If we are talking about rookies to watch, I wouldn't mind mentioning Bernard James. Not a big name, but a lot of factors in his favor:
1- His age/demeanor. He's 27, and served in the military before going to FSU. His body is more mature than the other rookies who will be seeing court time, and I believe he probably has an intangibles advantage there too.
2. People he's playing behind. Chris Kaman is always an injury waiting to happen in this league, and Elton Brand, though he has been a pretty solid player in terms of playing games, could conceivably miss some time, if only because his body is getting older, and he might be called upon to play a lot of minutes in Dallas.
3. People he's competing with. His main competition off the bench at the big spots is going to be Brandon Wright. (I almost think of Brand as a starter, though he will come off the bench, because I think he will see a lot of time at the 4 and 5, and I predict that he will see a lot of the center minutes down the stretch because he's a more complete player than Kaman). Wright, while a very good, exciting player, proved that there were questions about how he would matchup in certain situations because of his lack of size. He didn't play much in games vs the Lakers, and didn't see much action in the playoffs against OKC. James has a lot more girth to his body and, therefore, could be the primary backup when playing teams with stiff frontcourts.
All this to say, James could be an important player to keep your eye on, especially if you are interested in front court depth off the waiver wire.
I also think Jae Crowder could be a good find if there's an injury to Vince Carter or Shawn Marion. Hell, Crowder might start if Marion is injured. Both of those rookies are going to be in a good position to pick up solid minutes if there's an injury, and both have a lot of experience, mature bodies, and good IQ when it comes to the game.
Can you tell I like Dallas a little bit?
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