2023-11-10 09:05:33
New season, new rookie watch. The new season is already a good three weeks old. A good time to take a look at the rookies. And one thing is already clear: the award for Rookie of the Year will not be a sure-fire success for Victor Wembanyama.
There was a lot of hype about this rookie class not just because of Victor Wembanyama: players like Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson and Amen Thompson were also said to have franchise player potential. This has only been seen to a limited extent with this trio so far, but there are already some newcomers who are immediately playing a lot of minutes and are already having a positive influence on their teams.
Others, on the other hand, have difficulty cracking the rotation at all: Anthony Black (#6, Magic) recently only played due to injuries, Jarace Walker (#8, Pacers), Taylor Hendricks (#9, Jazz) or Jett Howard (#11, Magic) only see minutes in garbage time, if at all.
That’s a bit unusual, but some picks that were drawn outside the first round also appeal. 15 rookies get at least 15 minutes per game, last year it was 25 over the season. But that can still happen. Let’s now look at the best rookies of the young season.
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Honorable Mention
Cason Wallace (Oklahoma City Thunder), 10. PickBilal Coulibaly (Washington Wizards), 7. PickJordan Hawkins (New Orleans Pelicans), 14. PickJaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat), 18. PickToumani Camara (Portland Trail Blazers), 52. PickBrandon Miller (Charlotte Hornets), 2. Pick
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Platz 5: Marcus Sasser (Detroit Pistons)
Draft: 25. PickPosition: Guard
Marcus Sasser: His stats for the Detroit Pistons
SpieleMINPTSFG%3P%REBAST919,610,955,750,02,82,7
It feels like every year there is a player like Sasser, an older rookie who is drafted at the end of the first round and can help a team immediately. This year it’s the 23-year-old Sasser, who was always at the top of his game with Houston over four years in college. Sasser is a bit short (1.88 meters), but he is still an annoying defender as well as a solid shot creator on offense.
In addition, Sasser has hit his shots so far and real (young) shooters are in short supply at the Pistons anyway. The guard has already recorded at least 19 points in three games and is presenting coach Monty Williams with difficult decisions. Alec Burks is currently out injured, as is Monté Morris. Will Sasser still see enough playing time when his head coach has Cade Cunningham, Morris, Burks and Jaden Ivey available?
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Platz 4: Dereck Lively II (Dallas Mavericks)
Draft: 12. PickPosition: Center
Dereck Lively II: His stats for the Dallas Mavericks
GamesMINPTSFG%REBASTBLK724,09,077,87,71,11,0
It initially sounded like a fix when Mavs coach Jason Kidd announced before the season that Lively would start for Dallas. Admittedly, the alternatives aren’t the best either, but Lively has done really well so far. The center sinks almost everything at the ring, he is the athletic center who fits well alongside Luka Doncic because he exudes enormous danger with his jumping ability. The youngster has already shown signs of making the right decisions from the pick’n’roll or through handoffs.
Lively also works well on the board, although he is still a few kilos short. But he makes up for it with athleticism. Things look pretty good in the pick’n’roll. There is still room for improvement. The comparisons to Tyson Chandler from the 2010-11 title team are actually not too far-fetched, but Lively will still need time to truly be a true starter. His start to his NBA career was still very promising.
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3rd place: Ausar Thompson (Detroit Pistons)
Draft: 5. PickPosition: Guard/Forward
Ausar Thompson: His stats for the Detroit Pistons
SpieleMINPTSFG%3P%REBASTBLK931,811,340,016,79,73,71,8
Let’s get one thing out of the way right away: Thompson’s throw looks terrible and isn’t rewarded (10/39 FG). Otherwise, the younger Thompson twin is a lot of fun and has benefited to a certain extent from Bojan Bogdanovic’s injury. Although Thompson’s presence (or lack of shooting) doesn’t necessarily make things easier for his point guard Cade Cunningham, the rookie is already an elite defender, who can also annoy the superstars night after night.
On top of that, Thompson isn’t completely useless offensively because he’s always on the move. His transition offense is a weapon, and the 20-year-old has the ability to make the game quick with his overview and good passing game. Very strong: Thompson has grabbed at least 3 offensive rebounds in every (!) game so far and leads the rebound category among rookies.
In addition, Thompson has already had a game with 5 blocks and two games with 4 steals. In the defeat against Phoenix, the rookie even scratched his first “5×5 game” (14-9-4-4-4) since Jonathan Isaac four years ago. It’s no coincidence that Thompson is already being compared to players like Andrei Kirilenko and Gerald Wallace.
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Platz 2: Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Draft: 2. Pick 2022Position: Forward/Center
Chet Holmgren: His stats for the OKC Thunder
SpieleMINPTSFG%3P%REBASTBLK829,816,857,555,67,92,62,5
Many expected it and so far Holmgren is actually a great fit in OKC. No one has defended more throws in the league than the Thunder rookie (108), who, unlike Wembanyama, actually holds the center position. How he interprets them is another matter: Holmgren also spends a lot of time on the perimeter and is used by OKC primarily as a spot-up shooter.
So far the three-pointer has been falling, even if Holmgren doesn’t necessarily have the fastest throw and it’s a little more difficult for him to create for himself. In keeping with the Thunder, his drive game has already come into its own, and Holmgren is also allowed to run the fast break here and there.
The 21-year-old has been a good connector so far, letting the ball run but creating throws for himself. His influence on defense is enormous, including blocking an impressive 7 throws in Cleveland. And one thing should be said: pretty much every other center looks bad against Nikola Jokic.
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Platz 1: Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
Draft: 1. PickPosition: Forward/Center
Victor Wembanyama: His stats for the San Antonio Spurs
SpieleMINPTSFG%3P%REBASTBLK829,118,844,129,38,51,82,4
Yes, Holmgren puts up slightly better numbers than the Frenchman, but the context also plays a big role: While Holmgren is surrounded by numerous strong ball handlers, Wembanyama only has one real playmaker in San Antonio in Tre Jones – and he is more of a backup to see. Ultimately, Spurs lack a steady hand that Wemby can use properly.
As a reminder: The super talent is 2.24 meters tall and only takes 31 percent of his shots at the ring. Here and there you can see how easy it is because you can play Wembanyama on the fifth floor, but that happens far too rarely. At this point, introduce yourself to Chris Paul: How many easy points would Wemby get?
But for now it doesn’t matter, his (unique) talent is evident game after game in certain situations. The move to move Wemby to the four should also help his development. Maybe long-term too? Because: With Wemby as a forward, every team is forced to place a good shooter here, otherwise the Frenchman can help too much in the team defense. And even shooters have their problems with Wembanyama’s length and speed: Wemby has already blocked three three-pointers, plus numerous contests.
Dennis Schröder recently explained it best when he missed the ring twice against Wembanyama. “I could barely see the ring and then it became two airballs because I wasn’t sure if he was going to block my shots or not.”
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