Source: NBA 2K19
Rating rookies is an extremely tough task to try and pull off. Sure, we have college stats to work with, but how these players’ games will translate to the next level is yet to be seen. Every draft we have players that boom and some that bust, but every season NBA 2K is assigned the tough task of projecting this before the players ever play a regular season minute. With that in mind, let’s see how 2K Sports rated the rookies (in reverse order) and cut them some slack if they miss a few.
10. Kevin Knox (OVR 75)
Age: 18
Position: SF
Height: 6’9”
Team: New York Knicks
Traits: Scoring Wing
Best stats: Stamina, Vertical, Ball Handling
Kevin Knox joins the Knicks as the number 9 pick in the draft after just one season at the University of Kentucky. Last season, Knox averaged 15.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game as Kentucky's leading man. He now joins a New York team in desperate need of talent and could get ample opportunity to contribute right away.
9. Michael Porter Jr. (OVR 76)
Age: 20
Position: SF
Height: 6’10”
Team: Denver Nuggets
Traits: Scoring Wing
Best stats: Vertical, Ball Handling, Speed
Porter Jr. is an interesting player to forecast. He played only one season of college ball for the Missouri Tigers while averaging 10.0 points, 6.7 rebounds and 03. assists over 17.7 minutes per game. The real issue here is that he only played in three games due to injury. Porter Jr. was considered the top draft pick in this class last summer, but questions about the long-term health of his back had him falling to the 14th pick on draft night. If he can stay healthy, Denver might have gotten a steal over the long run.
8. Collin Sexton (OVR 76)
Age: 19
Position: PG
Height: 6’2”
Team: Cleveland Cavaliers
Traits: Athletic Playmaker
Best stats: Ball Handling, Speed, Acceleration
Sexton showed flashes of greatness during his single season at Alabama, especially in his ability to score, to the tune of 19.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 3.6 assists per game. After being drafted by the Cavaliers, Sexton attempted to make a pitch to LeBron James to stay in Cleveland. With King James now in Los Angeles, the Cavs may look to rebuild and give Sexton the reigns to this Cleveland offense. While veteran George Hill is still on the team, falling out of playoff contention is all it should take for this young stud to become an every night starter.
7. Wendell Carter Jr. (OVR 77)
Age: 19
Position: PF
Height: 6’10”
Team: Chicago Bulls
Traits: Low Post Star
Best stats: Blocks, Strength, Layups
After being selected seventh overall, Carter Jr. finds himself on a team in rebuild mode that might need his contributions immediately. While he is playing behind Lauri Markkanen and Robin Lopez initially, I wouldn't be surprised to see him as the starting center during the latter half of the season. Although he was overshadowed by Marvin Bagley in the duo's long season at Duke, Carter Jr. still managed to average 13.5 points, 9.1 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game.
6. Mohamed Bamba (OVR 77)
Age: 20
Position: C
Height: 7’0”
Team: Orlando Magic
Traits: Rebounding Specialist
Best stats: Blocks, Speed, Rebounding
Mo Bamba is another "one-and-done" rookie that played his sole college season at Texas. He averaged 12.9 points and 10.5 rebounds, while racking up 111 total blocks that season. As the number 6 pick in the draft, one would think that the Magic see him as a long-term core piece. With that in mind, it will be interesting to see how his minutes pan out behind the Magic's top big man in Nikola Vucevic.
5. Trae Young (OVR 77)
Age: 19
Position: PG
Height: 6’2”
Team: Atlanta Hawks
Traits: Offensive Star
Best stats: Ball Handling, 3PT, Passing
During his single season in college at Oklahoma, Young pulled off the feat of leading all college players in both assists (8.7) and points scored (27.4) averages - something that had never before been done. After bursting on to the scene with a hot start, Young slowed down through conference play as the season wore on. His slow finish hurt his draft stock tremendously, as Young was often considered a top 2 option for the early part of the year. Young will now join a Hawks team that recently traded away former starter Dennis Schroder, paving the way for Young to have an immediate impact on a rebuilding squad.
4. Jaren Jackson Jr. (OVR 78)
Age: 18
Position: PF
Height: 6’11”
Team: Memphis Grizzlies
Traits: Elite Defender
Best stats: Blocks, Lateral Quickness, Layups
At just 18 years of age, Jaren Jackson Jr. projects as a long term project for the Grizzlies. His averages during his single season at Michigan State were just 10.9 points, 5.8 rebounds and 1.1 assists. He seems to have a high ceiling but lacks consistency at this point in his career.
3. Marvin Bagley III (OVR 78)
Age: 19
Position: PF
Height: 6’11”
Team: Sacramento Kings
Traits: Rebounding Specialist
Best stats: Vertical, Rebounding, Layups
Bagley III comes in as a question mark at the next level after being drafted by the Sacramento Kings. Unfortunately for him, the franchise is not well-known for developing their young talent in recent years. After a single year at Duke with averages of 21.0 points, 11.1 rebounds on 61.4% shooting, Bagley was considered an option as the top pick. However, his high school teammate Ayton was seen as the more sure thing and was selected ahead of him. Based on these newly released ratings, we will have a rough idea of how 2K Sports expects the top 3 rookies to perform and where they expect them to fall in Rookie of the Year rankings.
2. Luka Doncic (OVR 79)
Age: 19
Position: SG
Height: 6’7”
Team: Dallas Mavericks
Traits: Versatile Playmaker
Best stats: Ball Handling, Stamina, Speed
Known for his good looks and all around playmaking, the wing/guard comes in at 6’7″ and 218 pounds. What really stands out is the fact that Doncic brings over experience and known skills as a proven EuroLeague professional ball player. Coming off a EuroLeague title and MVP season where he averaged 16 points, 4.8 rebounds and 4.3 assists per game, it will be interesting to see how his game translates to the NBA on a team with many other primary ball handlers.
It seems like 2K Sports feels like Doncic will be more NBA ready than the number 2 overall pick, Marvin Bagley, based on the overall rating of 78 they awarded Bagley.
1. DeAndre Ayton (OVR 79)
Age: 19
Position: C
Height: 7’1”
Team: Phoenix Suns
Traits: Low Post Star
Best stats: Rebounding, Strength, Blocks
2K Sports gave Ayton a solid rookie ranking at 79 overall. The Arizona native comes to Phoenix after being considered the top talent in the draft class. At 7’1″, 260 pounds, the struggling franchise needed as close to a sure thing as possible. At 20 years old, the big man played just one year of college basketball and finished with averages of 20.1 points, 1.9 blocks, 11.6 rebounds and a 61.2% field goal percentage. While his season was slightly controversial after his college eligibility was questioned due to a six-figure payment being made by Arizona to recruit him, the stud center will have high expectations to live up to.
Other Notable Rookies in the Table Below
Name | OVR | Team | Position |
|---|---|---|---|
Miles Bridges | 74 | CHA | SF |
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander | 73 | LAC | PG |
Zhaire Smith | 72 | PHI | SG |
Grayson Allen | 73 | UTA | SG |
Mikal Bridges | 74 | PHX | SF |