Kia Rookie Ladder: LaMelo Ball claims No. 1 spot after dominant rookie campaign
Both Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards had remarkable rookie seasons in the NBA.
Four times in NBA history, the Rookie of the Year award has been shared. The most recent instance was in 2000 when Elton Brand, a big man from Chicago, and Steve Francis, a guard from Houston, became co-winners. Both received 58 votes.
Since the ballot now goes three deep and is attached to a point system, it is unlikely to happen again. Moreover, voters currently are strictly forbidden from casting split votes.
Therefore, due to structural reasons, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards will not be joint winners in 2021.
The arguments from a basketball perspective suggest that they shouldn’t be. Hence, there is no “co-” level at the top of this final 2020-21 edition of the Kia Rookie Ladder.
Despite the tight competition for this season’s ROY award, particularly during the second half when Ball was out for 21 games due to a fractured right wrist, Ball still secured the top position due to his overall performance. Moreover, he received one vote out of a hundred for the actual award.
Take a look at the highlights from LaMelo Ball’s exceptional rookie season.
Before the All-Star break in March, Ball was a strong frontrunner. His performance was creating impressive statistics — 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals — and a lot of conversation, especially considering he was the third pick in the 2020 Draft, following Edwards and James Wiseman of Golden State.
Ball’s presence was akin to a set of jumper cables, electrifying his teammates to elevate their energy levels. As a result, they played at a faster pace, accumulated more points on fast-breaks, and incorporated an unexpected twist due to his exceptional vision and passing skills, elements which were absent when he was not on the court.
The problem arose when Ball fell along the baseline during a game against the Clippers on March 20, resulting in him spending a significant amount of time off the court. He underwent a period of healing and rehabilitation following surgery that lasted for the next six weeks. Ball made his return on May 1 and participated in the last 10 games of the season. This reintegrated him into the Rookie of the Year (ROY) contention, according to Ladder’s standards.
Ball appeared in 71% of Charlotte’s game, significantly surpassing the informal 60% benchmark (50 of 82 games) set by Patrick Ewing of New York in 1986 when he was named the top rookie. Despite his poor shooting upon his return, Ball’s performance quickly returned to its prior levels, with an average of 15.1 points, 6.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.6 steals per game.
The first and second halves of Edwards’ season clearly demonstrated the rookie’s development. In his first 36 games, the athletic wing player from Georgia exhibited indecisiveness in shooting, was a defensive weak point, and occasionally appeared less impressive than Sacramento’s Tyrese Haliburton and Wiseman. His average was 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, with a shooting percentage of 37.1%, including 30.2% on three-pointers.
The coaching change for the Timberwolves brought in Chris Finch, an offensive innovator. This, combined with the return to health of Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell, and Edwards’ hard work, opened up significant opportunities for him in his final 36 games. He got more playing time, increased his scoring average to 23.8, and improved his rebounds to 5.3 and assists to 3.4, beyond what could be attributed to the extra minutes. He even contributed to more victories, as Minnesota’s record improved to 16-20 from a first half record of 7-29.
During the month of May, Anthony Edwards elevated his game.
Edwards silenced doubts regarding his No. 1 draft position and, when compared to Ball, he might prove to be the superior player in the next five, ten, or fifteen seasons. However, the award they are vying for isn’t for Most Improved Rookie. Ball’s performance from the start to the end of the season deserved the first place, with Edwards and Haliburton ranking behind him.
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 exceptional player and team has experienced moments like these and we’re no different. It’s our reaction that matters. We need to improve. The question is, how will we respond this summer?” – 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 consistency, versatility, and leadership have elevated him a spot from last week in the overall Ladder rankings. While weekly snapshots provide some insight, this final edition is a comprehensive review of the season. The Kings had a 10-10 record in games Haliburton started, compared to a 21-31 record when he didn’t start or play. He finished third in scoring and three-point shooting percentage (40.9%) among rookies, and was second to Ball in assists. On defense, he was third among rotation rookies in loose balls recovered (0.8) and fifth in deflections (2.1). Haliburton, who is set to start training after recovering from a knee injury sustained on May 2, stated at the end of the season that “Next year starts today.”
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 his 175 trailing only Donovan Mitchell’s 185 and Damian Lillard’s 181 in their respective debut seasons. It’s worth noting that Mitchell and Lillard had the advantage of 82-game schedules. If he had played 10 additional games at his average of 2.5 per game, he would have surpassed them. He also set a record for the most rookie games (13) 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
Outperformed rookies in rebounds with an average of 6.7, and had more offense with an average of 2.3 than both Embiid and 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, with 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 necessary 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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