NBA Rookie Rankings: Willie Cauley-Stein Debuts at #3
By Scott Harris
Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
- Emmanual Mudiay, Denver Nuggets
Some may be wondering why Mudiay is only ranked 6th on this list. I’ll get to that, but I’d like to start out on a positive note. Mudiay has really filled up the stat sheet so far this season. Among rookies, he is 2nd in assists, 3rd in scoring, tied for 5th in steals, 7th in blocks, and 10th in rebounding.
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The point guard, however, has struggled in one major area…passing to his teammates. Mudiay has showed so far to excel at passing to the other team; doing so at an alarming rate. While his 5.3 assists per game so far look solid in a vacuum, they do not look so shiny next to his 6.3 turnovers per game.
The whopping 11 turnovers Mudiay had in the season opener set the record for most turnovers by a player in their debut since the league began tracking the stat in the 1977/78 season. New coach Mike Malone does not want Mudiay to let up however, so let Mr. Mudiay’s Wild Ride continue!
Next: Number 7