NBA Rookie Report: Week 3

Another week and another intriguing slate of games are in the books. In this installment of the Rookie Report we’ll look at a couple of first year tandems who are starting to get into the groove with their clubs and making contributions that are worth mentioning. The Raptors landed a couple of early-mid first rounders and though they are a team in transition, the chaos created by the team’s situation has opened up an avenue for these two talents to take their games to the court. In Charlotte, the Bobcats have continued to build off the battling spirit that carried them through last season. The freshmen additions of May and Felton have added depth and skill to the steady development of this young club.

Terrific tandems:

Charlie Villanueva- Season: 13.2pts 6.5rbs. Best game: 27pts 13rbs 12-17fgs

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The Good: - Don’t call him “Charlie Hustle” just yet, but Villenueva has certainly shown himself to be a lot more proactive then he was during his days at UCONN. Charlie has shown no difficulties adjusting to the NBA 3 point line as he is shooting nearly 38% from behind the arc. But, Charlie is still attacking the basket with abandon as his 48% shooting percentage and 2.8 offensive rebounds per game will attest.

The Bad: Fouls and free throws are the order of the day for Charlie to take full advantage of his massive potential. Villanueva hasn’t shot a ton from the line, so I’ll assume he can do a little better than the paltry 31% he’s shooting now. The fouls are a bigger issue because it’s keeping him off the floor, even though it’s great to see him finally putting an effort in on the defensive end. Villanueva makes a great tandem frontline with Chris Bosh, but after he comes out of the game there is a precipitous drop off in production, so it is imperative that he remain on the court. Not every team has the luxury of playing rookies unlimited minutes, so Charlie must take full advantage of the opportunity.

Outlook: Villanueva has positioned himself to be an impact player for a young and talented Raptors team. With tons of playing time available and the ability to play through his mistakes, Charlie has a tremendous chance to harness his vast potential and become an impact player. The only risk I see with Villanueva is that he may grow complacent with his situation. As the losing continues and without the pressure to perform coming from another hungry bench player, Charlie could see some slippage in his game. The key for Villanueva is the same as it’s always been-if he stays aggressive then he can be a fantastic player.