Have you ever wondered who the best rookie drafted this year is? Today I’m going to talk about the top 5 rookies drafted this season. One honorable mention before I begin is Scoot Henderson who plays for the Portland Trail Blazers. When looking at these rookies, I focused on scoring, defense, passing, and impact on their team.
Number 5 Derrick Lively ll
Derrick Lively ll is the starting center for the Dallas Mavericks. He was drafted with the 12th overall pick in the first round. He is averaging about 8.6 points per game, and also 9.5 rebounds, with 6.8 assists. He is a really good defender for a rookie. Sadly, he is going to miss most of the rest of his season due to an injury, but I am sure he will be a great future NBA player.
Number 4 Jaime Jaquez Jr
Jaime Jaquez Jr is a starter for the Miami Heat this season. He was drafted with the 18th overall pick in the first round. He is averaging 15.1 points per game, 4.4 rebounds, 3.1 assists, and also 1.2 steals per game. He is having a pretty solid rookie season in the NBA, if there weren’t 2 insane rookies in the league he would have a solid chance to win the rookie of the year.
Number 3 Brandon Miller
Brandon Miller is the starting small forward for one of the worst teams in the NBA. He was drafted with the 2nd overall pick in the first round. So far he is averaging 17.1 points per game, 4.3 rebounds per game, and also 2.4 assists per game. He is having a great first season with the Charlotte Hornets. His best teammate is Lamelo Ball who is one of the best point guards in the NBA.
Number 2 Chet Holmgren
Chet Holmgren is the starting center for arguably the best team in the NBA right now. The strange thing about Chet Holmgren is that he was drafted in 2021 with the 3rd overall pick. He got injured during the summer league so he missed 2 seasons. So he is considered a rookie this season. He plays for the Oklahoma City Thunder, his best teammate is easily Shai Gilgeos Alexander who has a chance to win MVP this season. Chet’s biggest rival is Victor Wembanyama who plays for the San Antonio Spurs.
Number 1 Victor Wembanyama
Victor Wembanyama is the starting center for a really bad team, but he is also 7 foot 4 making him the tallest player in the league. He was drafted with the number 1 overall pick in the first round. So far he is averaging 21.2 points per game, 8.5 rebounds per game, 3.4 assists per game, and a league-leading 3.2 blocks per game. He is having one of the best rookie seasons we have ever seen in the NBA. It’s kind of crazy how in his first season in the NBA he is already probably the best defensive player in the league. Every time Victor Wembanyama plays Chet Homlgren, he has a better game than Chet Homlgren has, proving he is the better rookie this season.
In conclusion, Victor Wembanyama is having one of the best rookie seasons we have ever seen. The rookie of the year race isn’t even close between Victor Wembanyama and Chet Homlgren. If you would like to learn more about these rookies, then you should check out this website. Also, If you would like to see some of Victor Wembanyama highlights, click on this video.
