This Week's NBA Rookie Power Rankings
| 1 | 
Ben Simmons
Philadelphia 76ers G
|
Stats: 18.5 pts, 9.6 reb, 7.9 ast There were plenty of questions about the 2016 No. 1 overall pick heading into this season: What kind of NBA player is he? Can he really play point guard? Can he stay healthy? So far, Simmons has made us feel pretty foolish for ever doubting him. At 6-feet-10 and 230 pounds, the 21-year-old Aussie-American has been playing legitimate point guard and is an absolute runaway freight train in the open court -- he's among the league leaders with 1.30 points per possession and a 77.8 effective field goal percentage in transition. Even his shooting, a major concern coming out of college, has been decent thus far (43 percent on shots beyond 10 feet), but he has yet to attempt a 3-pointer. That's something he can develop down the line, though ... if Blake Griffin can turn into a knockdown spot-up shooter, anyone can. As it stands now, Simmons is head and shoulders above the rest of this rookie class. He became only the third player in NBA history to post a triple-double within his first four games (Oscar Robertson, Hambone Williams), and scored a career-high 24 in Monday's win at Houston. | |
| 2 | 
Lauri Markkanen
Chicago Bulls F
|
Stats: 17.2 pts, 9.3 reb, 39.5 percent 3-pointers Jimmy who? OK maybe not quite yet, but Markkanen's start has at least given Bulls fans hope that they weren't absolutely fleeced in the Jimmy Butler trade this summer. Billed as a mobile stretch-five, Markkanen exceeded early expectations by becoming the first player in NBA history to make 10 3-pointers in his first three games -- and don't forget, he's 7-feet. His rebounding numbers have been better than expected, and he has already become the Bulls' go-to option (at least while Zach LaVine remains sidelined). Overall, the Bulls couldn't be happier with what they've seen from Markkanen early. | |
| 3 | 
Jayson Tatum
Boston Celtics F
|
Stats: 13.8 pts, 6.6 reb, 1.0 blk The Celtics were expected to ease Tatum into the NBA over the first few months of the season, but that all went out the window after Gordon Hayward's catastrophic injury on opening night. As a result, Tatum has been thrust into the starting lineup, and the early results have been impressive. He's playing 33 minutes per game and has been wildly efficient on the offensive end, shooting 50 percent on 3-pointers with a true shooting percentage of 63.7. He's also much better on defense than most expected early on, with a defensive rating of 94.4 and two three-block games. Tatum's usage rate is much lower than other rookies on less competitive teams, but he has been able to capitalize on his opportunities. | |
| 4 | 
Dillon Brooks
Memphis Grizzlies F
|
Stats: 8.9 pts, 3.9 reb, 1.3 stl If you predicted Dillon Brooks would be fourth in the Rookie Power Rankings two-and-a-half weeks into the season, take a bow. The 6-6 forward has melded perfectly into the new era of Grit N' Grind, playing 29 minutes per game off the bench for the Grizzlies. True to his team, his numbers certainly don't jump off the page, but if you watch the games you can see what an impact he has had on Memphis' strong start. He makes winning plays and (for now) is on one of the best teams in the NBA, so that has to count for something. | |
| 5 | 
Kyle Kuzma
Los Angeles Lakers F
|
Stats: 15.0 pts, 4.8 reb, 1.5 ast Kuzma took all the hype of summer league and preseason and carried it right into his first eight NBA games. He has been one of the more efficient rookies, shooting 53 percent from the field and 36 percent on 3-pointers, while providing a spark off the Lakers bench. Some think Kuzma is the Lakers' best rookie -- that remains to be seen, but for the first three weeks of the season he certainly has been. He had his best game so far against the Blazers on Thursday night, scoring a career-high 22 points, including some clutch fourth-quarter buckets. The Lakers got themselves a steal at No. 27. | |
| 6 | 
Mike James
Phoenix Suns G
|
Stats: 12.6 pts, 2.6 reb, 4.0 ast The Suns have somehow managed to go 4-1 since Earl Watson got fired and Eric Bledsoe was sent home, and 27-year-old rookie Mike James is a huge reason why. Who? Mike James. The Lamar University product has started every game since the Bledsoe saga began, and has shot 42 percent on 3-pointers, managing to be a +1.6 despite playing for probably the worst team in the NBA. It might not last all season, but right now James is one of the best stories in the league. | |
| 7 | 
Lonzo Ball
Los Angeles Lakers G
|
Stats: 9.1 pts, 6.8 reb, 6.6 ast Lonzo, Lonzo, Lonzo. No rookie has gotten more hype heading into his first year in the NBA, and perhaps no rookie has been more polarizing. We thought a few weeks of play might clear up the confusion. Nope. On one hand, the effect on his teammates seems to be apparent -- he shares the ball so willingly and pushes the tempo so much that you would have to believe it makes his team better. The problem is, the numbers just don't back that up ... right now at least. His shooting has been beyond pathetic and his plus/minus numbers are terrible. He's also trending down, putting up his worst game of the season in Thursday's loss to Portland: a zero-point, four-assist performance in which he only took two shots. That being said, the Lakers have three wins -- probably two more than they should. As unorthodox as Ball is, maybe he's just one of those players that defies statistics. We'll have to wait and see. | |
| 8 | 
De'Aaron Fox
Sacramento Kings G
|
Stats: 12.5 pts, 4.1 reb, 5.1 ast Some thought Fox might end up being the best point guard from the 2017 class, and he has shown that kind of potential in his first handful of games. Backing up George Hill, Fox has been a serious spark off the bench for the struggling Kings. He has shown the transition speed and finishing ability that we saw at Kentucky, and he has picked up at least five assists in five of his eight games. The biggest concern about Fox was his ability to shoot from range, and so far that has been confirmed -- he's shooting 31 percent on shots beyond 10 feet. But the impact is clear, and the potential is certainly there. | |
| 9 | 
Donovan Mitchell
Utah Jazz G
|
Stats: 11.6 pts, 2.0 reb, 2.5 ast Much like Tatum, Mitchell has the benefit of having a defined role on a good team. He leads all rookies in usage rate (29.7) and field-goal attempts per 100 possessions (25.8) when he's on the court, and it's clear Jazz coach Quin Snyder has given him the keys to the offense of the second unit, even though he had to fill in as a starter in three games due to injuries. Efficiency hasn't been a strong suit thus far (45 percent true shooting), but Mitchell has been able to help extend leads on the bench unit at +4.8. His 28-point explosion and crunch-time play in Wednesday's win over Portland gave Utah fans a glimpse of the future. | |
| 10 | 
John Collins
Atlanta Hawks F
|
Stats: 10.9 pts, 7.3 reb, 0.9 blk Collins is a 6-10 human Pogo stick whose per-36-minute numbers are second in the rookie class in scoring (20.2 points) and first in rebounding (13.5). He has gotten less than 20 minutes per game for the 1-7 Hawks, and that's largely due to his inability to play defense at the NBA level. He blocks shots, but we all know that's not necessarily a sign of good defense. Collins can certainly score and rebound, though, and he has been a nice surprise for the rebuilding Hawks early on. | |
