We’re a month into the NBA season and that means it’s time to take stock of this year’s batch of rookies with the return of our monthly Rookie Rankings.
Prior to the season starting we were robbed of the chance to watch the proto-Wembanyama in Chet Holmgren (it’s so unfair on Chet – a true unicorn – that he won’t debut in the NBA until a player that does what he does, only better, takes his bow) due to a Lisfranc fracture. That doesn’t mean we haven’t seen some exciting play from these rooks, though.
Paolo Banchero’s debut was LeBron-like; Bennedict Mathurin is 6th Man of the Year candidate; Shaedon Sharpe gives us all Vince Carter flashbacks. This class contains some very real top end talent.
1. Paolo Banchero – Orlando Magic
The first overall pick has lived up to even the most hyperbolic predictions to this point in his rookie campaign.
On opening night Banchero became the first rook to begin his career with at least 25 points, five boards, and five assists since LeBron did it back in 2003. A 33 point, 16 rebound effort against Sacramento saw him become just the 2nd teenager to ever post a 30/15 line (again, LeBron is the other to do so). His sideline game is as flashy as his on-court product:
Banchero is currently sitting with a left ankle sprain, but prior to his injury was averaging 23.8 points, 8.3 boards and 3.6 assists. There are five other players currently hitting those numbers in this young season and they’re all superstars: Giannis Antetokounmpo, Luka Doncic, Pascal Siakam, LeBron James and Joel Embiid.
Heady company, indeed.
2. Bennedict Mathurin – Indiana Pacers
Banchero might have a shot at being an All-Star as a rookie – something not even LeBron managed. Bennedict Mathurin, however, has a legitimate chance of taking home non-rookie related silverware at the end of the season.
The rookie is yet to start a game so far, even after starting wing Chris Duarte went down, though he does play starters minutes (28.2 mins per game) for the Pacers. His 19.9 points per game currently leads the entire league in bench scoring and he’s doing in on highly efficient 46/45/83 shooting splits. He would have to be the early favourite for 6th Man of the Year.
That 45.3% shooting from beyond the arc is surely going to normalise at some point, but it does demonstrate the accomplished three-level scorer that Mathurin already is.
We won’t spoil the vibes by talking about Mathurin’s defense at this point.
3. Jaden Ivey – Detroit Pistons
No, Jaden Ivey isn’t having the rookie season’s of Banchero or Mathurin. He has put forward a damn fine performance thus far, however.
The explosive 5th overall selection is posting 16.1 points, an even five rebounds, 4.1 assists and 1.4 steals. His athleticism has come as advertised. He’s already absorbing contact at the rim from bigger, more conditioned bodies and is able to maintain his shape and balance. He’s also just so incredibly fast.
Ivey was expected to be able to score fairly well as a rookie and his athletic gifts meant that he would likely help out on the glass. Where the concerns were with him were playmaking and defense. He’s already far more advanced as a creator than many anticipated, as evidenced by his 4.1 assists (he also leads all rookies in potential assists). His steal numbers are not coming from reckless gambles, either. He’s using his angles cleverly, playing solid positional defense and then letting his athleticism simply overwhelm opponents.
The fire to Cade Cunningham’s ice, Detroit’s backcourt is set in stone for a long, long time.
4. Keegan Murray – Sacramento Kings
The surprise 4th overall selection shone in Summer League, leading some to speculate that he could win the Rookie of the Year. Murray hasn’t quite lived up to those proclamations, though he’s been very good all the same.
After starting the first two games of his career on the bench, Kings coach Mike Brown very quickly realised that Murray is already a starting calibre player. Outside of a small slump (that, it was later, revealed, coincided with his grandmother suffering a stroke whilst in attendance at one of his games) Murray has been a rock solid tertiary option for Sacramento.
His shooting – 2.3 three pointers at 37.5% – has helped space the floor for the dynamic De’Aaron Fox/Domantas Sabonis combination that has powered the Kings solid start. Defensively he’s been fine and he has flashed some of the off the bounce game that served him so well at Iowa.
5. Shaedon Sharpe – Portland Trailblazers
There were legitimate concerns surrounding Sharpe coming into the draft. The London, Ontario native had wilfully withdrawn from his lone collegiate season at Kentucky, leading to speculation about his maturity, his NBA readiness and, given scouts didn’t get to see him play against high level collegiate opposition, just how good a basketballer he actually was.
As it turns out, he’s really quite good.
Sharpe doesn’t do a whole lot outside of the score at this point. Then again, he wasn’t expected to: Sharpe is a pure bucket getter. He’s shooting a white hot 46.7% from deep thus far – that will regulate somewhat as the season progresses – and is already putting together a highlight reel to be envied.
6. Jabari Smith Jr – Houston Rockets
Jabari Smith was never meant to be a superstar. The attraction in drafting Smith was that you were getting an uber role player – a vastly overqualified second banana.
What peaked the interests of scouts was Smith’s combination of elite shooting and defense, combined with just enough juice off the bounce to take over when needed.
After a decent first few outings, practically none of those factors have shone through.
Defensively, the 6’10” Smith has proven to weak to stand up to other power forwards either on the block or on the move. His rebounding and shot blocking numbers are on the surface fine, though when watching him play you just don’t see him rebound in traffic or make difficult rejections.
Offensively that jumper still looks smooth as silk but the ball just won’t go in the hole right now. Smith is shooting just 30% from deep and 32% from the floor overall. To be fair to the young man, he is a player that is reliant on others setting him up and his Rockets may be the single worst team in the NBA at moving the rock.
I’m sure that Smith will improve as the season progresses. Frankly, he’d want to.
7. Walker Kessler – Utah Jazz
When the Jazz shipped out Rudy Gobert it was expected that they would struggle to protect the paint without the NBA’s premier defensive big man on side. One of the army of players they received for the three time Defensive Player of the Year looks to have already staked his claim to being Utah’s long term defensive anchor.
Kessler is playing just south of 15 minutes per game so far, but is leading all rookies in blocks per game at 1.6 a contest. His per 36 numbers: 13.5 points, 13 rebounds, 3.9 (!) blocks. If he’s putting up those sorts of numbers in a few years time, the Jazz will have themselves yet another All Defense big man, following in the footsteps of Gobert, Mark Eaton, and Andrei Kirilenko.
8. Tari Eason – Houston Rockets
Eason is making himself very, very difficult to leave on the pine.
The energetic rookie is settling into his role as a high end 3-and-D role player. He is 4th in the entire NBA in deflections per 36 minutes and leads all rookies in FiveThirtyEight’s catch-all RAPTOR metric.
Eason is already an accomplished thief, averaging 1.5 steals a game in just 18 minutes a night, whilst at the other end he’s shooting a red-hot 41.4% from beyond the arc.
With the array of young offensive talent scattered around the Rockets roster, Eason brings something different – and vital – to Houston’s rebuilding effort.
9. Jeremy Sochan – San Antonio Spurs
Jeremy Sochan’s summer league and pre-season performances must have had Spurs brass at least privately concerned, such were the US born Pole’s struggles.
Come the real games, though, and Sochan has looked the goods. He’s like a compressed spring, ready to uncoil at any opportunity. His energy all over the floor is a bellwether for these young Spurs.
He’s willing to guard anybody and everybody, too. In a game against Minnesota, he marked Karl-Anthony Towns, D’Angelo Russell, Anthony Edwards, and Rudy Gobert for extended stretches.
At 6’8” with underrated strength, boundless enthusiasm, dyed hair and the #10 on his jersey, there is a temptation to draw comparisons to Dennis Rodman. They’re very different players, though. The Spurs will hope that they’re quite different away from the court, too.
10. Jalen Duren – Detroit Pistons
Duren won’t impact the Rookie of the Year race thanks to an almost comically low usage rate. What he has done to this point, though, is prove himself an elite rebounder and an intimidating rim protector.
One the youngest players in the entire league (he turns 19 years of age today), Duren is averaging 7.4 boards and 1.2 blocks in just 21 minutes a night . That translates to 12.5 rebounds and an even two blocks per 36 minutes. That’s young Dwight Howard levels of production.
Now, with starting centre Isaiah Stewart out for the next fortnight or so with a toe injury, Duren will get his chance to play extended minutes and really show what he is capable of.
