Early Season Rookie Report

The Rookie report is here. Some teams have hit on their draft selection while other notable ones have either flashed their early season potential or have exactly seen the time expected on the court. Throughout this article, we will dive into all of the rookies who have been able to play with their NBA team. We will not be focusing on guys in their G-league affiliates. We will go through about 30 rookies who have seen a little bit of extended time so far. 

• Jared McCain - PHI

McCain has been the best-scoring rookie so far this season. He’s averaging 16.5 points a game, shooting 46% from the field and 38% from three. He’s crafty in the lane and super strong enough to take bumps and stay on balance. With Paul George, Tyrese Maxey, and Joel Embiid missing time early in the season at various points it has allowed McCain to explore his scoring prowess. He’s already up to 8 20+ point outings so far this season. He’s shooting 43.8% on 3.4 attempts a game for catch-and-shoot 3s this season and is shooting 54% from 2. Not sure which number is most impressive. He’s also shooting 54.3% on 10 feet or less. His ability to finish around the basket has been better than expected as his primary role this season was to spot up around Maxey, George, and Embiid. 

• Stephon Castle - SAS

Castle was the 4th overall pick out of UConn this past draft and won a national championship in his lone season there. Castle was expected to play point guard and learn from veteran Chris Paul. While the shooting has struggled, 37.8% from the floor and 27.4% from 3, the defense is for real. Opponents for only shooting 45% when covered by him this season. He’s fantastic at pressuring the ball with his long arms and his 6’6 size. He’s good at keeping guys in front and able to contest their shot and get back into the play. The shooting struggle was a bit expected this season, too. He’s shooting 32.9% from 3 on catch-and-shoot attempts, but he is shooting 51% from 2. If he can get his catch-and-shoot numbers up he’ll be a stellar addition next to Victor Wembanyama. 

• Jaylen Wells - MEM

Wells is one of the most surprising rookies this season. He was the 39th overall pick but has solidified himself as one of the best shooters in the class and the early leader for best 3 and D wing player. He’s shooting 39% from 3 and averaging 11.4 points per game so far for the Memphis Grizzlies. He’s shooting just 37% on catch-and-shoot 3s but 56% on pull-ups 3, he's only taking 0.6 attempts per game. He’s a better driver and pull-up shooter than he gets credit for though. He is very good at attacking closeouts and has done a good job of cutting as well. His defense has also been a bright spot so far as well. As the primary defender, he’s allowing opponents to shoot only 45.1% while guarded by him. 39% from 3 and 45% as a primary defender translates long-term to a very good 3 and D wing player in the NBA. 

• Zach Edey - MEM

Well current teammate, Zach Edey, has been equally impressive in his limited action so far this season. Edey was one of the more polarizing prospects coming into the NBA draft process. He’s 7’4 and has shown an advanced touch around the basket while being a very good screener and lob threat for Memphis. He’s averaging 11.3 points per game and 7 rebounds as well. He’s second in all rookies for rebounding. The interior defense probably needs to see some improvement, giving up 65% less than 6 feet as the primary defender. Edey has been very good at making his post-hooks and giving the Grizzlies a solid inside presence. He’s missed some time early and only played in 15 games due to an ankle injury. 

• Alex Sarr - WAS

Sarr was this year’s number 2 overall pick. Sarr was accredited with being one of the best defensive prospects so far this season and he’s shown just that. Sarr is super versatile on this end of the floor with the capability to switch 1-5. He’s averaging 10.9 points per game and 6.3 rebounds a game. His shooting percentages have been a little worse than expected though. He’s shooting 38% from the field and 26% from 3 on close to 5 attempts a game. The concerning part is the shooting from 3 a majority of his shots have been catch-and-shoot, 28% on the season. It’ll take some time for Sarr to find his footing in the league scoring the ball, but the defense has All-NBA potential. 

• Zaccharie Risacher - ATL

Risacher was this year’s number 1 overall pick. The Frenchman has been solid for Atlanta, but the efficiency hasn’t been as good. Risacher, like Sarr, has all the potential to be one of the best players in the draft, hence why he was taken 1st overall. The shooting has been shaky 40% from the field and 27% from 3. However, it’s he’s a very smart player. He hasn’t taken on much of the defensive load with Dyson Daniels being one of the better perimeter defenders in the league, but he’s shown flashes. He only 29% on catch-and-shoot 3s in concerning and he hasn’t shown much ability yet to create his shot. However, he is very good at cutting and finishing well as the basket. The scoring will take some time to develop, but he’s been solid so far with his flaws showing themselves at times throughout the season. 

• Dalton Kencht - LAL

Knecht has been one of the bright spots for the Lakers so far this season. The 17th overall pick has flashed the scoring ability that is one of the best in the class. He had one of the more polished games entering the draft and is considered by his coach to be in the 1% of the shooters in the world. Kencht has shown that so far this season shooting 46% from the field and 37% from 3 on 5 attempts a game. The defense is a work in progress, The Lakers have a 115.6 defensive rating with him on the floor this season, but the offensive prowess is real. He’s had the highest scoring outburst this year from a rookie and hit 8 threes in that game as well. Along with the 37% from 3, he’s shooting 54% on pullups and 65% less than 10 feet from the basket. All signs point to Kencht being one of the best scorers in this draft, but his being already 23 years old affects his potential. 

• Yves Missi - NOP

Missi has been probably one of the more surprising rookies, but New Orleans took him with the intention he’d play minutes at the center spot for them this year. Injuries have pretty much derailed the Pelicans season so far this season, but he has played a solid role for them so far. He leads all rookies in rebounding with 8.5 a game and is averaging 9.4 points per game on 54% shooting. He doesn’t take a lot of threes so he’ll need to improve his touch around the basket overall. He’s more raw of an athlete compared to the rest of the draft class, but his vertical threat and defense around the basket aren’t bad. He’s been a pleasant surprise for New Orleans so far this season.

• Bub Carrington - WAS

Carrington has been probably the best point guard so far in this year’s draft class. He’s the best in pick-and-roll situations, with 0.91 ppp, which for a rookie is very good. He’s only 18 years old and has the potential to be the best on-ball player from this draft class. The 4 assists a game is good, but the 2 turnovers are also a little high for only having a 15.3% usage rate. Carrington will only get better with time though. The 3-point shooting of 32% and 34% on pull-up 3s is encouraging, however, 31% on catch-and-shoot could use some work. 41.7% from less than 10 feet isn’t ideal from a 6’7 ball handler either, but he is still young and has been much better than I anticipated. The Wizards made him a focal point in their draft class by essentially trading Deni Avdija for him. 

• Tristan Da Silva - ORL 

Da Silva is one of the oldest rookies in this year’s class. The 6’8 wing from Colorado has been solid for the Magic though. He’s started recently for them and has shown his experience in games. He’s shooting 41% from the field and 33% from 3 on 3.4 attempts a game. Da Silva also plays like an older prospect. He’s rarely out of position on defense and shows an advanced feel for where to be in the offense. The shooting has shown to be serviceable with room for improvement this season, 35% on catch-and-shoot 3s. With him being 23 years old he’ll help Orlando in their win-now situation as a rookie and a relatively younger player. The ceiling for Da Silva is probably a 3-and-D wing next to Wagner and Banchero as he hasn’t done much with the ball in his hands so far this season. 

• Kyshawn George - WAS

George is the final player in the trio of the Wizards draft class so far this season. He’s been really solid and probably has one of the highest motors in the entire class. He impressed Draymond Green earlier this year in their matchup and even talked a little trash as well. The 6’8 wing from Miami is averaging 7 points, 3.4 rebounds, and 2.6 assists for the Wizards so far this season. He’s experienced some time in the starting lineup but has recently come off the bench for Washington. The shooting is a little ugly at 33% from the field and 24% from 3. 55% at less than 10 feet is encouraging and 50% overall from 2 is good, but 26% on 4 catch-and-shoot threes a game will need some work though. He’ll be able to fill a wing defender role as well for Washington. 

• Ja’Kobe Walter - TOR

The freshman product from Baylor has seen a rough start to the year, as many rookies experience, but he hasn’t quite shown the three-level scoring ability he flashed while at Baylor. Shooting 36% from the field and 21% from 3 aren’t good by any means, but it’s clear the talent and potential are there. He’s sometimes a little over-aggressive in hunting his shot and needs to find the comfort spot between attacking closeouts and having catch-and-shoot 3s as well. However, shooting 57% from less than 5 feet and 52% from 5-9 feet screams scoring potential. Not often a wing rookie flashes that kind of ability. The shooting form looks solid and will be something to monitor for him throughout the year though. 

• Kyle Filipowski - UTA

Filipowski saw his draft night position fall due to an interesting story dynamic between his girlfriend and family member but hasn’t affected him on the court so far this season. The Jazz are playing him next to Lauri Markkanen a lot and it is working out, not to the tune of wins but you see the vision, He’s been better on defense than expected and has flashed the versatility at 7 foot that many people were raving about when he was at Duke. The shooting is real even though the percentage is just 30%, but he’s 51% from the floor and has shown a good ability to finish at the basket so far this year. He’ll be fun to monitor throughout the season.

• Ron Holland - DET

Holland saw his draft position slip as well on draft night, but he’s still showing signs of being a solid player for the Pistons. The 3-point shooting at this stage is not good at just 21%, but he’s shown the ability to be a good cutter. He flashed some shot-making ability late against the Celtics in a 30-point loss, but the Pistons need him to be a good defender, which has been lacking at times. He’s young, but off the ball, he hasn’t been super good as he’s lost his man a couple of times and isn’t great in help side rotations. Detroit has a defensive rating of 110.9 with him on the floor, above their team average, and will need him to take steps forward in this department throughout the year because that’s what they drafted him for. I’m not sure if the shooting will ever materialize, but the defense should improve with more time. JB Bickerstaff is a great coach to learn this from as well. 

• Ryan Dunn - PHX

Dunn was the talk around the league early in the season as he was shooting 40% from 3 on 5 attempts a game, picking up full court against some of the league’s best players and doing well at times. Phoenix drafted him based on his defensive upside and he has shown just that so far this year. He’s found himself guarding the other team’s best offensive player and has fair well. The 3 point shooting was a plus though. He’s been in a slump since those first couple of weeks, now at 31.6% from 3 on the year, but the shooting completely changes his ceiling as a player. He’s even created a couple of threes for himself and is a very good cutter and finisher at the basket. He’s the one rookie that has been his outlook for the future changed on the small flashes he showed in those first couple of weeks. 

• Donovan Clingnan - POR

Clingnan has been the best interior defender for this year’s rookie class and is the best shot blocker as well. His ability to time some of his blocks has been really good so far. He still needs to work on his conditioning, but it’s clear in a crowded center room in Portland he deserves to be playing a lot more than he is right now. The finishing and catching around the basket still could use some work as he’s only shooting 52.4% from the field. He’s also experimented with taking some 3s as well. His form is working progress, but with Portland not looking to win any games they can afford him to explore on that end of the floor. I think in the second half of the season he’ll benefit from playing more due to Portland going into a likely tank. 

• Pelle Larsson - MIA

Larsson’s shooting percentages look very good in the limited shots he’s had so far this season (54% from the field and 37% from 3). He’s only taking 4 shots a game but has shown solid shot-making ability for the Heat so far. He’s a very solid rebounder for Miami and he good cutter as well. His defense has been better than expected too. He’s in tune with cutters of the ball and has just shown a solid ability to stay in front of his man. Need to see more of a sample size to consider the shooting real, but Larsson has been a nice rookie for the Heat, who always seem to find good rookies late in the draft. 

• Jamison Battle - TOR

Battle aside from Walter has been one of the better rookies on the Raptors, yes there are only 4 of them, but shooting 44% from 3 on 3.4 attempts a game is nothing to sneeze at. His shooting ability has been the best so far. He’s 6’7 with a high release and has even seen the Raptors run some set plays for him so far this season. 42% catch-and-shoot is also a very good number. I don’t think he’ll project out to be a starter, but a solid bench presence is always good to have in the NBA. His shot chart is almost exclusively from 3 so working into being a good mover without the ball will be something to monitor next to Scottie Barnes, but he’s done a good job of playing so far. 

• Ajay Mitchell - OKC

Mitchell has been very good off the bench so far this season for the Thunder. He’s a physical downhill driver of the basketball and has been playing on the ball a lot when in the game. His nastiness on defense fits into what the Thunder want to do and he even flashed some shooting ability from 3 (41% on only 1.2 attempts a game). He’s been a very solid player so far this season for the Thunder and has been in the rotation for the majority of the season as well. He’ll need to show the shooting at a higher volume for it to be considered real by any means, but so far he’s been a positive when on the floor for OKC. 

• Matas Buzelis - CHI

Buzelis has been the best Bull’s rookie so far this season, he’s the only one, but the jump he has shown on the defensive end of the floor is a nice little plus for Chicago. He didn’t project out to being above-average given the athletic ability, but he’s held up and then some at that end of the floor recently. He’s flashed some nice off-ball defense and pressured on the ball very nicely too. The offense is still a work in progress, but the flashes are there. He’s an extremely hard worker and 35% from 3 on 2.5 attempts a game is a good starting point. I think he’ll be a rookie we see make a push for an all-rookie team later in the year. 

• Tidjane Salaun - CHA

The 6th overall pick from this year’s draft was considered a project with some flashes shown. The shooting has come down to 28% from three after a hot start in the preseason and early in the season. LaMelo Ball being out of the lineup has seen Salaun not get as many clean looks and he’s also starting to take some more pull-up threes which is why the percentage has come down. He also has hit some deep threes as well, which was supposed to be an area of work for him. His defensive upside is there with the size and he competes at that end of the floor as well. As the Hornets approach the tank, he’ll get more playing time. 

• Rob Dillingham - MIN

Dillingham was the 8th overall pick in the draft and a target of the Timberwolves as they traded away a 2031 first-round pick to move up and get him. He’s supposed to take the reins of the offense from Mike Conley when he is finished playing, but for now, he’s seeing limited time on the floor. The offensive burst and ability ty there. He is lightning-quick with the ball in his hands and is the most creative shot-creator in the whole class. When Conley has been out of the lineup he's flashed that potential in the lineup. He’ll need to learn a way to get shot blockers timing off around the basket, but I’m confident in his ability to do that, plus learning from Mike Conley is a great start for a young guard in the NBA. It’ll take some time for him to develop into an efficiency scorer and play-maker for the Wolves, who are in win-now now mode, but Dillingham extends the championship window if he develops properly. 

• Reed Sheppard - HOU

Sheppard, like Dillingham, has been unable to get on the floor for the Rockets so far this season. The main reason is the defense and as an undersized guard in the NBA, you will get hunted on that end of the floor. Ime Udoka has been challenging Sheppard to get better, which he will with time, but for now the Rockets have him on the fringe of the rotation. I’m not worried about the shooting number 35% from the field and 30% from 3. His preseason and summer league production show he’s more than capable of being a highly efficient shot-maker all over the floor, but for now Sheppard needs to focus on defense to find his way on the floor more for Houston.

• Isaiah Collier - UTA

Collier has played sparingly so far for Utah and will likely see more time at the end of the year as the Jazz have already seen themselves fall into the worst 3 records in the NBA. He hasn’t been playing well in his limited minutes as the defense is a question mark that needs to be answered, however, the ability is there at that end of the floor, he’s very quick and can stay in front of his man. He also needs to get better off the ball and in the gaps. Point guards often are the rookies who struggle the most at the beginning of their careers. 

• Johnny Furphy - IND

Furphy has seen himself enter the rotation with injuries to the Pacers and has flashes of the shooting ability that made him rise in the pre-draft process, he’s not helping the Pacers on defense, but then against who is for them. Furphy is shooting 39% from 3 on a limited sample size, but he’s also a good cutter and crashes the board hard. I think the shooting is real as he proved that at Kansas last year, but it’ll be interesting to see where he fits in the Pacer's young core. 

• Oso Ighodaro - PHX

Both Ighodaro and Dunn were supposed to play right away for the Suns and that’s what they have done. Ighodaro has been very solid in his minutes as well. He’s a good passer and it’s been even better when in lineup with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker. He’ll need to put some size on to contend with other bogs in the NBA if he’s not going to develop a 3-point shot, does not look likely to happen. He’s intriguing for Phoenix and another guy they can keep long-term on a cheap deal. 

• Jamal Shead - TOR

Shead was the ultimate leader at Houston last year as a senior and has played a little so far this season. The Raptors are dealing with some injuries and have played their younger guys as a result of it. Shead is a 6’0 guard which traditionally leads to struggling early on, which he has done, but he’s one of the most competitive rookies in the league. He hounds the ball up the floor and has seen some on-ball duties as a point guard so far this season. 

• Antonio Reaves - NOP

Reaves has seen some time in New Orleans because of their injuries and has played well. He had a 34-point outing early this year and has a flamethrower. He was one of the most efficient college scorers last year in college basketball and has flashed some of that so far in his NBA career. His shooting numbers won’t show that (40% from the field and 26% from 3), but 30 points is 30 points. 

• Cody Williams -UTA

Williams has struggled so far this season. The lottery pick from Colorado has not performed to his expectations so far this year. He’s small for a wing and has not been good at all on offense. The defense is something to monitor as he’s been solid on that end of the floor, but the offense is a notable work in progress so far. He’ll get more time for the Jazz later in the year, but for now, he’s struggling on the court offensively.

• Tyler Kolek - NYK

Kolek hasn’t played much at all this season. He’s played a couple of games in garbage time and to his credit has played well. He’s shown improvement shooting the ball and has done some good things so far in the G-league the Knicks needed a veteran ball handler in the draft and brought in Cam Panye to assist in that department when Jalen Brunson is out of the game. Kolek won’t play a ton this year, but the summer league showed he can make every pass out of the pick-and-roll already. 

That's all for the rookie report! Feel free to comment your thoughts on some guys that have impressed you so far!