We've surpassed the quarter mark of the season and it feels like a good time to take stock of the rookie landscape. There's still a huge chunk of basketball yet to be played, so obviously things can change, but this is where, I think, things stand at the moment.
I still think Chet Holmgren is in the lead for Rookie of the Year, and that says more about his performance than it does about Victor Wembanyama's, who many thought would take home the hardware. Sure, you could make the argument that Wemby is being asked to do more, and if the roles were reversed, he would be putting up the same, if not better, numbers as Holmgren, but that doesn't diminish what the Thunder rookie has done so far.
The efficiency, rim protection and clutch shot making on multiple occasions has made him incredibly valuable to OKC's 17-8 start. I'd put Wembanyama right behind Holmgren, then to round out the Top 3, I'd say Jaime Jaquez Jr. should be slotted there. He's become a mainstay in the Heat's rotation, and is doing whatever is needed or asked of him.
Now, let's move on to the rookies who stood out the most this week. Keep in mind that these rankings will reflect a rookie's performance on a week-to-week basis only, not the collective season. These aren't Rookie of the Year standings, but rather a reflection on what the player has done over the past week. With that straightened out, here is a look at the top five performers from the NBA's freshman class:
I just want you to take a second look at what Holmgren averaged this week. No, not the points or the rebounds, the third category. Yeah, you read that right, he averaged six blocks this week. And this isn't one of those instances where one game carried the rest of that average, he put up seven blocks in one games and eight (!!!) in the other. Those are just flat out video game numbers, and, yes, while we've seen some other players put up blocks in bunches, like Victor Wembanyama's eight-block game earlier this season, we rarely see a player put up more than five blocks in back-to-back games.
Despite being a rookie, Holmgren already has impeccable timing on his blocks. He also knows how to do it without fouling, like this play against Xavier Tillman where he got all ball on a block that forced him to recover and he still got to it:
He also just has great instincts of knowing when to help in the paint, even when he gets switched onto a smaller defender to pull him away from the basket. That's exactly what the Grizzlies tried to do on this possession, as Jaren Jackson Jr. was posting up the smaller Josh Giddey, but when Vince Williams tried to drive toward the hoop, Holmgren met him at the top and made easy work with a clean block:
If players don't know already, they'll start to figure out that even if Holmgren isn't lurking underneath the basket, he could come flying in out of nowhere for a block.
The Spurs won a game! I repeat, the Spurs won a game! After a 17-game losing streak, San Antonio's dreadful stretch came to an end in a win against the Lakers, where Wembanyama put up more rebounds (15) than points (13), while also dishing out five assists. It was a complete game from the No. 1 overall pick, who also had two steals and two blocks, but the passing is what is really starting to stand out. We've seen him flash his skills as a potentially elite facilitator before, but as he's gotten more comfortable, we're starting to see more of it, and he's putting his teammates in position to make easy baskets.
Some of them are routine kickouts to the perimeter, but seeing him operate in traffic like he did on this dump off pass to Jeremy Sochan under the basket is impressive for someone of his size:
Or this great read of the defense to see a cutting Devin Vassell unguarded get into the middle of the court for a easy mid-range jump shot:
It certainly helps that he can see over just about anyone in the league, but possessing the passing skills that he does certainly isn't a regular thing for someone of his size.
After a slow start to the season, which included missing nine games due to an ankle injury, Henderson is slowly starting to round into form. He's still coming off the bench in Portland, but that may be for the best right now as he finds his pace and gets more comfortable. But even with coming off the bench, Henderson is showing the flashes of why he was drafted No. 3 overall. The all-world athleticism has been as advertised, as he uses a quick first step like a nitrous booster to get to the rim at will.
He's had some efficiency issues to start the season, but that's to be expected. He was getting good looks, great even, they just weren't falling, and perhaps he was forcing too much in order to make things happen. But, now, Henderson looks to be far more comfortable than he was back in October, and it's showing every game.
Miller was cooking against the Indiana Pacers this week. He went 9-of-17 from the floor, and everything looked so easy that I'm surprised he didn't shoot the ball even better. But I'm sure he'll more than settle for a cool 52.9% from the field, where he displayed his scoring from all three levels. Miller was bound to get more opportunities to score and create with LaMelo Ball sidelined with an ankle injury, and his performance against Indiana was the perfect example of that. The Hornets drafted Miller because of how they thought he would fit alongside Ball as someone who can play off ball, and while he's certainly capable of that, Miller's also showing that he can handle being "the guy" when needed.
There are only so many ways to describe how impressive Jaquez has been with the Heat. You need him to come in off the bench and knock down some 3s? Cool, he's making them at a 38.8% clip this season. You need him to start and get others involved? No problem, he's put up four or more assists nine times, which ranks fourth amongst rookies. You want him to create some offense? Oh yeah, he can do that too. I've said it before, but there literally isn't a rookie that fits on their team better than Jaquez does with the Heat. He's the ideal plug-and-play guy who does so much of the little things that makes him incredibly valuable.
