Pulse of the NBA

(SportsNetwork.com) – The much heralded rookie class of 2014 is now getting a chance to show if it was deserving of all the hype.

I’ll be polite and just say it’s been a bumpy start to their journey. Here’s a closer look at how some of the top names fared in their first week of action.

ANDREW WIGGINS

The top overall pick has struggled with his shot, hitting just 37.5 percent from the field and an abysmal 42.9 percent (7-for-15) from the foul line, while averaging just 7.3 points in just over 24 minutes per game.

Wiggins hit double digits for the for the first time in his last game, scoring 10 points in Saturday’s one-point loss to the Chicago Bulls.

That defeat, however, provided a quick lesson for the rookie, as his mental mistake helped the Bulls pull out the game. With the Timberwolves up one in the closing seconds, Wiggins bit on a Jimmy Butler pump fake and fouled him with 0.2 seconds remaining. Butler hit both foul shots to pull out the win.

“I could’ve changed the outcome of the game,” Wiggins said. “It was a learning experience for me. It hurt, but the good thing about the NBA, I’ve got another game in a couple days.”

Wiggins has all the tools to be an explosive offensive player, but I’m most curious to see if he’ll develop into a player who makes his teammates better. That was not his strong suit in his one year at Kansas, and so far he has just two assists in three games.

JABARI PARKER

The number two pick is the only first-year player averaging double digits (10.5 ppg), but like Wiggins, he’s having trouble knocking down shots and not doing much to set up teammates.

The former Duke star is shooting 36.7 percent from the field and has just three assists and eight turnovers in four games.

Despite Parkers’ struggles, his coach, Jason Kidd, is very impressed with what he’s seen so far.

“He’s been great, on and off the floor,” Kidd said. “It’s not hype; it’s all true that he works extremely hard. He’s a great kid. He wants to be good.”

AARON GORDON

After putting up 11 points and three rebounds in 28 minutes in his pro debut, the No. 4 overall pick hasn’t seen the floor too much, playing just 39 minutes over the next three games.

Gordon has shown the ability to put the ball on the floor and create his own shot, which he’ll need to do at this point with his perimeter game needing so much work.

One area which has been disappointing is his rebounding, as he’s averaging just 2.4 boards in just over 18 minutes per game. That number has to come up significantly if Gordon hopes to make more of an impact.

DANTE EXUM

The 6-foot-5 guard from Australia, who was the fifth overall pick of the Utah Jazz, has gotten limited playing time, averaging just under 16 minutes per game, but has shown some nice flashes.

We’ve seen some really good court vision, and a player with a 6-foot-9 1/2 wingspan and plenty of quickness to be a real pest on the defensive end. Offensively, Exum hasn’t attacked the basket much yet, but at least he’s shot the ball well (9-of-17), which you can’t say for a lot of his rookie counterparts.

MARCUS SMART

The sixth overall pick of the Boston Celtics has really had a tough time knocking down shots, but you’ve got to love his competitive nature and the all out effort he gives on the defensive end.

The former Oklahoma State star has hit just 2-of-14 shots from 3-point range, and his jump shot is definitely an area that he’ll have to work on. But while his offensive game still has holes, at least you know you have a player that can make stops and rebounds the ball very well for his position.

DOUG MCDERMOTT

Although the results have been mixed so far, last years’ NCAA scoring leader has shown the same good feel for the game in the pros as we saw in his four years at Creighton.

McDermott, who was the 11th overall pick, is shooting the ball with confidence and has had a couple of nice games, as he started off his pro career with 12 points on 5-of-9 from the floor in 24 minutes in the Bulls’ season-opening win against the New York Knicks, and he had 12 points in just 12 minutes, hitting four of his six shots from the field in Tuesday’s win over the Orlando Magic.

NIK STAUSKAS

The 6-foot-6 shooting guard, who was the No. 8 overall pick by the Sacramento Kings, has looked like a “non” shooting guard over his first four games. The former Michigan star is just 4-of-17 from the field and has scored just three points since putting up nine points in his first game as a pro.

Kings coach Mike Malone may have already lost some confidence in Stauskas as he played just two minutes in Monday’s win over the Denver Nuggets, after averaging 21 minutes in the first three games.

ELFRID PAYTON

With Victor Oladipo sidelined at the start of the season with a facial fracture, Payton has been in the starting lineup and getting plenty of playing time, averaging 29 minutes per game.

The 10th overall pick from Lousiana-Lafayette did not shoot the ball very well in college, and it’s been a problem early in his pro career. He’s just 11- of-36 from the field (30.5 percent) and 9-for-19 from the line (47.3 percent). Despite the awful shooting numbers. there is a lot to like about the 6-foot-4 point guards’ game. He’s a tough defender, good rebounder, and has shown some nice court vision as he leads all rookies in assists at 7.5 per game.

NERLENS NOEL

The sixth overall pick of the 2013 draft is finally back on the court after missing all of last season as he recovered from surgery for a torn ACL. Prior to his injury, Noel’s strengths were his athleticism and shot-blocking ability, and that has been on display early on.

Noel is averaging two blocks per game, which included a terrific highlight reel rejection of James Harden’s dunk attempt in the Sixers loss to the Houston Rockets on Monday.

And Noel has been more than just a rim protector on defense. He’s been very active in help defense and quick with his hands, averaging 2.6 steals per game, including a whopping six thefts against the Rockets.

His offensive game is still in the infancy stage, but with Noel’s athleticism and quick feet, I think there’s good reason to be optimistic that this part of his game will grow.

Categorized in: NBA