So last year was a pretty lame year for rookies - so bad that the ROY, Brandon Roy, pulled down the award despite missing 25 games.  Outside of Roy, actually, not a single rookie was in the top 140 on the APR.  (Can that be true? Maybe I’m missing somebody?)  Anyhow, that was then, and this is now, and despite already losing one of it’s crown jewels for the season, this year is supposed to be much stronger.  SO let’s take a look at some of the guys you’ll be chosing from in the last few rounds of the fantasy draft (I think Kevin Durant might be gone by then, so we’ll skip him)…

Jeff Green
FBB got a good look at Green these past two years as his Hoyas team was on our local DC television a lot, and I gotta say, I don’t love his game.  He might have been a ‘do-it-all’ kinda guy, but watching the Hoyas, you ALWAYS noticed Roy Hibbert, but you didn’t always notice Green.  He had a tendency to disappear in college and that worries me.  He’s one of those guys where, while he might do everything pretty well, he’s not great at any one thing.  Yes he could be a great glue guy, but glue isn’t a fantasy stat.  He reminds me of a Shane Battier type, who if he gets enough minutes will have decent value but even then will be on the fringes of fantasy value.  Making matters worse, he’s a G/F, so it’s not like he’ll be helping at a scarcity position.  I think I’d look elsewhere for a late-round pick.

Al Thornton
Lots of people are big on Grandpa Al because of Elton Brand’s injury.  At first, I was less convinced, but I think I’ve turned around.  I first thought that Thornton’s age (23) was a negative, but that’s in terms of long-term value - for this year, it’s a positive.  His body is developed enough that he’ll be able to handle the rigors of an NBA season.  So what if he’ll never be a superstar?  All we want right now is for him to fill in nicely for Brand.  The minutes will certainly be there for the taking, so it’s all baout performance for Thorton, and the preseason has shown some positive results.  Yes, he turns the ball over - a lot - but he’s also a triple threat possibility, contributing in 3’s, steals, and blocks, and he’s had decent percentages in college as well.  Thornton is worth a look to stash on your bench if you can get him late enough.

Acie Law IV
I was pretty high on Law coming out of the draft and I am still pretty excited about his possibilities this year.  He still hasn’t found his stroke from long range but he’s been getting plenty of minutes, impressing the Hawks brass (not sure if that’s good or bad, tho) and in competition for the starting PG spot.  Considering that his competition is Speedy Claxton, even if he doesn’t win it with his play, he might get it though injury either way.  Law’s rebounding numbers have been particularly impressive early on here, and he’s a guy who needs to be drafted in every league as long as his wrist is OK.

Marco Belinelli
Belinelli is not going to go undrafted - after blowing up in the summer league and seeing Monta Ellis get hurt early, Belinelli is a familiar name for fantasy players.  His upside is as big as any rookie out there outside of Durant, due to his shooting ability.  He won’t contribute much in terms of boards or assists but with enough minutes he should be a nice source of 3’s and steals, sort of a Manu Ginobili type who has sneaky value.  He will be subject to the whims of Don Nelson, which is never easy, but with Ellis and Baron Davis both injury risks, he should have plenty of opportunity for playing time.  I’d be OK with drafting him as a utility guy, but I’d be very happy putting him on my bench.

Juan Carlos Navarro
The Robin to Pau Gasol’s Batman, he will get minutes because Pau wants him to.  He’s supposed to be a great scorer (they call him “La Bomba”) and the Grizzlies seem like the kind of team that will let him shoot - just look at what Mike Miller did last year once they let him play his game.  That said, he’s not going to contribute in boards or assists.  Even if he gets the minutes, doesn’t he sound a bit like Bostjan Nachbar?  Just a thought.  He’s been getting tons of minutes in the preseason and scoring in bunches, and is probably worth a look in the 8-10th round area, but I might let someone else take that risk.

Luis Scola
Scola is supposed to be hot stuff, apparently.  He won the MVP award at the FIBA Americas tournament, is going to be the starting PF for the Rockets,  and looks like a good source of points and boards.  There are 2 questions for Scola.  One, does he do anything other than points and boards, and two, how much is he really going to get the ball?  On the first question, he doesn’t appear to be a big blocks or steals guy, and unlike most Euros he appears to never shoot threes.  His FT is not so great either, hovering around the 70% mark.  So it doesn’t look like he’ll do much besides points and boards.  On the second question, He’s no better than the 4th option at any point for the Rockets, who are totally loaded witih scorers.  Is he really going to see more than 7-8 shots a game?  I’m pretty skeptical.  That said, the minutes will definitely be there and he’s certainly worth owning but I think he’ll be drafted a little bit higher than his actual value.  I’d let someone else take him unless I can get him on my bench, but I don’t think he’ll last that long.