Excluding the highlight reels, big-time performances, clutch shots, comeback wins, and whatnot, the one thing NBA fans are so blessed about this season is the abundance of impactful rookies. We rarely see this much firepower from a group of neophytes, and it just makes you want the season to go as slow as possible.
Here's one of the many foolproof statistics that scream just how well this 2017-18 class has been doing: eight first-year players currently have Player Efficiency Rating (PER) that's higher than the league average of 15. It's the most since the 2008-09 season, and it's more than what the last two crop of rookies had combined — '15-'16 had five and '16-'17 only had one.
Below is the list of those 2017-18 rookies along with their PERs:
- John Collins – Atlanta Hawks (21.1)
- Jordan Bell – Golden State Warriors (19.8)
- Ben Simmons – Philadelphia 76ers (17.9)
- Bam Adebayo – Miami Heat (17.0)
- Jayson Tatum – Boston Celtics (16.7)
- Donovan Mitchell – Utah Jazz (16.7)
- Jarrett Allen – Brooklyn Nets (15.2)
- Lauri Markkanen – Chicago Bulls (15.2)
Vince Hunter and Ivan Rabb of the Memphis Grizzlies also have a 36.9 and 26.9 PER, respectively, but both are currently assigned to a D-League team. Kyle Kuzma of the Los Angeles Lakers, meanwhile, is going in-and-out of the list. He is currently at the 14.9 mark.
It should be very exciting to continue watching the guys develop, especially Simmons, Kuzma, Mitchell, and Tatum, who all appear to be on their way to becoming stars in the near future.
The talent, production, and trust from their respective teams are all there, we just have to sit back and watch it unfold.
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