NBA Rookies Progress Report - Picks 11-20

This is part two of my series analyzing the production of NBA rookies through the first couple months of the season.  My first post looked at picks 1-10 of the 2010 NBA Draft.  Now it's time to check in on picks 11-20.

11.  Cole Aldrich - Oklahoma City Thunder

The Thunder had hoped that Aldrich would fill their need for defensive toughness on the block but he has been slow to raise his play to an NBA level.  He's played in only seven games and has gotten more than ten minutes of PT in only three of those games.  He was sent down to the D-League this week for the second time this season.

Photo source: rrescot

12.  Xavier Henry - Memphis Grizzlies
Games - 28
PER - 7.5
Simple - -5.7
Offensive Rating - 97
Defensive Rating - 111

Henry has started 16 of the 28 games he's played for Memphis, but with a 7.5 PER he hasn't been very productive.  One of his strengths coming into the NBA was supposed to be three-point shooting but he's knocking down less than 12% of the shots he's taking behind the arc.  He's also shooting a rough 41.3% overall.

13.  Ed Davis - Toronto Raptors
Games - 14
PER - 14.4
Simple - -10.0
Offensive Rating - 116
Defensive Rating - 108

After missing the first month of the season Davis hit the court and has been productive for the Raptors, posting a 14.4 PER, fifth best among rookies.  He's also got a positive Offensive/Defensive Rating differential.  He and Derrick Favors are the only two qualifying rookies in the top 20 picks who can say that.  Additionally, he's shooting a very respectable 52.2% and averaging 10.3 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per 36 minutes.

14.  Patrick Patterson - Houston Rockets

Expected to be an early contributor, Patterson has found it hard to get any burn in Houston.  He's logged only 15 minutes over three games.

15.  Larry Sanders - Milwaukee Bucks
Games - 23
PER - 11.1
Simple - -3.8
Offensive Rating - 89
Defensive Rating - 96

His playing time has been sporadic, but Sanders has been good on the defensive end while on the the court.  His 96 Defensive Rating is the best among top 20 draft picks.  In fact, he's the only one with a Defensive Rating below 100.  He's also averaging a spectacular 3.4 blocks per 36 minutes.  His big improvement area - shooting, he's putting only 38.2% of his shots through the net.

16.  Luke Babbitt - Portland Trail Blazers
Games - 12
PER - -0.8
Simple - -5.0
Offensive Rating - 63
Defensive Rating - 109

Babbitt has played a total of 67 minutes in parts of 12 games and he's been awful.  He's posting an amazingly low -0.8 PER and shooting a dreadful 28%.

17.  Kevin Seraphin - Washington Wizards
Games - 12
PER - 7.0
Simple - -10.7
Offensive Rating - 86
Defensive Rating - 109

Here's another player who is having trouble getting things right on the offensive end.  Seraphin is shooting just 34.3% from the field.  But he's pulling down offensive rebounds at an astounding rate.  He's grabbing more than 21% of the rebounds available to him while on offense.  He's also tied for the Wizards lead in rebounds per 36 minutes with 10.9.

18.  Eric Bledsoe - Los Angeles Clippers
Games - 33
PER - 10.2
Simple - -5.8
Offensive Rating - 93
Defensive Rating - 110

Bledsoe has played in all 33 Clippers games and has started 22 of them because of the injury to Baron Davis.  He's averaging a solid 6.0 assists, 4.3 rebounds and 1.3 steals per 36 minutes.  As you'd expect from a rookie point guard, turnovers are a bit of a problem - he's averaging 3.7 per 36 minutes.

19.  Avery Bradley - Boston Celtics
Games - 11
PER - -3.2
Simple - -14.0
Offensive Rating - 55
Defensive Rating - 100

After not touching the floor for much of the first month, Bradley is just starting to get about six minutes per game in the second half of December.  It hasn't been pretty.  He's shooting a horrid 23.5% and averaging 4.1 turnovers per 36 minutes.

20.  James Anderson - San Antonio Spurs

Anderson got off to a quick start, playing in six of the Spurs first seven games.  A stress fracture in his foot took him off the court but word is that he may be able to start practicing this week.  He played quite well before the injury, knocking down 50% of his three-pointers, averaging 14.3 points per 36 minutes and posting a positive Offensive/Defensive Rating differential.

Just like the first 10 players taken in the 2010 NBA Draft, this next group of 10 is struggling as a whole to make meaningful contributions.  Davis and Bledsoe have risen above the rest while Henry and Sanders have earned PT and been some what productive.  The Spurs also have to be delighted in what they saw in Anderson before the foot injury.  In the next post I'll highlight picks 21-30.