Dunk Base

It's that time of year again, rosters around the league are finally filling out, and we can get a good idea of what most of the rookies roles will be on their teams. Let's take a look at what they should be doing this coming season.

John Wall

16 points 3 rebounds 6.5 assists 45% FG 3.4 TO

Just about everything that Wall has shown from college to his style of play makes him look like he's a serious contender for rookie of the year. His high number of turnovers during summer league play are a bit of a worry, but expect his turnovers to go down as the season goes on.

Blake Griffin

14 points 8 rebounds 49% FG

Griffin is the one rookie this year who was picked before John Wall. That's because he was the 2009 #1 overall pick, but he missed all of what should have been his rookie year due to a patella injury. Griffin is an athletic, strong, and smart power forward whose only concern is a lack of length, but history has shown that strength can be a good substitute.

Evan Turner

13 points 5 rebounds 4 assists 46% FG

Turner is an excellent scorer who can do many things well. He had a disappointing summer league run, but past rookies have done poorly in summer league and gone on to impress during the regular season.

Derrick Favors

7 points 7 rebounds 1.2 blocks 51% FG

Favors is a project, but at the same time he's one of those students of the game. While it will still take him a season or two before we really know what we can expect out of him, he's tall, long, and athletic. Put it all together and he should have a bright future.

Wesley Johnson

14 points 4 rebounds 44% FG

Johnson will be the main source of offense on the wing for the Timberwolves this season. Given his scoring versatility he should be able to do quite a bit of scoring to go along with his other abilities.

DeMarcus Cousins

12 points 8 rebounds .8 blocks 51% FG

Samuel Dalembert will likely be the starter to start the season, but as the season goes on expect to see Cousins step into that role. If he keeps his head together he can really start to impress as the season goes on.

Ekpe Udoh

6 points 5 rebounds .9 blocks 47% FG

Udoh was probably drafted a little bit high. He did well in college, but he's a little bit slow footed, which will probably hurt him in Golden State. He'll also be out until late December or early January. However, he's still going to be a pretty good player even if his rookie season will probably never really totally take off.

Greg Monroe

9 points 6.5 rebounds 2.5 assists 49% FG

Monroe is one of the best passing big men to be drafted since Chris Webber. Monroe is a highly skilled big man, but his athleticism is average and there's questions as to how motivated he really is despite him being a class act and smart person. He should, with the right coaching, turn out to be a good big man for a while.

Al-Farouq Aminu

11 points 4 rebounds 43% FG

Aminu has been described as Luol Deng with athleticism, but that comparison falls short when you realize that Deng is a reliable mid-range shooter while Aminu has a jump shot that is really lacking in effectiveness right now. As his jumper improves so will his numbers.

Gordon Hayward

8 points 3 rebounds 46% FG

Hayward's athleticism is something that never gets the credit that it really deserves. It's gone as far as to say that he lacks in athleticism when he's actually quite athletic. Either way, Hayward is a good shooter who can score in high volume. While he probably won't get a whole lot of playing time he will likely make a lot of what he does get.

Paul George

6 points 2 rebounds 43% FG

George is a project who is going to be playing behind a group of established players. While he may come out there and show that he's further along than most think, playing time will be hard for him to come by.

Cole Aldrich

7 points 6 rebounds 1.1 blocks 48% FG

Aldrich should quickly become an NBA quality center, and with his size he is something that the Thunder can really use. Aldrich is a strong defender who has an offensive game that should be able to be adequate.

Xavier Henry

8 points 3 rebounds 45% FG 37% 3P

Henry will get his fair share of minutes due to the ability of the Grizzlies to slide the players in front of him to one side or another in order to allow him to get playing time and even slide Henry himself to small forward for short periods of time. Henry should be a good shooter type of player off the bench to start it off.

Ed Davis

7 points 4 rebounds 46% FG

Davis is a bit of a project, but at the same time he's far enough along as to where he can come right in and contribute. He's an athletic big man whose jumper is decent and whose post game is still coming along.

Patrick Patterson

7 points 6 rebounds 47% FG

Patterson is a strong down low type of power forward. He's a little short, but his strength should help him to make up for that.

Larry Sanders

3 points 7 rebounds 1.4 blocks 42% FG

Larry Sanders is cut from the same cloth as Ben Wallace, only a little bit taller. He has no offensive game right now, but he's a very strong defender. Look for his offensive game to gradually improve his first few years though, but expect his focus to remain on defense.

Luke Babbitt

6 points 2 rebounds 46% FG 36% 3P

Babbitt has the stare of a serial killer but the defense of a bowl of cerael. His offensive game is impressive, but his lack of defensive ability will limit the minutes that he gets right away.

Kevin Seraphin

N/A

I have a feeling that Seraphin will be kept in Europe for a couple of years so that he can work on polishing his game.

Eric Bledsoe

3 points 2 assists 42% FG

Bledsoe will start off being a backup obviously, and he may be groomed to eventually be a starter, but don't expect him to get a whole lot of minutes during his rookie season.

Avery Bradley

8 points 43% FG

Bradley has all the makings to become a good bench scorer and he is on a team where he should be brought along well. However, at the same time the Celtics already have a bench scorer. Bradley can likely move ahead of Robinson as the season goes on.

James Anderson

9 points 3 rebounds 46% FG 41% 3P

Anderson is probably the best shooter in this year's draft, and playing with the Spurs he should get plenty of open opportunities. Look for him to come off the bench and be a big time shooter.

Craig Brackins

6 points 4 rebounds 44% FG

Brackins is an athletic big man who just doesn't have the most developed game right now. He can still work on that game and be a good player in the future, but for now he's a borderline rotational player.

Elliot Williams

N/A

This may come as a bit of a surprise until you realize that he's going to be playing behind Brandon Roy, Wesley Matthews, Jerryd Bayless, and Rudy Fernandez. Seeing as a couple of those guys already have trouble getting playing time, I don't see why Portland wouldn't allow him to get his minutes in playing in the D-League.

Trevor Booker

2 points 3 rebounds 39% FG

Booker will likely have to move to small forward due to his lack of size, but he should have the speed and athleticism to make the move. He has little to no offensive game at this point, so it'll be interesting to see if that can develop.

Damion James

6 points 3 rebounds 43% FG

James is one of the more NBA ready guys in this draft. He still has room for improvement, but don't look for him to have too much of a rookie year since he likely won't get a whole lot of time.

Dominique Jones

6 points 2 rebounds 44% FG

Jones is another NBA ready player who likely just won't get a whole lot of minutes, maybe 18 per game...who really knows. Either way, as the team gains confidence in him look for him to get more time.

Quincy Pondexter

7 points 4 rebounds 46% FG

Pondexter has pretty much no jumper at all, but at the same time he's a player who knows how to get to the hoop, and that should make him a more efficient scorer.

Jordan Crawford

5 points 2 rebounds 42% FG 36% 3P

Crawford is best known for his dunk on LeBron James, but the guy has actual game. He's a good shooter who is also a solid defender. Funny thing about him is that while he's quick, he's really only marginally athletic relative to the rest of the league.

Greivis Vasquez

4 points 2 rebounds 3 assists 44% FG

Vasquez was a bit of a surprise as a first round pick, but he's someone who can do everything fairly well. He won't blow anyone away, but he can be a good, reliable player and is a good leader.

Daniel Orton

3 points 3 rebounds 43% FG

He probably left to the NBA a year or so before he should have. Orton hasn't had a chance to show what he really can do even at the college level yet and that will probably hold him back for his rookie year even though he can develop into a nice player.

Lazar Hayward

7 points 2 rebounds 45% FG 34% 3P

Hayward is another Marquette shooting guard trying to make his way in the NBA. If Wade and Matthews are any indication, he should do alright. He's a good shooter who will probably need to work his way into the league gradually for a year or two.

That's the end of the first round. From here on out we're going to be looking at the more interesting picks from the second round and other rookies (mainly European players who are now coming over). So that is where we will be going now.

Dexter Pittman

3 points 2 rebounds 44% FG

Pittman will likely only be able to play 15 minutes or less per night, but he should be able to do something while he is on the floor.

Hassan Whiteside

4 points 3 rebounds 1 block 46% FG

He's clearly a project, but he's a very good, athletic player on defense, and while his playing time will be limited, he should be able to at least make something out of it.

Lance Stephenson

6 points 4 rebounds 42% FG

Stephenson is a scorer through and through, the big question just remains as to how efficient he can be. Look for him to do well in whatever time he can get.

Jerome Jordan

3 points 2.5 rebounds .8 blocks 45% FG

Jordan is a bit older than many of the other draftees, but he's still a project. He's new to the game still and can still come around.

Tiny Gallon

2 points 3 rebounds 44% FG

He's an interesting prospect because of his size and because of players with similar size before him performing well in the league. Gallon should eventually be a servicable player. For now he is going to have very limited time to show it.

Solomon Alabi

4 points 3 rebounds 47% FG

It was a shock to see Alabi fall as far as he did in the draft. Alabi is going to take some time to develop, but he can manage to be a servicable center in the league.

Luke Harangody

5 points 4 rebounds 48% FG

Harangody may be undersized, but he's strong. He knows how to score in a few different ways and can rebound the ball well. He did well in the summer league and that play may be able to translate at some level to the actual NBA.

Willie Warren

6 points 3 assists 44% FG

Why he fell so far in the draft is beyond many fans. If he had gone into the draft in 2009 there's rumors that he could have been a lottery pick. However, he was picked at #54. Look for him to go out there with a chip on his shoulder and work his way into getting the minutes that he needs to really show himself.

Derrick Caracter

7 points 5 rebounds 51% FG

The Lakers look to have got a huge steal here. He's a player whose talent really has never been questioned, but his attitude and character have been something that have worried teams. On a team like the Lakers look for him to turn that around.

Nikola Pekovic

6 points 4 rebounds 48% FG

He's had his time playing overseas to develop himself into the player that the Timberwolves wanted him to be when they brought him here. There will be some adjustments, but he can make himself a decent bench guy his rookie year.

Omer Asik

7 points 4 rebounds 47% FG

Drafted in the second round of the 2008 draft like Pekovic was, Asik is a player that the Bulls have been very high on since they made the trade for him in 2008. He's expected to come in and get good playing time due to the coaches being so high on him.

Last year I had some that were pretty well on and some that were off and a couple that were way off as well as a couple that were almost right on. We'll see once the season is over. Until then it's all just speculation, but this was something that was fun last year, so hopefully everyone is able to have fun with it this year.