After Donruss and NBA Hoops this year, Panini just dropped the latest Panini set, much to the joy of card enthusiasts everywhere. Its release marks the first major chrome-based product to come out from Panini this year, one that features the latest rookie class in the league. Along with its release come several details collectors and investors must know. We take a look below at the first impressions of the 2022-23 Panini Prizm NBA card set.

First impressions on the 2022-23 Panini Prizm NBA card set

4. A boxier Prizm base NBA card design

The last two editions of Prizm used some sort of a geometric design, coupled with the brand's well-known machined look, to highlight the player on the card. This year, though, Panini opted to go with a boxier design accented by colors that the player's team use. The end effect is a departure from previous sets that make the latest Prizm basketball card set stand out.

Paolo Banchero, Magic, Cards

While the new base NBA card design might take some time to get used to, much like the latest Donruss basketball set, the inclusion of parallels and short-numbered colored offerings will greatly enhance the latest Prizm cards for those interested to buy the product. Sports card enthusiasts will have the chance to hunt the usual silver, green, and various wave color versions. For a more exciting chase, these Prizm cards can also be had in Mojo, Gold, Black, Neon Green, Tiger Stripe, Choice Green, and Nebula, among others. In any case, the latter parallels will most likely get more demand in the market, especially for the top players and hottest rookies in this class.

3. The latest Rookie Card class is underwhelming

Speaking of the latest rookies, the class this year isn't as exciting in the hobby as in years past. For the past few seasons, NBA card collectors were drowning in a plethora of choices when guys like Ja Morant, Zion Williamson, LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Tyrese Haliburton, Cade Cunningham, Jalen Green, Evan Mobley, and Josh Giddey were abundant in the market during the time their respective Prizm cards debuted. Even the other rookies below them, such as Darius Garland and Desmond Bane, to name a few, gave collectors value for their money.

Jaden Ivey, Pistons, Cards

This year, though, there are only a couple of names that come to mind when it comes to their Prizm rookie cards, such as Paolo Banchero, Benedict Mathurin, Jaden Ivey, Jaylen Williams, Keegan Murray, and Walker Kessler. It also doesn't help that outside of Keegan Murray, and potentially Jaylen Williams, there aren't that many rookies performing in the biggest stage of them all – the NBA Playoffs. Plus, only Banchero can be considered as the true alpha and number one option of his team, making his stock more desirable.

Taking all of these elements together and one might surmise that there are only a few names worth chasing from this year's rookie class from Panini's latest Prizm set. With the price of this product skyrocketing, collectors must consider whether to splurge big money on a hobby box to get these top rookies or not. At this point in time, a single hobby box is worth $610, making it out of reach for most people in the hobby. Nevertheless, all these factors must be considered before letting big money out, especially when chasing Banchero and the other big names from his class.

2. The inserts don't give NBA card collectors anything new

For several years now, the inserts found from Optic and Donruss have gained a lot of following amongst NBA card collectors. Offerings such as Net Marvels, My House, and the latest Donruss insert Animation, have become favorites in the hobby due to their unique design.

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LaMelo Ball, Hornets, Cards

The new Panini Prizm basketball card set, however, continues a trend taken from its previous editions. The inserts here, which include Widescreen, Prizmatic, Fireworks, and Fearless, look very similar to their earlier editions from Prizm sets of years past. The only draw here is if collectors pull a short-numbered parallel of these inserts, which will make buying this product more worth it. As it stands, the inserts from this Prizm set will most likely be a hard pass for some.

1. Prices are expected to shoot up fast and drop after a few weeks

Taking a look at the market right now, a raw copy of Paolo Banchero's Prizm Hyper rookie card sold for $455 on eBay recently. That price is just one example of the hype that comes with the product, and it's expected that Prizm itself will go down sooner than later.

With the NBA Playoffs about to boost the market up, it'll also dampen some players' value down, especially as teams are knocked out of contention in the coming weeks. It'll be wise for NBA card collectors to take a hard look at the market to get the best prices on these Prizm cards. Consider all of the factors above so you won't be on the losing end of the hobby when the time comes, especially if you're a fan of Panini's Prizm for basketball fans.