Scoot Henderson’s problems, the Rookie of the Year contest, and more
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The ending of this tournament signals that close to 25% of the regular season has been played. These 20 or so games have given us a good look at this year’s rookie class. Instead of ranking the rookies or doing some type of “Too Early All-Rookie Team”, we’re going to take a look at some of the biggest storylines that have followed this rookie class since draft night.
Right now, the race for the Rookie of the Year only includes two players: Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama.
Of course, these two players were not drafted in the same year. Holmgren was selected with the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, but missed all of last season due to an injury. As for Wembanyama, he was labeled a generational prospect years before he even reached the NBA in 2023.
Wembanyama came to the NBA with a perhaps an unprecedented amount of hype. Through just 18 games, he’s been able to live up to the expectations. He’s averaging 19 points, 10 boards, almost 3 assists, 3 blocks and just over a steal per game. He’s doing this shooting 44% from the floor, 83% from the line and making almost a 1.5 threes per game.
His durability has been just as impressive as his numbers. Wembanyama played in 18 straight games for the Spurs before missing Friday night’s game which was the the second game of a back-to-back.
In short, Wemby has lived up to the hype even though the Spurs have struggled to translate his production into wins.
The fact Wemby has produced at such a high level and is still in a competition for the Rookie of the Year award may be the biggest surprise of the rookie class. However, Chet Holmgren has been so good for OKC that he may be the favorite to win the award.
Holmgren might have been drafted second overall in 2022, but he was at the top of many boards (mine included) and he’s proving why he was so coveted. He’s averaging about 18 points, 8 rebounds, 3 assists, 1 steal and over 2 blocks per game for a Thunder team that is currently second in the Western Conference.
He has proven his skillset and has been able to change the game defensively while providing the same competitive spirit he’s had since a recruit.
Durability was a major question mark for Holmgren as well. But so far he’s been as reliable as anyone on the Thunder’s roster, playing in all 19 games with his role and minutes growing as the season continues.
With Wemby and Chet clearly at the top of the rookie class, the race for the All-Rookie team is ultimately down to only three spots. The two of the players who have made the best case for those remaining spots have been aided by being drafted into good fits for their skillsets.
There was no denying on draft night that Jaime Jaquez was an ideal fit for the Miami Heat. He embodied the “Heat Culture”. He’s tough, hard-working and is known for his motor. So, in one sense, it’s not surprising that he’s carved out an immediate role for the Heat. But the size and significance of that role goes beyond what almost anyone expected this early into his career.
Jaquez is playing almost 27 minutes per night and is scoring 11 points on 53/39/79 shooting splits. While there are still some questions about his lateral quickness, it’s clear that he can be part of a thriving defense. Also, that he didn’t get enough credit for how athletic he is during the draft process.
The Heat drafted Jaquez No. 18 overall on draft night. But if we were ranking the rookies, he could make a strong case to be third overall.
The other player who found a notable good fit was Dereck Lively. With Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, the Mavs have one of the most potent guard tandems in the league. They needed players who could build up their supporting cast and impact the game without having the ball in their hands. Specifically, they needed floor spacing, defense and size. Lively checked two of those boxes as the type of rim-running, lob threat and shot-blocker who fits perfectly in the Mavericks’ line-up.
The fact that he went for 16 and 10 on opening night — achieving the double-double that was so elusive during his time at Duke — illustrated how well he fit into what the Mavs are doing. It also proved that he was every bit the prospect scouts said he was coming out of high school. In fact, it was just two years ago that Lively was the top-ranked prospect in the national high school class of 2022. A year later, he was hearing “overrated” chants. Now, he’s positioned himself to be named to the All-Rookie Team.
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