Kia Rookie Ladder: LaMelo Ball claims No. 1 spot after dominant rookie campaign
Each had an impressive rookie season in the NBA, both Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards.
The NBA Rookie of the Year award has been jointly awarded four times throughout the league’s history. The latest instance was in 2000 when Elton Brand, a prominent player from Chicago, and Steve Francis, a guard from Houston, both received 58 votes, making them co-winners.
Since the ballot now goes three deep and is tied to a point system, the event is unlikely to occur again. Additionally, today’s voters are explicitly forbidden from casting split votes.
Therefore, due to structural reasons, Charlotte’s LaMelo Ball and Minnesota’s Anthony Edwards will not share the 2021 victory.
Basketball logic suggests they shouldn’t be, which is why there is no “co-” level at the top of this final 2020-21 edition of the Kia Rookie Ladder.
Despite the competition tightening in this season’s ROY race, particularly in the second half when Ball was absent for 21 games due to a fractured right wrist, he still secured the top position here based on his overall performance. Additionally, he received one vote out of a hundred for the actual award.
Take a look at the highlights from LaMelo Ball’s impressive rookie season.
Before the All-Star break in March, Ball was seen as the clear favorite due to his extraordinary performance. He was producing impressive statistics – 15.8 points, 6.0 rebounds, 6.3 assists, 1.6 steals – which created a lot of buzz, especially considering he was only the third pick in the 2020 Draft, after Edwards and Golden State’s James Wiseman.
Ball acted like a set of jumper cables, electrifying his teammates and elevating their energy levels. His presence on the court resulted in a faster game pace, an increase in fast-break points, and an unexpected edge due to his exceptional vision and passing skills. These elements were noticeably absent when he was not on the floor.
The issue arose when Ball fell along the baseline against the Clippers on March 20, which resulted in him being sidelined for quite a while. He had to spend the next six weeks recovering and undergoing rehabilitation after surgery. Ball made his return on May 1 and participated in the final 10 games, which, according to Ladder standards, put him back in contention for the ROY.
Ball participated in 71% of Charlotte’s games, significantly surpassing the unofficial benchmark of 60% (50 out of 82 games) set by Patrick Ewing of New York when he received the top rookie award in 1986. After his return, Ball’s shooting performance declined, but his production, including 15.1 points per game, 6.2 rebounds, 6.2 assists, and 1.6 steals, bounced back to its previous level.
The progression of Edwards as a rookie was evident in the comparison between his first and second halves. During his initial 36 games, the athletic Georgia native proved to be an uncertain shooter, a weak link in defense, and occasionally less impressive than Tyrese Haliburton from Sacramento and Wiseman. His average stats included 14.9 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.5 assists, with a shooting percentage of 37.1%, and a three-point shooting percentage of 30.2%.
The coaching change of the Timberwolves that saw offensive innovator Chris Finch come in, coupled with the recovery of teammates Karl-Anthony Towns and D’Angelo Russell, and Edwards’ hard work significantly improved his game over his last 36. His playtime increased, his scoring average rose to 23.8, and his rebounds and assists (5.3 and 3.4 respectively) also increased beyond the extra minutes. He even experienced more victories, with Minnesota recording a 16-20 win-loss ratio as opposed to the 7-29 ratio in the first half.
During the month of May, Anthony Edwards elevated his game.
Edwards silenced the doubts about his No. 1 draft spot and has the potential to outperform Ball over the next 5, 10, or 15 seasons. However, they’re not competing for the Most Improved Rookie award. Ball’s performance from the beginning to the end of the season earned him the leading position, 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 outstanding player and team has experienced this moment, and we are no different. The key is how we respond to it. 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
Haliburton’s steadiness, adaptability and leadership has moved him up a notch from last week in the overall Ladder rankings, even without having played. While weekly updates provide a snapshot, this final version offers a season recap. The Kings had a 10-10 record in games started by Haliburton, versus a 21-31 record when he either came off the bench or didn’t play. He ranked third among rookies in scoring, third in 3FG% (40.9), and second only to Ball in assists. On the defensive side, he was third among rotation rookies in recovered loose balls (0.8) and fifth in deflections (2.1). “Next year starts today,” Haliburton announced at the end of the season. He plans to start training soon after recuperating from a knee injury he sustained on May 2.
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 came in third in the number of 3-pointers made by a rookie, with 175, only surpassed by Donovan Mitchell (185) and Damian Lillard (181) in their first seasons. This is especially impressive considering these two had 82-game schedules. If Bey had continued his average of 2.5 3-pointers per game, he would have surpassed them given 10 more games. He also 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 rebounds per game (6.7), and had more points per game (2.3) than 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 percent 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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