David Thorpe does ESPN's weekly Rookie Watch and he gets an early start on it every off-season. Following the summer leagues, Thorpe feels he has a good grasp at who will make it when he starts ranking rookies for real.
No surprise, he thinks John Wall, taken at #1, was the top rookie in the summer league. Big surprise, he thinks Damion James, taken at #24, was second.
Of James, he writes, "His great energy combined with a solid outside stroke and lots of confidence makes him a scoring machine who just keeps coming at his opponent." Expect rotation minutes, Thorpe writes.
Thorpe also has nice things to say about Derrick Favors who he ranks eleventh: "He showed plenty of upside during summer league, both as an athlete and with his skills (specifically his face-up game). Did he get lost some, lose physical battles and generally zone out during games? Of course. He was the youngest guy on the court almost every time out."
- NBA Rookie Rankings: Summer league wrap - David Thorpe - ESPN Insider
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Texas Longhorns-ex Damion James impresses in summer league - Laken Litman - Dallas Morning News