The Smoking Cuban
FanSided

Top 10 NBA Rookie Rankings, Part 3

By Kohl Rast

NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: Front Row (L-R) - OG Anunoby, Dennis Smith, Malik Monk, Luke Kennard, Lonzo Ball, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Markelle Fultz, De'aaron Fox, Frank Ntilikina, Justin Jackson, Back Row (L-R) Bam Adebayo, Jonathan Isaac, Justin Patton, Lauri Markkanen, Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, Zach Collins, Donovan Mitchell and TJ Leaf pose for a portrait prior to the 2017 NBA Draft on June 22, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images)
NEW YORK, NY - JUNE 22: Front Row (L-R) - OG Anunoby, Dennis Smith, Malik Monk, Luke Kennard, Lonzo Ball, NBA Commissioner Adam Silver, Markelle Fultz, De'aaron Fox, Frank Ntilikina, Justin Jackson, Back Row (L-R) Bam Adebayo, Jonathan Isaac, Justin Patton, Lauri Markkanen, Jayson Tatum, Josh Jackson, Zach Collins, Donovan Mitchell and TJ Leaf pose for a portrait prior to the 2017 NBA Draft on June 22, 2017 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Mike Stobe/Getty Images) /
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LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 3: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against Houston Rockets during the first half of the basketball game at Staples Center December 3, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – DECEMBER 3: Lonzo Ball #2 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts against Houston Rockets during the first half of the basketball game at Staples Center December 3, 2017, in Los Angeles, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Kevork Djansezian/Getty Images) /

8. Lonzo Ball

(Last month’s ranking: 7)

Ball continues to be one of the favorite rookies in the league so far, despite the fact that he is not playing at the level he was expected to be at. That does not mean he hasn’t been effective at times, especially when looking at his assist and rebound numbers. Sadly, these numbers cannot help him too much when looking at his rough shooting percentages.

The real thing that puts Ball so low on this list is the fact that he is not even close to the best rookie on the Lakers right now. In fact, Josh Hart is even trying to make a push into the 2nd best Laker rookie conversation. His flashes of brilliance are exciting and should keep Laker fans hopeful, but they are outweighed by inconsistency so far.

There is little doubt in my mind that Ball will make his way back up this list over the final months of the regular season, but as for the end of December, he is slowly fading into irrelevance.

Ball’s stats: 10.0 ppg, 7.1 apg, 6.9 rpg, 1.4 spg

SACRAMENTO, CA – NOVEMBER 28: De’Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 28, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images)
SACRAMENTO, CA – NOVEMBER 28: De’Aaron Fox #5 of the Sacramento Kings looks on during the game against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 28, 2017 at Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2017 NBAE (Photo by Rocky Widner/NBAE via Getty Images) /

7. De’Aaron Fox

(Last month’s ranking: 8)

Speaking of fading into irrelevance, De’Aaron Fox has really fallen off the wagon as of late. After it was clear that Markelle Fultz was not going to be in game shape at the start of the season, most fans decided that the players to watch were De’Aaron Fox and Lonzo Ball. Now, three months into the season, that is no longer the case.

Fox has slowly fallen out of stride and out of favor in Sacramento since the start of the season. The addition of George Hill by the Kings before the season certainly did not help Fox’s situation, but his playing time and stats have dwindled, showing that this is more than just a problem of lack of space .

For Fox to move up in the standings, he really just needs to become the player he should be. We have seen that he has the skillset this season, we have seen that he can create his own shots and shots for others, so why is that not a nightly occurrence. It seems like his biggest obstacle is his mentality.

Fox’s stats: 9.7 ppg, 3.7 apg, 0.9 spg