David Thorpe of Scouts Inc. posts a review of this season’s rookies for ESPN. Thornton is listed as a runner up for Best Rookie Scorer:
There are a few obvious choices here, but I think Thornton is the most deserving simply because of what he’s done in difficult circumstances. Despite being pulled into and out of the rotation, playing for two coaches already and often getting paired with another rookie in the backcourt, he has been able to put up points and help drive the Hornets back into playoff contention.
Ultimately, I think Thornton will be an excellent scorer off the bench for a contending team. He has supreme confidence in his ability to get a bucket from anywhere.
And, Collison is runner-up for Best Rookie Passer:
I picked Collison over Brandon Jennings basically in a coin flip. I love how they both attack ball screens, creating 5-on-4 situations to put pressure on the defense, and then find the best teammate to throw it to.
Collison may be stuck behind the league’s best point guard in Chris Paul, but he’s shown major flashes of brilliance when Paul has been out — he dropped a whopping 18 assists and 14 assists in the Hornets’ last two games. With CP3 now sidelined indefinitely with a knee injury, we’ll be treated to more games like this from him.
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