We've reached the All-Star break, and while everyone in the league will use this week off from games as a time to relax and go on a mini-vacation before the rest of the season kicks into high gear, the rookies are likely feeling the need for a break more than anyone. After the All-Star break, rookies tend to slow down a little bit. Players start getting a little sloppier than usual, shots aren't falling down like they typically do and everyone is just itching to either get to the playoffs or book their summer vacation. It's the rookie wall, and it happens every year. Rookies who come out of the gates scorching hot tend to slow down, and the ones who started out cold may come on a little stronger after the break.
With the extended minutes so many of these rookies are seeing, it's to be expected and it's something to keep an eye on the rest of the season. No one's catching Ja Morant in the Rookie of the Year race at this point, but someone like Rui Hachimura who has missed the last two months of the season could re-emerge after the All-Star break. Or perhaps RJ Barrett is able to put some more points on the board with Marcus Morris in Los Angeles now. The All-Star break may not technically be the true halfway point of the regular season, but it does serve as a marker for how well players are doing before it and after it, and it will be intriguing to watch which rookies come out on the other side stronger.
These rankings will reflect a rookie's performance on a week-to-week basis, not the collective season, so these aren't Rookie of the Year standings. For a look at the previous rookie rankings, click here. With that straightened out, here are the latest Rookie Power Rankings for the 2019-20 season.
Last week: No. 2
Highlight of the week: In a win over the Wizards, Morant recorded his first career triple-double with a stat line of 27-10-10. Even though it came against an inferior Washington team, the triple-double just symbolizes what's to come for the young guard. Morant's quickly becoming appointment-viewing television every time he suits up for the Grizzlies, and he hasn't slowed down at all this season. While it may be too late for another rookie to catch Morant for the Rookie of the Year award, it will be interesting to see if he hits that proverbial rookie wall that generally occurs after the All-Star break.
Last week: No. 1
Highlight of the week: Two games, two 30-point performances, it's truly ridiculous what Williamson has accomplished in such a short amount of time. For those who had questions concerning what Williamson would be at the pro level, he's answered a lot of those. He's going to get most of his points fighting in the paint, and he's going to force teams to box him out on every possession otherwise he'll end up with six offensive boards like he did against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Zion still has areas where he needs work -- his jump shot being the main one -- but he's such a dominant force in the paint that it shouldn't even be that big of a concern right now. He's racking up points at an incredibly efficient rate for New Orleans, and that should be enough.
Last week: No. 6
Highlight of the week: Over the past few weeks Porter has picked up his production on the offensive side of the ball, and as a result, his minutes have increased. What's been most impressive about his play, is his 3-point shooting since coming back from a sprained knee. Before the injury, Porter was shooting an abysmal 29.7 percent from 3-point range. Since his return in late January, he's making 3s at a 48.5 percent clip on four attempts per game. It hasn't resulted in a lot of wins for the Cavaliers, who are just 2-6 since he rejoined the lineup, but the scoring he's providing off the bench is a bright spot in an otherwise disastrous season in Cleveland.
Last week: Unranked
Highlight of the week: In a win over the Trail Blazers that had huge playoff implications on the line, Clarke broke out for a 27-point performance at home. He's becoming one of the most reliable scorers the Grizzlies have, and to think that he's doing all of this while not even in the starting lineup. Clarke is so efficient and so effective because he never tries to do too much. He knows how to pick his spots, he's essentially automatic with his floater and he knows when to kick it back out to Ja Morant on the wing to find another way to score. His athleticism is underrated and in this exciting young core Memphis has, he's the secret weapon. Clarke is slowly building a resume of becoming a future Sixth Man of the Year candidate, and he's only played half of an NBA season so far.
Last week: Unranked
Highlight of the week: Jordan Poole is one of the worst 3-point shooters in the league (26.5 percent), and his field goal percentage isn't any better either (29.5 percent). However, for one game this week against a juggernaut Lakers squad, Poole managed to shoot 66.7 percent from the field to finish the game with 19 points. He even knocked down three of his seven 3-point shots, and while it didn't amount to a win, it was proof that he does have the ability to score efficiently, it's just not often. Poole followed that performance up by regressing back to the mean, but for that one game against the Lakers he showed that perhaps there is room for him to develop towards a more efficient scorer.
Last week: Unranked
Highlight of the week: This was the first full week of action for Hachimura after returning from a groin injury that had him sidelined for a month and a half of the season. Before the injury, Hachimura was putting together a solid rookie campaign, and this week he looked like he was getting back to that after a 20-point performance against the Bulls helped propel the Wizards to a win. He's still showing some rust with his touch around the rim, but he's remaining aggressive and is looking for his shot which is encouraging to see coming off an injury that cost him nearly two months of his rookie year.
Last week: Unranked
Highlight of the week: Reddish missed a few games due to a concussion, but he was able to suit up for two contests for the Hawks this week. He was efficient in both outings, and he even picked up a couple steals, but what will be interesting to watch is how Reddish fits in with this Hawks team long term. In order to best build around Trae Young, Atlanta needs to surround him with shooters who can be automatic from deep, whether it's coming off screens or catch-and-shoot, and so far this season, Reddish is shooting just 31.4 percent on catch-and-shoot 3s. That isn't going to cut it on a team that is trying to model itself after the Warriors.
Last week: Unranked
Highlight of the week: In the Clippers' embarrassing loss to the Timberwolves, Reid was just one of many Minnesota players who scored in double figures, but his was the most unlikely. Mainly because of the fact that he was able to put up 14 points in nearly 14 minutes of play. He knocked down four 3s, which ties a season-high for him, and at one point in the second quarter, he hit JaMychal Green with a smooth euro step to finish at the rim to jumpstart the eventual offensive onslaught by Minnesota.
Last week: No. 8
Highlight of the week: Hunter almost had a triple-double against the Knicks when he finished with 19 points, nine rebounds and eight assists, but perhaps the most impressive stat was the five steals he also recorded. His offense will be beneficial for Atlanta, but his defense will prove to be much more valuable, because as he progresses he'll likely be tasked with guarding the opposing team's point guard to make up for Trae Young's defensive issues. He's already got a great foundation to start with on defense, and he can only get better in that regard.
Last week: Unranked
Highlight of the week: Another unlikely star in the Wolves win over the Clippers was McLaughlin, who dropped 24 points in his first start of the season for Minnesota. He also finished that game with 11 assists, as he was filling in at the point guard position after the Wolves traded away a significant amount of players before the trade deadline. McLaughlin likely won't get that opportunity again, unless someone goes down injured, however, he was able to show Minnesota that he can be a valuable asset coming off the bench.
Dropped out
