Who was your favorite Portland rookie this year?

Which rookie was your favorite this year? Don't just judge them just based on stats and performance, which one do you think has the most upside. Which one impressed you the most, the one you have the most confidence in, the one you most look forward to seeing next year?

I would imagine that Rudy and Nicolas will win the poll, but to me Bayless has been my favorite. I love his hustle, his tenacity, his personality, and most of all, his drive to win. I am looking forward to watching him next year and putting all the pieces together.

 

Most upside - Oden
Most fun to watch - Rudy
Biggest surprise - Batum (but only until the Fan fest - I was really impressed with him there)
Most exciting game - Bayless vs. NJ

 

Rudy was my fav, but Nic was a close second... Cloden and J-Rex, meh...

 

Rudy. Not even close for me. He moves well without the ball and plays well under pressure.

 

Rudy was more consistently great, but Nic had some of the best highlights of the season for me.

 

I voted Batum.

Rudy pretty much met expectations, while Oden and Bayless were disappointing. Batum was the pleasant surprise.

 

You ask like multiple questions that can be interpreted and answered differently.

1. Favorite This Year = Rudy
2. Most Upside = Oden
3. Impressed the Most = Batum
4. Most Confidence In = Rudy
5. Most look Forward to seeing next year = Greg

 

I think Oden has the most upside, easily. Rudy was the most fun to watch this season and I most look forward to seeing how Batum and Bayless develop for next season.

 

Rudy with his basketball IQ is great to watch. Can't wait to see all of them back next year.

 

hmm, guess I'm just not a big rudy guy. easily my 4th fv rookie we have.
1-Bayless
2-Greg
3-Batum
4-Rudy

 

Fav This Year - Nic
Upside - Greg
Impressed Me - Nic
Most Confidence In - Rudy
Look Forward to seeing in 09-10 - Greg

I love that Nic WANTS to check the other teams' best swing man, no matter who it is. Willingly took on quick PG's too. Great BBIQ, especially for a kid. Already good behind the arc. After an off-season to put some meat on that frame, this kid is going to be terrific.

Greg is going to have a lot of posters here eating crow. He's already a formidable post defender and shot blocker. He's shown flashes of lots of offensive skills, but he can't stay on the floor long enough to develop them. He'll get over the foul issues, just like Joel did. Then....look out.

Rudy is so poised, it's hard to compare him to the other rooks. I love the way the guy plays off the ball. Best hoops IQ on the team, after Brandon. If the team can learn to run more, Rudy will be a shining star.

I didn't follow JB in college and I didn't get to see enough of him this season to get excited about him. Good D, great driving to the rim. He needs to find his J to complement his dribble drive, and he'll be good to go. I'm ready to be impressed next year.

Go Blazers

 

Rudy knew how to pump up the RG didn't he?

 

I also voted for Batum because he completely demolished any pre-season expectations of him. Personally, I'd say that Rudy actually exceeded my expectations, as well. With Oden, I was hoping to see a little more development, but he had stretches where he really opened my eyes as to how good he'll be. Bayless needed more playing time, plain and simple. When he got some PT - like in that great road game in New Jersey - he didn't play like a rookie, at all.

 

I loved seeing Nic go from a D-league shoe-in after Summer league, to a 19-20 year old youngin' with a penchant for defense. The two poster dunks on Gasol cracked me up and also showed a flash of a nasty streak.

I felt bad for Greg
I like Jerryd's demeanor, but was surprised at how much his jumper abandoned him from AZ
Rudy definitely has a crowd pleasing game and he's clearly a pro, but I'm not sure why I'm not in love with him as a player?

 

i thought rudy would be better off the dribble, so he was just average for me.

batum shocked me, and he was all gravy, i expected him to be in the d league all year.

truthfully, oden was my favorite, he did great this year imo. his fouls sucked, but from a production standpoint, he outplayed the other three.

rookie per

 

Batum!

 

Ditto for me...

 

I feel the same way. And for me I think it's because he is pretty one dimensional.. He is a shooter. Yeah he runs around a lot (most of the time getting open for threes) but he never drove on anyone so I don't think he can effectively.
He does have an incredible basketball IQ and when put in the right situation he makes good decisions and also has a lot of energy for a guy whose one and only scoring threat (unless its a wide open fast break dunk or a lob) is shooting threes.

 

My favorite was Batum. I think he's the type of player that just makes any team he is on that much better. That he understands the concepts of the game from a team standpoint at the age of 19 leads me to believe that he's going to end up being a very key ingredient towards any championship run.

It's a hard poll for me. I truly love each and every player on that list. I don't want any of them traded as I think that with Roy and Aldridge, it's a core that has a chance to win multiple championships as they grow together. I am certain that they will all be able to co-exist because each brings a synergistic complement towards the overall team game. Rudy can pass and shoot threes. Bayless can penetrate and get to the line. Oden can defend the basket and get others in foul trouble. Batum can defend the perimeter, block shots, and hit the open three. And when they improve the other aspects of their games, watch out.