 2.5 apg
Since last Ladder: 14.3 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 2.7 apg
Last Ladder’s rung: 3
Houston’s dismal season handicapped Tate’s contributions, but there was no denying his defensive efforts and result. He was a handyman for the Rockets, too, always at the ready for what they needed on particular nights. After the All-Star break, the 25 year old was one of only 10 players to average at least 12 points, five rebounds, three assists and 1.5 steals.
https://twitter.com/HoustonRockets/status/1393974530012585988
5. Saddiq Bey, Detroit Pistons
Season stats: 12.2 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 1.4 apg
Since last Ladder: 19.0 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 2.3 apg
Last Ladder’s rung: 5
He finished third in 3-pointers made by a rookie, with 175, trailing only Donovan Mitchell’s 185 and Damian Lillard’s 181 during their debut seasons. However, Mitchell and Lillard had the advantage of playing 82-game schedules. If Bey had been able to maintain his average of 2.5 3-pointers per game over an additional 10 games, he would have surpassed them. He did set a record for the most games (13) by a rookie with at least 5 3-pointers.
"The 19th overall pick has been one of the best rookies in the @NBA this season." Saddiq Bey shares what his mentality has been during a rookie season like no other.
Watch the full feature: https://t.co/k76ZO2MpJT | #NBARooks pic.twitter.com/JqHJ41Klo1
— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) May 19, 2021
The Next Five:
6. Isaiah Stewart, Detroit Pistons
Season stats: 7.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.9 apg
Since last Ladder: 11.0 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.0 apg
Last Ladder’s rung: 6
Led rookies in glass with 6.7, more on offense with 2.3 than Embiid, Vucevic.
7. Immanuel Quickley, New York Knicks
Season stats: 11.4 ppg, 2.1 rpg, 2.0 apg
Since last Ladder: 5.0 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.3 apg
Last Ladder’s rung: 7
Led all rookies with a net rating of 7.1, and ranked third in usage at 24.6%.
8. Desmond Bane, Memphis Grizzlies
Season stats: 9.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.7 apg
Since last Ladder: 8.0 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 1.0 apg
Last Ladder’s rung: 8
Led all rotation rookies with 43.2 3FG%.
9. Cole Anthony, Orlando Magic
Season stats: 12.9 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.1 apg
Since last Ladder: 19.5 ppg, 6.0 rpg, 2.8 apg
Last Ladder’s rung: 10
After his rib injury, he averaged 14.0 points per game, 4.9 rebounds per game, 4.6 assists per game, and a 42% three-point field goal percentage.
10. Patrick Williams, Chicago Bulls
Season stats: 9.2 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.4 apg
Since last Ladder: 12.3 ppg, 4.5 rpg, 0.8 apg
Last Ladder’s rung: N/A
Displayed much-needed offensive assertiveness in games 71 and 72.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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