The 2022-23 NBA season is zipping by as we begin February. All eyes are on All-Star Weekend and the upcoming Feb. 9 trade deadline as teams try to find the final pieces for their puzzles. While some organizations are scouting the market, others have the future in their hands with their rookies such as the Orlando Magic with Paolo Banchero. This means it is time for an updated NBA Rookie Power Rankings.
The 2022 NBA Draft class is already making its presence felt across the league. Although they still have a lot to prove, some of those players are already rising as some of the best on their teams. Should they keep developing, the future of the NBA looks bright.
With that being said, here are the latest NBA Rookie Power Rankings as the 2023 trade deadline approaches.
Previous NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Jan. 2 | Nov. 30 | Nov. 1
1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
Paolo Banchero entered the season full of expectations as the No. 1 pick. The former Duke Blue Devil made a big first impression with 27 points, nine rebounds, five assists, and two blocks in the Magic’s season opener versus the Detroit Pistons. He became the first rookie since LeBron James in 2003 to put up at least 25 points, five rebounds, and five assists in an NBA debut.
For the season, Banchero is averaging a rookie-best 20.5 points, 6.5 rebounds and 3.6 assists. He is shooting 42.9% from the field, 30.6% from the 3-point line and 75.9% on his free-throw attempts. He is currently leading the Magic both in points and minutes per game.
Banchero is headlining the 2023 Jordan Rising Stars and even finished seventh in the Eastern Conference frontcourt voting for the All-Star Game as a starter. Notably, he ranked higher than former All-Stars Bam Adebayo and Julius Randle.
2. Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
Selected No. 6 in the 2022 draft, Bennedict Mathurin is the closest to Banchero in most rookie NBA Power Rankings. The Arizona product is second in most rookie statistics, only trailing Banchero in them. The Indiana Pacers are currently in the play-in tournament zone despite once being projected to finish at the bottom of the rankings, which could certainly help Mathurin’s case for the Rookie of the Year Award.
He is putting up 17.9 points, 4.2 rebounds and 1.4 assists per game. He is making 42.6% of his field goals, 32.3% of his 3-pointers, and 82.3% of his free throws. Mathurin is currently the second-leading scorer on the Pacers, only behind Tyrese Haliburton. He was selected as the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month in November after averaging 19.2 points on 40.3% 3-point shooting.
For his performances, Mathurin is not only a contender for Rookie of the Year but also for the Sixth Man of the Year trophy. Of his 52 appearances so far, he came off the bench in 46 of them.
3. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings
Instead of selecting Jaden Ivey, the Sacramento Kings shocked the league by choosing Keegan Murray. Despite the doubts surrounding him, it seems the Kings made a good pick nevertheless. After winning Summer League MVP, Murray quickly became an important piece for the team, even earning a starting spot just two games into the season.
The Iowa product is averaging 12.1 points, 4.5 rebounds and an assist. He is hitting 44.4% of his field goal attempts, 41.3% of his 3-pointers and 78.7% of his free throws. The power forward is part of the surprising Sacramento squad that is 29-21 and third in the Western Conference. The team could finally return to the playoffs for the first time since 2006, and Murray is a big part of it as he continues to solidify his spot in these NBA Rookie Power Rankings.
4. Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons
Widely projected to be the fourth pick in the 2022 Draft, Ivey fell to No. 5. So far, he seems like a steal for the Detroit Pistons. He is displaying good vision and playmaking as he leads the rookie class with 4.5 assists per game.
The former Purdue Boilermaker is recording 15.1 points and 4.1 boards per game. He is shooting 41.5% from the field, 31.8% from beyond the arc and 72.5% from the free-throw line. With Cade Cunningham out with a season-ending injury, Ivey is getting more touches and is showing he could be the right backcourt partner to the 2021 No. 1 pick in the future.
5. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
Even though the team is in a rebuilding phase, the Oklahoma City Thunder are only 1.5 games away from a play-in tournament spot. With No. 2 pick Chet Holmgren missing the entire season, another rookie ended up getting more opportunities to impress alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Selected at No. 12 out of Santa Clara, Jalen Williams is emerging for OKC as he earned a starting role less than two months into his rookie campaign.
The shooting guard is registering 12.0 points, 4.0 rebounds and 2.8 assists per game. He is making 50.8% of his field goals, 31.7% of his 3-pointers and 75.3% of his free throws. He is the only player outside of the top 10 in the 2022 class who is averaging double digits in scoring, giving him the final spot in these NBA Rookie Power Rankings.
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