We have less than a month remaining in the NBA season. With things almost wrapped up, it's time for the final rookie report of the year. This won't be a recap of their whole campaign, but rather what they've done in March and their outlook for April. Not every rookie drafted in the lottery or relevant at one point of the season is included in this article. I've elected to include those that have made the most fantasy impact as of late.
What more can we possibly say about Wembanyama? He's snuck into the defensive player of the year discussion, averaging 4.1 blocks and 0.9 steals in March to go along with 20.8 points, 11.4 rebounds and 4.3 assists in 30.9 minutes. His three-point efficiency (29.1%) and free-throw efficiency (72.5%) are down compared to February (41.3%; 83.1%) – maybe he's finally starting to fatigue after a high-usage rookie season. Even if the shooting is a little off, Wembanyama remains dominant. He'll probably go top 5 in every fantasy draft next season.
Like Wembanyama, Holmgren has cooled a little following an electric February. This is the first month of his career that he's shot under 50% from the field and 34% from three, with Holmgren's March resulting in 15.7 PPG on 49.6 FG% and 28.8 3P%. It's also the first month he's been under 1.9 blocks, with the rookie swatting 1.3 shots per game in these 12 games. Don't be surprised if Holmgren's minutes get pulled back or he rests for a few games down the stretch as the Thunder make sure he's as fresh as possible for a postseason run.
Thompson slid into the starting lineup March 12 following Alperen Sengun's injury. It's been seamless, as the Rockets have won nine straight games. The rookie has been scoring efficiently in his new role, posting 14.3 PPG on 62.7 FG% and 72.7 FT%. He's also been crashing the glass (8.6 RPG). He's not handing out as many assists (2.7) or getting as many steals-plus-blocks (1.4) as managers might have hoped for, but that comes with the territory of playing next to other playmakers and defenders in the first unit. I'm still not sure what his long-term role in the league will be, especially without a three-point shot, but he's proving he can do everything else on the court well.
Trayce Jackson-Davis, Warriors
The rookie's involvement has waned and waxed throughout the year. But it's crunch time for the Warriors as they look to secure a Play-In spot, and Jackson-Davis has played 20-plus minutes in eight straight. He still needs to improve his hands, but he's getting easy looks at the bucket, averaging 11.4 PPG on 75.9 FG% in this stretch. He's also showing upside in other areas, averaging 7.1 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.9 blocks in 25.3 minutes. While Jackson-Davis isn't quite a traditional center due to his 6-foot-9 height, he's athletic enough to finish tough lobs and protect the rim vertically – dynamics the Warriors miss without him.
A six-minute outing March 4 due to injury brings down George's averages, so I'll be taking his nine games from March 9 onward as a sample. During this run, the rookie guard is averaging 17.9 points, 5.0 assists and 3.8 rebounds in 32.8 minutes. Shooting efficiency remains an issue, with George shooting 39.3 FG% and 27.0 3P%, but he's powering through with sheer usage. He gets fouled on a surprising amount of shots (4.7 FTA) considering he rarely finishes at the rim, preferring the floater. Regardless, with Utah essentially pulling the plug down the stretch, George will continue running the show in the backcourt alongside Collin Sexton.
Miller's efficiency has decreased slightly compared to February, but it's nothing to set off alarm bells. He's averaging 17.7 PPG on 42/34/70. The free-throw percentage is weak, but he's taking only 2.5 per game. The rookie's game is reliant on the mid-range jumper, with 17% of his shot attempts marked as long mid-rangers this month – 93rd percentile for wings. It would be nice if he could add some more passing and defense to the mix, but that will probably be a focus for offseason development.
Scoot Henderson, Trail Blazers
In March, Henderson has started to iron out dents in his game, but the same issues remain – inefficient shooting and high turnovers. In 10 March appearances, he's averaging 14.4 points on 39/29/87 shooting with 3.5 turnovers. The good news is that he's chipping in 5.4 assists and 1.2 steals. I'm not panicking long-term. I don't believe this Trail Blazers team was set up in a way for him to succeed. He's been asked to create too many of his own looks, which results in him taking low-percentage contested shots in the paint. Yes, he will need a better three-point shot to unlock his full potential, but I think he can get there with time.
GG Jackson, Grizzlies
Jackson's minutes per game have increased every month of his rookie season. He's started seven of the past eight games, averaging 22.5 points on 47/36/83 shooting, 4.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists in 35.4 minutes. I continue to be surprised how someone so inefficient in college can become a better scorer in the NBA, but the sample is big enough now that I'm starting to believe it. Jackson is playing moneyball offensively, taking a high frequency of shots either at the rim or from three. Maybe he cools off some, but Memphis is injury-riddled and has no incentive to reduce his role.
Brandin Podziemski, Warriors
When you check Podiemski's game logs, it looks like he's having a horrible month. But he's still averaging 7.7 points on 43/42/64 shooting, 5.4 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 1.0 steals in 27.1 minutes. It's just time to reset expectations for the rookie as the Warriors have reached full health and need to win every game they can going forward. He's not a must-roster player anymore like he was earlier in the season, but the guard still possesses streaming value.
Dereck Lively, Mavericks
Dallas trading for Daniel Gafford cut Lively off at the knees, which is a disappointment given the great season the rookie was having. He's still playing well, but the reduced minutes make it tough to roster him. In 12 March appearances, Lively is averaging 8.6 points on 75.8 FG%, 5.1 rebounds and 0.9 blocks. You can live with that in a deep, two-center league. But Lively has mostly turned into a streaming option.
