Is This The Worst Rookie Class Ever?

We tried to keep track of this year's NBA rookies, looking for any signs of credible life. Brandon Roy should be a nice player, once fully healthy. The Raptors' Andrea Bargnani has had some flashes of brilliance, and that shaggy guy in Charlotte has a few fans. But all in all, this is a miserable, miserable crop.

Kevin Brewer of The Washington Times is in an especially bleak mood, calling this "the worst rooke class of all time":

The commissioner's new rule kept high school players out of the draft last year for the first time in Kevin Garnett's lifetime, temporarily keeping talents like Greg Oden, Kevin Durant and Brandan Wright out of the league...

The winner may want to accept the award with a bag over his head. This season's winner also may receive another dubious honor -- worst rookie of the year ever.

Brewer goes on to snicker at the heavily-hyped Morrison and Reddick, calling the Raps' Jorge Garbajosa and the Hawks' Shelden Williams "Roy's modest competition for the award" and then note that:

Jazz forward Paul Milsap, Timberwolves forward Craig Smith and Kyle Lowry and Alexander Johnson of the Grizzlies have been the most productive rookies on a per-minute basis, but all of them play less than 20 minutes a game.

It's Brewer's alternative, though, that's really interesting. Rather then crown another Mike Miller, he suggests that the league just "leave it vacant." Honestly, I just can't see this being worse than the Class of 2000. Even if only Roy and Bargnani end up having any lasting impact, that still bests the likes of the oft-injured K-Mart, Desmond Mason, and Quention Richardson.