2007 NBA Rookie Sleepers

Every season top NBA draft picks get all the attention when the season starts, yet it is often rookies drafted later on in the draft, or not drafted at all, who make a significant impact come playoff time.

Last season we saw players like Cleveland Cavs guard Daniel Gibson and Utah Jazz forward Paul Milsap, make big plays down the stretch for teams fighting for an NBA Championship.

Which "under-the-radar" rookies will step up this season and make an impact? Here's 5 to keep an eye on:

5) Jared Dudley, Charlotte Bobcats - The former Boston College star was only the 22nd player taken in this year's draft, but he could see some significant minutes for the Bobcats as the season goes along, especially after the ACL injury to Adam Morrison. Even without the injury, it's likely Dudley could have been pushing the disappointing Morrison for minutes by midseason. At least now, because of the injury, the Bobcats don't have to explain to their fans why the guy they took #3 in the draft a season ago is sitting behind a guy drafted in the late 1st round a season later.

Nothing Dudley does is going to blow you away, but he's a smart player who plays hard on both ends. He has a decent midrange jumper and rebounds well, and is also a hard-nosed player who seems apt to fit into the role of the "scrappy" guy off the bench this season.

Dudley's toughness and fire should make him a nice fit on a Charlotte team looking to make the playoffs this season after adding former Golden State guard Jason Richardson this offseason. The Bobcats are hoping to make a run at one of the lower playoff seeds in the wide-open Eastern Conference. By season's end Dudley could be right in the middle of helping the Bobcats make a push for their first ever playoff appearance,

4) Alando Tucker, Phoenix Suns - Last year's Big Ten Player of the Year from the University of Wisconsin now finds himself on one of the NBA's truly elite teams this season. The Suns appear poised to make another run at the NBA title this season with all of their main pieces(Steve Nash, Amare Stoudamire, Shawn Marion) returning and healthy.