The thought coming into the 2009-10 season was the rookie class was thin. There wasn't a lot expected from the players drafted after Blake Griffin, who went No. 1 overall to the Los Angeles Clippers.
Good thing it didn't work out that way. Despite Griffin hurting his knee and not playing a single game, this rookie class was stellar.
Tyreke Evans and Stephen Curry developed into future stars. Brandon Jennings was a notch below them, and Jonny Flynn has a high ceiling. There were also exceptional performances from Darren Collison, Marcus Thornton, Taj Gibson, Jrue Holiday, DeJuan Blair, Terrence Williams, Ty Lawson, Toney Douglas, Roddy Beaubois, Jonas Jerebko and Omri Casspi.
All of these players helped Fantasy owners at times this season.
"I heard we were a weak draft class and all that stuff," Curry said. "It's nice for everyone to be playing well."
In standard, head-to-head Fantasy leagues, Evans, Curry and Jennings finished in the Top 30 guards, with Evans a Top 30 overall player. He was the best rookie this season, but he's not alone.
This "weak" rookie class, which was arguably the best ever since 2003 when LeBron James, Carmelo Anthony, Chris Bosh and Dwyane Wade went in the Top 5, showed its worth at All-Star weekend. The rookies beat the sophomores 140-128, which was the first time the rookies came out on top since 2002.
"They're pretty good," said Minnesota forward Kevin Love, who was on the sophomore team. "It is an impressive class. People overlooked them as a class. But they beat up on us a little bit."
Fantasy owners are going to enjoy the players from the 2009 Draft class for many years to come, and we've highlighted the four point guards with the most potential for the future in Evans, Curry, Jennings and Flynn.
Collison would be on this list if he wasn't stuck behind Chris Paul, and Collison's amazing run this season came when Paul (knee) was out. Holiday could emerge as a solid Fantasy option, but he's behind the other four. And Lawson and Douglas also could develop later in their careers depending on what happens around them.
But these four point guards in Evans, Curry, Jennings and Flynn are going to lead their teams -- and Fantasy squads -- for the next several years based on what they have shown as rookies.
Stephen Curry, Golden State
2009 Stats: 17.5 points, 5.9 assists, 4.5 rebounds, 1.9 steals, 3.1 turnovers
2009 Average Draft Position: Round 8
He says: "With the injuries we've had, I've gotten a lot of extra playing time. I've been able to get better with every game I've played. That's been my motivation now is just trying to get better." -- Curry
Coach says: "He's been better early than I expected. I expected that I would have that player, but I didn't think it would be his rookie year. I thought in his second year he would play like this. ... He's good. He's got skill." -- Warriors coach Don Nelson
What others are saying: "I'm impressed. You already see great growth, and you can see why they are so high on him. He's probably the closest thing to a Steve Nash type of player in terms of being able to see the floor and make passes that you can't really teach. For a guy who is considered undersized and a little bit light, he has some toughness. But he has great poise. He does not seem like a rookie." -- Heat coach Erik Spoelstra
Our take: Curry is a star in the making because of his shooting prowess and the team he plays for. Nelson has turned plenty of lesser-skilled players into quality Fantasy options, and now he has a gem in Curry. The backcourt of Curry and Monta Ellis should continue to shine for several years, and we expect Curry to remain a starting Fantasy guard for a long time.
I would draft Curry before these three guards in 2010: Tony Parker, Baron Davis and Jason Kidd in Round 3
Tyreke Evans, Sacramento
2009 Stats: 20.1 points, 5.8 assists, 5.3 rebounds, 1.5 steals, 3.0 turnovers
2009 Average Draft Position: Round 9
He says: "I didn't expect to come in the league and average 20. I thought I would have to work my way up. I thought I would come in and average about 10 or 11 points and next year get better each game. I can get better if I keep working hard. The sky's the limit for me." -- Evans
Coach says: "If they would guard him (one-on-one) he would go for 40 a night. Tyreke adjusts well. He's obviously very gifted. He has size and strength and ball-handling ability and body control to be able to get to the basket. He's a very rare talent. He's very big and strong." -- Kings coach Paul Westphal
What others are saying: "What Evans is doing, few people have done at his age. He is playing at a high level for a long enough period of time. You can do that the first few weeks of the season and then everybody starts to adjust, but he is still doing it and teams are scheming against him, trying to take the ball out of his hands, understanding what his strength is. He is a very talented, gifted player, particularly in his ability to get to the rim." -- Spoelstra
Our take: Evans is an absolute star with his ability to post quality stats in points, rebounds and assists. His averages of 20 points, five assists and five rebounds makes him the fourth rookie to accomplish that feat in NBA history along with Oscar Robertson, Michael Jordan and LeBron James. That's special company, and it won't be long before Evans is a perennial first-round draft pick in all Fantasy leagues.
I would draft Evans before these three guards in 2010: Steve Nash, Chauncey Billups and Derrick Rose in Round 2
Jonny Flynn, Minnesota
2009 Stats: 13.5 points, 4.4 assists, 2.4 rebounds, 1.0 steals, 2.9 turnovers
2009 Average Draft Position: Round 10
He says: "I've learned so much, especially being able to go out there and play through so many mistakes. Kurt just keeps me out there. During the learning process, that's the best way to learn. Kurt has been doing that with me. I've learned so much in this little short span of time." -- Flynn
Coach says: "He loves the game. He's improved tremendously. I put him in a system that's contrary to what he grew up playing. He understands where he can fit in, where he can involve his teammates and where his pockets of opportunities are. He wants to learn and wants to do what's right, and that's what he's striving to do. I just see him getting better and better every year. He has deficiencies, and he knows what those are, but he wants to work on them and wants to get better." -- Timberwolves coach Kurt Rambis
What others are saying: "He's had to be a little bit ahead of his time. Just having the ball in your hands, you get to learn, but you also make a lot of mistakes, too. It's tough. You have to make all those decisions with the ball in your hands all the time. It's a very tough job, but he's done a great job of it the whole season." -- Timberwolves forward Kevin Love
Our take: Flynn has some work to do before he can be considered a starting Fantasy guard, but he'll have room to grow in Minnesota. The only reason why Flynn won't improve next year is if Ricky Rubio comes to the NBA in 2010-11, but that's not expected to happen. Flynn should be drafted as a reserve Fantasy guard, and hopefully his second year will be an improvement on what he learned as a rookie.
I would draft Flynn before these three guards in 2010: Ray Allen, Mike Conley and Jose Calderon in Round 7
Brandon Jennings, Milwaukee
2009 Stats: 15.5 points, 5.7 assists, 3.4 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 2.4 turnovers
2009 Average Draft Position: Round 10
He says: "I was doing that earlier in the season, worrying about my stats. Now, I'm being more laid back and mellow and trying to get the wins. I think I'm playing pretty good. The team is winning. I'm just being a point guard and running the team." -- Jennings
Coach says: "He's having a good year. He's played the position well. He's done a nice job running the team. He hasn't shot the ball the way he would have liked in the past couple of months. We've given him a lot of freedom, and he hasn't abused it in any way. He's taken pretty good shots. His defense has improved as the year has gone on. His knowledge of the pro game is improving all the time. We like the way he's played." -- Bucks coach Scott Skiles
What others are saying: "He's learning. He's doing a good job. He's receptive to instruction. That's a good thing. A lot of young guys aren't like that and just shake their heads. He does a good job of trying to translate things and make it happen on the court." -- Bucks guard Jerry Stackhouse
Our take: Jennings got off to a hot start, highlighted by his 55-point game against Golden State in November, but his play has been sporadic at times. He's an explosive guard with his ability to score, and he has developed as a playmaker. He should continue to improve in his second year, and we see Jennings as a starting Fantasy option. If his shooting can improve (only 37 percent for the season), he would only enhance his value in Rotisserie formats.
I would draft Jennings before these three guards in 2010: Rodney Stuckey, Aaron Brooks and Mo Williams in Round 4
