When it comes to the MVP Rankings in the NBA, there is very little that separates Nikola Jokic, Joel Embiid, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. The same can be said about this year's NBA Rookie Rankings as well, especially with the terrific seasons Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren are having. Just about two months into the season, Wemby and Chet continue to be the spotlight of all things rookies across the NBA.
The San Antonio Spurs have lost 17 games and that losing streak may be extending even further with two straight matchups against the Los Angeles Lakers coming up. While his team is struggling, Wembanyama is really beginning to figure things out in the NBA, as he has recorded seven double-doubles in his last nine games. Looking more and more confident with the ball in his hands offensively, Wemby is beginning to help mold the roles of his teammates for what could be a special Spurs core down the road.
Recently, Wembanyama recorded 21 points and 20 rebounds against the Chicago Bulls. Despite losing the game, this was a historic performance that his teammate Tre Jones discussed after the game.
“It's very impressive. It's his, I think, first time starting at the five and grabbing 20 rebounds. I think he had seven in, like, the first five minutes. We knew it would be a big night for him on the boards,” Jones said. “He continues to impress and wow like he has from day or even before day one. We're going to keep growing together. He's growing every single day.”
Growing and maturing takes time, which is why the Spurs have struggled. However, if you look up in the Western Conference standings from where San Antonio is, you will see Holmgren and the Oklahoma City Thunder soaring at 15-7 on the season. Between blocking shots and emerging as the Thunder's second-best scorer next to Gilgeous-Alexander, Holmgren seems to be the favorite for Rookie of the Year in many people's eyes right now. In Golden State Warriors star Draymond Green's eyes, Chet is well on his way to being a “generational player.”
It's extremely difficult to say that one rookie has been better than the other so far this season, but the slight advantage goes to Wembanyama and his historical feats.
1. Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs
2023-24 season stats: 21 games, 18.8 points, 10.6 rebounds, 2.8 blocks, 1.2 steals, 43.1 FG%, 25.0 3P%
As previously mentioned, Victor Wembanyama recently recorded a 20-20 game against the Bulls. Not only is this historic given that this was his 20th career NBA game, but he accomplished something that David Robinson and Tim Duncan were not able to do until later on in their rookie seasons. Robinson did not have a 20-20 game until 44 games into his rookie season, and Duncan did not achieve such a stat line until his 68th game. Perhaps what makes Wemby so likable and well-respected is the fact that he strives for greatness each and every night.
“To me it doesn't really have value if it's a loss,” Wemby told ClutchPoints' Hector Ledesma. “But it's definitely an achievement and I hope I can look back on it and think of it as a good performance someday.”
After scoring 15 points and registering 18 rebounds against the Houston Rockets on Monday night, Wembanyama has produced a double-double in five consecutive games. In this five-game span, he has also recorded at least four blocks in four games. What the Spurs rookie is doing right now is something we have truly never seen from a 19-year-old.
Obviously, there is work to be done with Wemby's three-point shot and his decision-making at times as a passer, but numbers don't lie. Wembanyama has been the best rookie to this point in the season and it would not come as a shock to see him make the All-Star Game despite the Spurs' awful record.
2. Chet Holmgren – Oklahoma City Thunder
2023-24 season stats: 22 games, 17.0 points, 7.8 rebounds, 2.4 blocks, 52.4 FG%, 38.0 3P%
Contrary to the Spurs struggling with Wembanyama at the helm, the Thunder have found a ton of success with Chet Holmgren really beginning to ease into his No. 2 role alongside Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. Holmgren has had a sensational start to his “rookie” season and the maturity factor in his game is what stands out. While he would have liked to play last season, sitting out and being able to learn the game from the sideline has really seemed to pay dividends on what Chet is able to accomplish, that is looking at his film from Gonzaga to his role in Oklahoma City now.
Holmgren has found a ton of success in pick-and-roll scenarios with Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams this season simply because he's a total mismatch for normal big guys in the NBA to guard. SGA usually attracts so much attention, allowing for the slender Holmgren to slip to the rim for an easy alley-oop, and the big man's ability to knock down triples at a high rate makes helping off of him almost impossible for the opposition.
Defensively, Holmgren has been everything the Thunder have needed at the center position. Gilgeous-Alexander's two-way growth and the play of others on this roster obviously impact defensive rating, but it is not a coincidence that Oklahoma City has jumped from outside the top 10 to inside the top five in defensive rating this season.
Already playing like a multi-year veteran at 21 years old, the sky's the limit for what Holmgren will be able to achieve with the Thunder. Don't let some of his quiet offensive performances over the last week or so fool you because Chet impacts winning in Oklahoma City.
3. Jaime Jaquez Jr. – Miami Heat
2023-24 season stats: 23 games, 12.4 points, 3.5 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.0 steals, 52.5 FG%, 38.6 3P%
The Miami Heat have been searching for answers outside of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo with Tyler Herro injured. Gabe Vincent and Max Strus are no longer around after leaving in free agency, which is why the Heat have had a lot of question marks surrounding their second unit. Amid all of their injury concerns through the weeks, rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been forced into the starting lineup and has been tasked with taking on a larger role than many imagined.
So far, Jaquez has exceeded expectations by a mile and it is not hard to make the argument that he is an All-Rookie First Team performer right now. Jaquez is an older rookie at 22 years old and his experiences at UCLA are paying off tenfold with an experienced, mature Heat organization. Scoring double digit points in 10 straight games, Jaquez seems to be that spark Miami was searching for from their secondary talents. The rookie has shown no signs of fear and he is always willing to listen to what Butler wants to teach him.
“I talked to Jimmy especially when he's not playing. We talk all the time when I'm on the bench, and he's telling me what he sees and telling me what I can do better,” Jaquez told ClutchPoints' Zachary Weinberger recently. “Even in practice, he's talking to me about the little details on how I can improve my game. So it's been a great help having such great veterans around, being able to voice their knowledge. So I'm just trying to take and run with it.”
With Wembanyama and Holmgren battling it out in the Western Conference, Jaquez has been the best rookie in the Eastern Conference, which is why he earned the Eastern Conference Rookie of the Month honor for games played in October and November. When Adebayo and Tyler Herro return from injury, Jaquez's role will obviously decline slightly. However, for the Heat to be a championship contender once again, they will need to rely on their rookie in big moments. So far, Jaquez seems to be up for the challenges that present themselves to him.
4. Dereck Lively II – Dallas Mavericks
2023-24 season stats: 20 games, 9.1 points, 8.1 rebounds, 1.6 blocks, 74.8 FG%
What do you know, another rookie big man to talk about!
When the Dallas Mavericks traded back a few spots in this year's draft to select Dereck Lively II, nobody was really surprised given the Mavs' need for an impactful player at the center spot. It did not take long for Lively to work himself into the starting rotation and he has been a tremendous upgrade for this team.
Playing in a total of 20 games to this point in the year, Lively has been the perfect pick-and-roll big next to Luka Doncic and Kyrie Irving, plus the rookie has a chance to make league history. Mitchell Robinson registered a 74.19 field goal percentage with the New York Knicks during the 2019-20 season, the highest field goal percentage ever recorded. To this point, Livley has shot 74.78 percent from the floor, which would not just be a rookie record, but an NBA record.
He has double-double potential every time he's on the court and Lively is almost a guaranteed bucket anytime he gets the ball in the paint. Wembanyama and Holmgren are putting up flashy numbers, but Lively may just be the most impactful rookie this season.
5. Keyonte George – Utah Jazz
2023-24 season stats: 23 games, 11.4 points, 5.2 assists, 3.1 rebounds, 36.2 FG%, 32.2 3P%
The Utah Jazz drafted Keyonte George with the mindset of him becoming a starter in the backcourt at some point. That moment has come and George has been a terrific facilitating guard for the Jazz. George has recorded at least seven assists in seven different games this season, plus he is beginning to find his footing as a shooter and scorer.
Over his last four games, George is shooting 42.9 percent from the floor while averaging 18.3 points per game. As far as three-point shooting goes, Utah's rookie has shot 7-of-14 (50 percent) from deep over his last two games. George looks confident with the ball in his hands and there is still plenty of room for him to grow his overall offensive game seeing as he is only 20 years old.
Alongside Jordan Clarkson, George has fit in with the Jazz perfectly, making him a key building block for their immediate and long-term future.
Five rookies just missing the cut
6. Brandon Miller – Charlotte Hornets
2023-24 season stats: 19 games, 14.6 points, 4.2 rebounds, 44.7 FG%, 40.2 3P%
Brandon Miller just missed out on being in the top five of the rookie rankings. With his role being undefined early on in the year with the Charlotte Hornets, Miller has really seemed to find his stride with LaMelo Ball injured. Over his last four games, Miller is averaging 15.5 points per game while shooting 48.0 percent from three-point range. If he stays on this trend, Miller will be in the discussion for Rookie of the Year with Chet Holmgren and Victor Wembanyama.
7. Ausar Thompson – Detroit Pistons
2023-24 season stats: 23 games, 10.6 points, 8.4 rebounds, 2.5 assists, 1.3 blocks, 1.0 steals, 45.7 FG%
While he got off to a very fast start this season, Ausar Thompson has seen his numbers begin to even out. Thompson is still rebounding at a high rate for a wing and he has shown a lot of promise offensively, but the Detroit Pistons are terrible and they are not utilizing him to his full ability. After some low-scoring nights, it was refreshing to see the rookie record 20 points on 8-of-10 shooting against the Indiana Pacers.
8. Jordan Hawkins – New Orleans Pelicans
2023-24 season stats: 23 games, 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, 38.7 FG%, 36.6 3P%
When he has played, Jordan Hawkins has been very impressive this season with the New Orleans Pelicans. Unfortunately, the Pelicans have a lot of depth and almost their entire roster has returned from injury, pushing Hawkins back to the end of the bench. At any moment, Hawkins can enter the game and be a flamethrower from the perimeter for his team.
9. Brandin Podziemski – Golden State Warriors
2023-24 season stats: 16 games, 7.3 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 45.4 FG%, 43.6 3P%
Brandin Podziemski has flown under the radar and has quietly been one of the most steady players in the Golden State Warriors' nightly rotation. Aside from shooting 43.6 percent from deep this season, Podz has created energy off the bench for the Warriors in a similar way to how Gary Payton II positively impacts the game. From diving on the ground for loose balls to being a terrific rebounder for his size, Podziemski has been exactly what the Warriors need on their bench.
10. Cason Wallace – Oklahoma City Thunder
2023-24 season stats: 22 games, 7.6 points, 2.4 rebounds, 59.1 FG%, 52.1 3P%
The Thunder traded up to grab Cason Wallace in this year's draft, which was viewed as a questionable move to many seeing as this team had a logjam of talent in their backcourt. Wallace has quickly proven his worth and has been a factor in or out of the Thunder's starting lineup. His 52.1 three-point shooting percentage ranks first in the league out of all players who have taken at least 40 shots from the perimeter.
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