The NBA league is like a reincarnation, often with the on-court performance of new players, evoking the shadow of the old star hidden in the memory of old fans. Just like the 19th rookie top three, although they are young, their playing style is very "retro style".
Zehn Williamson and Charles Buckley: The Ultimate Form of the Stout Inner Line
The comparison between Zehn and Barkley has a long history. Such a comparison may be unfair to veteran fans who have seen Barkley's peak, because they certainly think there will be no second Barkley-like figure in the world. As one of the league's greatest players, Barkley was able to lead the league in rebounding, not only with his strong gluteal muscles to break through opponents and complete the layup.
"Gravity" is one of the most important laws of classical mechanics, and players like Zehn and Barkley seem to have been born to break this law: they look clumsy, but they have spring-like knees that allow them to soar freely in the air. When Cain stepped onto the court, with his excellent waist and bounces, rebounding was a piece of cake for him.
And his inhuman advance speed forced defenders to keep an eye on him when retreating, so as not to be caught off guard by Cain. Barkley is a great player in part because of his fearsome athleticism, and The combination of Zehn's size, talent, skill, and lethality also frightens other players.
Although the two players switch offense in similar ways, it is therefore inappropriate to classify them as the same category of players. Barkley's favorite is back-to-back singles at halftime, while Zehn's role is more in organizing and creating opportunities. Cain was the first player after Barkley to make a splash with his stout stature (2.01 meters tall and 129 kilograms). He combines a number of elements: Sean Kemp's always-take-off dunk, Larry Johnson's generally strong and skilled player, and even a mature left-handed offense like Rodney Rogers.
We can't decide for Cain's career too early, whether he can reach the heights of his predecessors or not, but he will definitely cause a lot of trouble for players across the league.
Ja Morant and Kevin Johnson: Both civilian and military stadium commanders
Excellent long-range shooting ability, excellent passing ability, the ability to break through defiance of defense. If the point guard in your home team is proficient in two of these three abilities, your game will look smooth. Kevin Johnson is the elite of the elite in all three areas, while fledgling rookie Morante has shown the potential to catch up with his predecessors.
In general, slender high-backs do not like the flying body flow attack, and Morant is not, he, like Johnson, prefers to fly in the air like Westbrook and complete the attack through confrontation. In his final season at Murray State, thanks to his aggressive approach to offense, Morant's free throw rate for fouling opponents reached a staggering 51.2 percent, which coincided with Johnson's career free throw rate.
Johnson and Morant used breakthroughs to create threats in different ways. The former relies heavily on lightning first steps that can start in any direction, while Morant relies on excellent pass control technology. Even in the case of blind lights, facing multiple defenders, Morant was able to pass the ball in time to an empty teammate in the receiving position. Similarly, Johnson sent his teammate Dan Malley to the All-Star Game by breaking through the way he played with the lure bag sandwiched between the breakouts.
Overall, Johnson's career was vastly underestimated. Because of injuries, Johnson spent most of his peak watching, playing just 126 games since he was 30. But when Health is on his side, he's still a shining superstar on the court: Johnson slashed 46 points in the 1995 Western Conference Finals Tie-7, and "Kevin Johnson Dunk Night" is sure to be the night of Olajuwon's life.
Morant's career may be different from Johnson's, but standing on the court, he seems to be a "remake" of Johnson after many years.
RJ Barrett and Jamal Mashburn: The flow of violence needs to evolve itself
Barrett, who has Canadian citizenship, is known to fans as "Maple Leaf Mamba", but his style of play is far more brutal than this nickname. His athletic prowess makes Barrett invincible in switching offense, but in terms of landing at half-time, Barrett's offensive means are a bit rough, and many times rely on his body size advantage to force a accustomed left attack. At the age of 19 and with bulldozer-like athleticism, Barrett's game template is like a juvenile version of Jamal Marshburn.
Similar to Barrett, Marshburn, who became the team's first offensive option in his rookie season, often relied on his size to force shots on the heads of flank defenders who were much shorter than him. It turned out that Marshburn's style of play did not work.
In his third season, Marsh was the first player in the league to average more than 21 shots per game and shoot less than 38 percent from the field after having a three-point line. Marshburn's endless top shots, combined with his love triangle with Kidd and Jim Jackson over singer Tony Preston, contributed to the fall apart of the Dallas Three Musketeers. After being traded to Miami, Marshburn gradually adjusted his inefficient playing style. After being traded to the Hornets, Marshburn, who gradually improved his skills and began to know how to play with his brain, was first selected as an All-Star at the age of 30, which is unheard of in the NBA.
However, after his peak season as an All-Star, Marshburn played only 19 games before retiring from injury. It took Marshburn a long time to find a career balance, and the struggling performances in the summer league show that Barrett is likely to follow the same route.
DeAndre Hunt and Robert Horry: Born for the Role Players Hall of Fame
If role players have the Hall of Fame, Horry is definitely one of them. In many historic moments in the NBA, It is always the presence of Horry, and such a perfect career may never happen to another player. But if the word "legendary" is to be discussed, Hunter is the one most likely to inherit Horry's mantle.
In the 2017-18 NCAA League, Hunter's top seed, The University of Virginia, lost to the No. 16 seed team, but the following season, the team made a comeback and eventually won the NCAA championship. Like Horry at his peak, Hunter was able to contribute reliable rims and single defenses to the team. At both ends of the offensive and defensive ends, Hunter can grasp the accurate landing position at the precise time.
Mentally and physically, Horry is also a typical dedication player, and for Hunter, this is a direction worth learning. Also as a scarce 3D interior player in the league, Hunter definitely has the ability to be the perfect supporting role next to the superstar like Horry.
Jaxon Hayes and Marcus Camby: Big men who make a living on the basket
If Hayes had traveled through time to the 90s, his astonishing speed would have been a spectacle for the League. In the players of the 90s, bulky centers often strangulated on the ground with strength, and only Kanby was able to get close to Hayes at jump speed.
The slow-paced race at the time was not easy for the slender Kanby. Ten years later, as the heavy center faded out of the league, Canby, who played in Denver, won the block king for three consecutive seasons and unexpectedly won a defensive player of the year title.
There are many reasons to compare Camby to Hayes. Although Canby was the most talented show in the 1996 draft, his career was not extraordinary. Even the best rookie centers need time to blossom.
All Hayes can contribute so far is solid cover quality and the nightmarish air-to-air connection, but in a team with Derek Favors, Ingram and Zehn, it is still unpredictable whether Hayes will get enough room to develop and play time.