Contributor
Almost nothing excites me more for the upcoming 2013-14 NBA season than talking about incoming rookies who have potential to make an immediate impact.
Now, let's be completely honest: this year's draft class is not one of the strongest classes we have had in recent years. But it does show some promise for the future.
The main problem with this draft class is that there are very few players that are capable of making an immediate impact this season. It is not necessarily a bad thing, but not necessarily a good thing either by any means.
After doing some scouting and reporting on some of the top players in this year's draft, I have finally come down to five rookies that have potential to make an impact right away in their careers.
With that said, here are the top 5 rookies that will make an immediate impact in the 2013-14 NBA season.
1. Victor Oladipo, G, Orlando Magic
Oladipo is an explosive athlete that has great energy and aggression on both ends of the floor. He is a fearless slasher with potential to be dangerous as a transition player. Oladipo is indeed the best overall defender in this year's class as well, and most of that could be credited to his athleticism.
The Magic's decision to have Oladipo play point guard during the summer league despite his scarce minutes playing that position is turning into a potentially valuable move. While Oladipo is a ways from playing the position regularly in the NBA, it's clear the tools are there and he will play the point at sometime during the regular season.
This is not an experiment at all with Oladipo, who needs to improve his ballhandling.
2. Trey Bruke, PG, Utah Jazz
Burke averaged 18.6 points and 6.7 assists per game last season as a Wolverine, numbers that earned him the AP College Basketball Player of the Year award that year.
The point guard shot a respectable 38 percent from downtown this past season, and will enter the 2013 season with two years of collegiate play under his belt after averaging 14.8 points and 4.6 assists per game as a freshman.
Throughout the NCAA Tournament, Burke proved he has the guts and the skill set to play in the NBA by leading Michigan all the way to the championship game versus Louisville.
3. Otto Porter, SF, Washington Wizards
The Big East Player of the Year averaged 16.2 points, 7.5 rebounds, 2.7 assists and nearly a block per game this season while shooting 42 percent from three-point range.
The 6-foot-8 small forward's 2012-13 season was highlighted by a dominant showing against Syracuse on Feb. 23—a win for the Hoyas—in which Porter dropped 33 points, along with recording eight rebounds and five steals.
4. Ben McLemore, SG, Sacramento Kings
McLemore averaged 15.9 points per game for the Kansas Jayhawks last season, shooting 49 percent from the field and an impressive 42 percent from three-point territory.
The 6-foot-5 guard also added more than five rebounds and two assists per game, making him one of the most lethal players in the draft and the type of player who can immediately bolster an NBA roster next season.
At his height, McLemore has decent size and great athleticism to defend opposing NBA guards as well.
5. Kelly Olynyk, C, Boston Celtics
Sure, it was a summer league game, but the jump from college to NBA begins somewhere. For Olynyk, it began on July 7 in Boston's 95-88 loss to the Orlando Magic. The result wasn't important, nor were Olynyk's statistics, which, by the way, were impressive (25 points on 9-for-12 shooting).
The potential matters, and the 7-footer showed why the Celtics think so highly of him with a display of inside and outside moves, including a fine touch from the three-point range.
Olynyk looks like he could emerge as either the starting center or the starting power forward for the Celtics. His consistent rebounding and blocking could make his career a great one.
The thing that Olynyk possess that most other big men in the NBA don't is a complete game. Olynyk shows his skills on both the offensive and defensive ends of the floor, and is a hard worker and has a desire to be great.
Hopefully, he will play a major role in the Celtics rebuilding process and help them return to the playoffs in a couple years.
