Here is a list of five rookies who won’t be ready to live up to their potential:

Ricky Rubio
Yes, Rubio has a massive amount of potential. But he’s only 18 right now and will need a year or two to adjust. As a rookie, he’ll probably average around eight points and six assists.

Jrue Holiday
Last year, Russell Westbrook came out of UCLA and was a good fantasy basketball player. Don’t expect the same out of Holiday. Like Rubio, he’ll need a year or two.

DeMar DeRozan
Perhaps the rawest top prospect in the draft, DeRozan is definitely a project. He has the size and athleticism to be a star but he still has a lot of learning to do.

B.J. Mullens
Mullins has very good size and is one of the better center prospects in the draft. That said, he’s a player you can safely ignore in fantasy basketball for the 2009-10 season.

Brandon Jennings
This past season in Europe, Jennings showed a lot of promise. But he also proved he wasn’t ready for the spotlight. Don’t expect that to change next year right out of the gates.

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1. Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Griffin will go number one overall. This athletic bigman has a chance to be a double-double machine.

2. Ricky Rubio, Spain
One of the most hyped players from Europe of all-time, Rubio already has a lot of fans in the United States.

3. Hasheem Thabeet, Connecticut
A big shot-blocking center, Hasheem Thabeet will tempt teams with his huge size and wingspan.

4. James Harden, Arizona State
Every team could use more scoring and Harden is the best shooting guard in the draft.

5. Jordan Hill, Arizona
A great athlete, Hill has a huge amount of potential in the NBA.

6. Stephen Curry, Davidson
Dell’s son is a fantastic shooter who can spread defenses right away.

7. Brandon Jennings, Lottomatica Roma
He struggled in Europe but scouts were high enough on him that he won’t drop too far.

8. Demar DeRozan, USC
Coming into this year, DeRozan was a top-flight prospect. While not as hot, he’ll get picked near the top.

9. Earl Clark, Louisville
Clark has the type of body that will allow him to be a multi-purpose player in the next level.

10. Ty Lawson, North Carolina
Lawson was the best player on the best team in the nation. His speed will seduce.

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With the outcome still in question, Kobe Bryant took over in the fourth quarter. He not only scored but he handed out a team-high number of assists. Helping Bryant close out the game for the USA was Dwyane Wade, who led the United States in scoring.

Spain put up a great fight and was led by Pau Gasol and Rudy Fernandez. Gasol’s fantasy basketball future seems very bright with the Los Angeles Lakers after being very good in the Olympics. Same can be said for Fernandez, who has a chance to star for the Portland Trail Blazers.

Ricky Rubio, the 17-year-old basketball phenom for Spain, started in place of the injured Jose Calderon. Rubio proved that he can more than hold his own and upped his already sky high NBA stock. He now seems to be a lock to be a top five NBA draft pick.

Here is a video talking about what the gold medal means to the players and United States on a whole:

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Check out the Ricky Rubio video:

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1) Demar DeRozan, Compton High School
DeRozan is a 6-foot-6 shooting guard from Compton, California who is headed to USC next season. DeRozan is an explosive guard who can score from above the rim. His jumper is decent and his basketball IQ seems to be high for a high school player. Look for him to make an immediate impact at USC and then in the NBA.

2) Ricky Rubio, Spain
Rubio has been a Spanish legend for years now. He’s been called the Pistol Pete of Spain and he is surely a fun player to watch. The question is whether he can keep improving and get stronger. He’s played against top competition for a long time so there isn’t too much of a worry that he’d be overwhelmed by the NBA.

3) Brandon Jennings, Oak Hill Academy
Jennings is a pure point guard who will be headed to the University of Arizona. A left-hander, Jennings is a good athlete who has shown all the skills to be a quality point guard at any level. Although he’s only 6-foot-1 and 170 pounds, his toughness and competitiveness has never been questioned.

4) Blake Griffin, Oklahoma
Griffin is a freshman for the Oklahoma Sooners. While he’s eligible for the 2008 NBA Draft, many expect him to wait until the 2009 draft to make his jump to the NBA. At 6-foot-9 and over 240 pounds, Griffin is a strong player with good size and a good motor. He’s also surprisingly athletic for his size.

5) Samardo Samuels, St. Benedicts Prep
Headed to Louisville, Samuels is a skilled low post player who should flourish on the college level. Whether he is able to make the transition to the NBA isn’t as guaranteed because he stands 6-foot-8, which is not the optimal size you’d want in a power forward. Nonetheless, his skill level is very high.

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