NBA Rookie Rankings: Ja Morant and Zion Williamson continue to pull away from the rest of their draft class

Morant and Williamson are showing how far ahead they are from the rest of their peers

Before the 2019 draft even happened it was widely considered to be an incredibly top-heavy class. It was actually really just the top two picks that everyone was sold on and everything after that was likely a hit or miss. With half of the season done, that's looking like it's the case as Ja Morant and Zion Williamson continue to prove that not only were they the definitive top two picks in the draft, but there's also a wide gap between them and the rest of their fellow rookies.

Several rookies have been surprises this season, like Kendrick Nunn, P.J. Washington and Eric Paschall, but of those top-10 picks, there hasn't been a ton of excitement outside of Morant and Williamson. It's hard to imagine that De'Andre Hunter was drafted No. 4 overall, or that Atlanta really drafted Jaxon Hayes with the No. 8 pick before shipping him to the Pelicans. It's not that these players have been particularly bad, it's just that if you go back to the 2018 draft, where there was a bit more depth in the lottery, some of these guys selected in 2019 likely would've been mid-to-late first-round picks. 

It's no knock on the 2019 class, it's more a product of showing how far out ahead Morant and Williamson are from everyone else. Morant has been playing so well this season he's considered an All-Star snub, and if Williamson was healthy all season, he probably would be too. No other rookies are even close to that level this year, and while some rookies have proven to be incredibly valuable pieces, like Brandon Clarke, it just shows how big of a drop off there is between the top two picks, and everyone else.

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. 10

Highlight of the week: The Memphis Grizzlies are on a nice little four-game win streak this week, and it's all because of Morant. Three of the four wins are against teams below .500, but that win over the Denver Nuggets was the most impressive performance of the week by Morant. He only put up 14 points, but it was his most complete game not just on offense but on defense as well. Morant finished that game with four steals, and his length is becoming a huge plus on the defensive side of the ball. Most of those steals were a case of right place, right time due to mental mistakes made by the Nuggets, but that game was no fluke. He's been a pretty decent defender all season, and has a knack for getting players to turn the ball over when they try to back him down. Morant's played so well recently that he's considered a snub for the All-Star game. His play just continues to improve and he keeps distancing himself from the rest of his fellow rookies.

Last week: No. 1

Highlight of the week: Even with all the expectations on Williamson's return, no one could've predicted he would be this good this early on after missing nearly four months of basketball. He helped the Pelicans to their first win since his return, an upset over the Boston Celtics, and he was an absolute menace on the offensive glass. Seven of Williamson's 11 rebounds were on the offensive end, as he bullied Daniel Theis and Enes Kanter all game. He's simply just too big to try and stop, and with the strength and speed that he has, it's nearly impossible to slow him down. Until his jump shot becomes more consistent, Zion's going to get most of his points around the basket from lob dunks, cuts to the rim or just backing down smaller defenders to get a high-percentage shot. He's showed early on in his return that he can be that difference maker that the Pelicans need to make a playoff push in the second half of the season.

Last week: Unranked

Highlight of the week: Against the Wizards, Hunter shot 72.7 percent from the field, and finished the game with 25 points. He made the most of having a small defender like Isaiah Thomas on him almost all night, working in post-ups, mid-range jumpers and some isolation plays as well. On a day where Trae Young went off for 45 points, the Wizards essentially tried to stop everyone else around him, but they couldn't stop Hunter which is why Atlanta was able to come away with the win.   

Last week: No. 7

Highlight of the week: Over the last two weeks, Reddish has become a more consistent scorer, and if Atlanta is ever going to string together some wins they'll need his recent consistency to carry through the rest of the season and into the future. He's gone six-straight games scoring in double figures, the longest steak he's had all season and his 3-point percentage is slowly leveling off after starting the season shooting terribly from beyond the arc. Reddish hasn't quite lived up to the distinction of being the No. 10 overall pick all season, but recently he's making incremental improvements to show that he can be a building block of the Hawks' future.

Last week: Unranked

Highlight of the week: Porter broke out for 21 points against the Pelicans, which is only his second 20-point performance of the season. It might be more indicative of New Orleans' porous defense than Porter's performance, but it's an encouraging sight to see given Porter just returned from a two-week absence from a sprained knee. He has a really low release point on his jumper, which you'd think would result in a lot of blocked shots especially as a 6-4 wing, but somehow he's able to create enough space to get his shot off. He shows no fear attacking the rim, in fact he has an unabashed level of confidence when he's working on a defender to drive to the basket or drill a jumper in their face. 

Last week: Unranked

Highlight of the week: There likely isn't any rookie better in the league at executing the floater than Clarke. He has unreal touch in the paint with that shot, and it's nearly unstoppable. He's becoming the perfect roll man off the bench in Memphis, with freakish athleticism that allows him to finish in a myriad of ways around the rim. He put on a clinic against the Knicks with his patented floater and cuts to the rim, it's hard to believe that with the type of impact he's having in Memphis he's still coming off the bench. Morant deserves a lot of the attention for the Grizzlies vying for a playoff spot in the West, but they also wouldn't be there if it weren't for Clarke's continually consistent play all season long.

Last week: No. 5

Highlight of the week: We've gotten to the point where, if the 2018 Draft were redone, Porter likely wouldn't have been around long enough for the Nuggets to snatch him up at the No. 14 spot. In a win over Houston, Porter had 17 points and nine rebounds and just continues to show how much of a threat he can be coming off the bench in Denver. His size makes him a valuable asset to have on the floor for defense and rebounds, and he can utilize that on offense when opposing teams decide to stick a smaller player on him. He can knock down 3s, and handle the ball well enough to get the rim, but time will tell if he can continue to produce like this when the playoffs come around.

Last week: Unranked

Highlight of the week: Herro had a decent week, even if the Heat went 1-2, however his 3-point shooting is still not where it was at the start of the season. He shot 21.1 percent from deep on six attempts per game, and his shooting from the field isn't all the great either at 34.9 percent. Herro could be hitting that rookie wall right about now, where he may need a break to recharge for the rest of the season and the playoffs, so it's a good thing that the All-Star break is just around the corner and he can rest up before the Heat really need him in the postseason. He's been playing 28.1 minutes a night, which is pretty average compared to the rest of his class, but the Heat have been in a lot of tight games, forcing Herro to play a lot of extended minutes. The upcoming break should help him re-energize and find his shot again just in time for the Heat to try and make a run in April.

Last week: No. 8

Highlight of the week: Garland was able to find his shots against a tough Toronto team, although he wanted no parts of the Raptors interior defense. Garland settled for a lot of mid-range floaters and jumpers, and while he did finish with 16 points, if he would've attacked the rim a bit more he probably would've gotten fouled to get some points at the line too. He only had two free-throw attempts all night, and as an undersized point guard he needs to use that to his advantage to get some easy points at the line. He's an 86.2 percent free-throw shooter, which is a plus, but he's only averaging about one attempt per game. Oftentimes that number will tell you how aggressive a player is being, and Garland isn't being nearly as aggressive as he should for someone of his size.

Last week: Unranked

Highlight of the week: White's 3-point shooting is becoming a solid asset for a Chicago Bulls team that is still very much in the hunt for a playoff spot, but he's still as streaky as they come. One night he may put up 16 points, another he might only contribute eight. With Lauri Markkanen out for an extended period of time, the Bulls need all the scoring they can get to try and make the playoffs, and White's scoring definitely needs to become more consistent if the Bulls want to get there.    

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