Kessler & Jabari Make Top 10 NBA Rookie List

[toddc 13,194]

Ranking the NBA's best rookies

6 hours ago

The NBA regular season is over and the play-in tournament set to tip Tuesday night. That means we can take a collective look back at the draft class of 2022 and how they fared in their rookie seasons. Yet, we're not just rating the top rookies. We're tracing their trajectories — including what they were ranked out of high school and where they were ultimately drafted. 

The process not only provides a broader understanding of how these players have developed, but it also gives some clues as to what characteristics or qualities can best translate to the highest levels of the game.  

With all of that in mind, here are the top 14 rookies (in line with the number of lottery picks) from the 2022-23 season.

1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

(Photo: Ethan Miller, Getty)

Drafted: 1st overall
Ranked: 2nd in the 2021 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 72 games (72 starts), 33.8min, 20pts, 6.9reb, 3.7ast, 43% FG, 30% 3pt, 74% FT

Paolo Banchero is the rare player who has been at the top of his class from day one. He was identified early as one of the top prospects in the class of 2021 as a high school freshman and stayed there for all four years of high school. He was the best freshman in the NCAA a year ago at Duke. And this year, after Orlando surprised people on draft night by taking him number one, he left little doubt about who the Rookie of the Year should be.

He scored 20 points or more in 40 of the 72 games he played this season while continuing to evolve into the jumbo playmaker we saw last year in college. Although he has a mid-range heavy style and needs to keep improving from behind the three-point line, there was definite progress after the All-Star break as he shot 37% from three in the month of March.

Overall, this is consistent with what we’ve seen over the years. Banchero is a player who maintains their spot atop of their class by continuing to add new weapons with each passing year.

2. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

(Photo: Getty)

Drafted: 12th overall
Ranked: Unranked in the class of 2019
NBA Stats: 75 games (62 starts), 30min, 14pts, 4.5reb, 3.3ast, 1.4stl, 52% FG, 36% 3pt, 81% FT

Jalen Williams wasn’t even a major recruit coming out of high school. 18 months ago, as he was starting his junior year at Santa Clara, he wasn’t on the NBA radar. Now, he’s one of the best rookies in the NBA and playing a critical role on an OKC team that is playing in the play-in tournament after improving their win total from 24 last season to 40 this season.

Williams is a classic late-bloomer who is long, athletic and impactful on both ends of the floor. He scored more than 20 points in a game 17 times this year and had 10+ assists twice. He also joined guys named Durant and Westbrook as just the third Thunder rookie to have three games with 25 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds.

If that weren’t enough, he has led the league in steals since January 1 and has the 15thhighest true shooting percentage ever by a rookie. In short, it looks like OKC hit the 12thpick out of the park last year.

3. Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz

(Photo: Getty)

Drafted: 22nd overall
Ranked: 22nd in the 2020 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 74 games (40 starts), 23min, 9.2pts, 8.4reb, 0.9ast, 2.3blk, 72% FG, 52% FT

Two years ago, opposing fans were chanting “overrated” as Walker Kessler averaged less than 9 minutes per game as a freshman at North Carolina. He transferred to Auburn for his sophomore season, blocked nearly 5 shots per game and played his way into the first-round.

He became part of a huge package that Minnesota sent to Utah for Rudy Gobert. But ironically, Kessler looks like the best shot-blocker in the deal. Not only did Kessler finish second overall in blocks per minute (behind only Jaren Jackson), but he was also among the top five players in the league in total shots contested. Offensively, he led the league in field goal percentage, but won’t actually get credit for it because he came up two field goal attempts short of the minimum 300 (per NBA rules) after missing the last four games due to concussion protocol.

4. Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons

(Photo: © Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)

Drafted: 5th overall
Ranked: 89th in the 2020 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 73 games (72 starts), 31.1min, 16.3pts, 5.3ast, 3.9reb, 42% FG, 34% 3pt, 75% FT

The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA this year once Cade Cunninghamwent down with a season-ending injury after just 9 games. The only silver lining for the former Bad Boys was the progression of their rookies.

Jaden Ivey finished the year as one of five rookies in NBA history with at least 1200 points, 385 assists, 285 rebounds and 120 threes. He also continued to get better with each passing month averaging 13.8 points per game in December, 15.2 in January, 16.4 in February, 18.3 in March and 24 in April. In fact, over his final 8 games, he averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds on 46% shooting from the floor, 41% from behind the arc and 90% from the free-throw line. In short, the gains we saw over his two years at Purdue continued into his rookie season as the gap between his explosive athleticism and his playmaking/shooting continues to shrink.

5. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings

(Photo: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports, USA TODAY Sports)

Drafted: 4th overall
Ranked: Unranked in the class of 2020
NBA Stats: 80 games (78 starts), 29.8min, 12.2pts 4.6reb, 1.2ast, 45% FG, 41% 3pt, 77% FT

Keegan Murray had to go to prep school after having only one Division I scholarship offer coming out of high school. He quickly emerged into one of college basketball’s best players in just two years at Iowa.

In the NBA, he was arguably more ready to help impact winning than any other rookie this season. A year after going 30-52, the Kings went 48-34 this year with Murray being a full-time starter and key player. He became the first rookie in NBA history to hit 200+ threes in a season and the youngest player in NBA history to shoot over 40% on at least 500 three-point attempts. Simultaneously, he proved to be one of the most durable rookies in the league as well as being efficient beyond his years with his ball-security and his shooting.

6. Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

(Photo: Getty Images, Getty)

Drafted: 6th overall
Ranked: 136th in the 2020 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 78 games (17 starts), 28.5min, 16.7pts, 4.1reb, 1.5ast, 43% FG, 32% 3pt, 83% FT

Coming off two seasons at Arizona, the former NBA Academy product played like one of the two best rookies in the league to start the season.

Although Bennedict Mathurin wasn’t able to sustain his shooting numbers from long-range, he still had an excellent year overall and finished the season on a high note. He scored 26 or more points three times in the Pacers’ last seven games, averaging over 21 points per game during the stretch.

On the season, he broke a franchise record for threes and free-throws made by a rookie and scored more points than any Pacer rookie in 36 years. His scoring prowess is probably best exemplified by the fact that he averaged more points per 36 minutes (21.3) than any other rookie in the league this year.

7. Jabari Smith Jr, Houston Rockets

(Photo: Houston Rockets)

Drafted: 3rd overall
Ranked: 7th in the 2021 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 79 games (79 starts), 31min, 12.8pts, 7.2reb, 1.3ast, 0.9blk, 41% FG, 31% 3pt, 79% FT

It began on draft night when Jabari Smithwas expected to be the top overall pick and ended up going third. Things didn't go as expected during the season, either.

In high school, Smith was a player who was known for his infatuation in the mid-range area. That followed him to the NBA and it cost him in the first-half of the year, when he converted just 33% of his pull-ups. However, that rose to 45% after the All-Star break. At Auburn, his range stretched out to the three-point line as he shot 42% from behind the arc. That number plummeted to 31% this year, while still attempting roughly five threes per game.

Still, Smith is known as a quality defender (particularly for a front court rookie), has solid rebounding splits and is still growing into his body. Overall, he showed some encouraging signs down the stretch, but he must regain the floor-spacing prowess he had at Auburn to live up to his full potential. 

8. Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers

(Photo: Getty)

Drafted: 7th overall
Ranked: 3rd in the 2021 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 80 games (15 starts), 22.2min, 9.9pts, 3.0rebs, 1.2ast, 47% FG, 36% 3pt, 71% FT

For the first five months of the season Shaedon Sharpe looked like a 19-year-old who was a ways away from being able to make a consistent impact in the league. Then Portland went into tank mode with 10 games left in the season. This opened the door for their young players to see heavy minutes, resulting in Sharpe blowing up in a way no one could have expected.

He averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in that 10-game span, while playing 36 minutes per night. There was shot-making (46/38/77 splits), attacking and even some passing. Granted, Portland went 1-9 in that span and was absolutely blown out more than half the time. But still, Sharpe’s production captured the league’s attention and reminded everyone why he was once the top ranked prospect in the class of 2022.

9. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

(Photo: NBA.com)

Drafted: 13th overall
Ranked: 6th in the 2021 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 67 games (31 starts), 24.9min, 9.1pts, 8.9reb, 1.1ast, 0.9blk, 0.7stl, 65% FG, 61% FT

This would have been his freshman year in college if he had stayed in his original graduating class. Instead, Jalen Durenbegan the season as the youngest player in the NBA after a single season at Memphis. Physically, he is already more than capable of holding his own with his length, power and athleticism. Also, his sheer productivity was beyond his years as well.

Duren was a constant double-double threat and one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA (3.4/game). He was also at his best late in the season when he averaged 11.8 points and 11.4 rebounds on 72% shooting in the month of April. Once a top two prospect in the class of 2022, Duren is now part of a young core in Detroit that is giving fans a reason to be excited about the future (especially when they add in a healthy Cade Cunningham and another high draft pick).

10. Tari Eason, Houston Rockets

(Photo: Getty)

Drafted: 17th overall
Ranked: 138th in the 2020 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 82 games (5 starts), 21.5min, 9.3pts, 6.0reb, 1.1ast, 1.2stl, 45% FG, 34% 3pt, 75% FT

Tari Eason came off the bench as a freshman at Cincinnati. He also came off the bench as a sophomore at LSU, even after establishing himself as an elite talent. So, it was no surprise that he thrived off the bench for the Rockets this year. In fact, he led all NBA reserves with 82 steals, was sixth among that group in minutes played and tenth in points. He even joined Hall of Famers James Worthy and Scottie Pippen as the only rookies to secure more than 80 steals and 40 blocks while coming off the bench.

Eason was also the Ironman of the rookie class as he was just one of ten players in the NBA to play every regular season game. Overall, the chip on his shoulder that he is known for is serving him well. Also, his ability to change the game on both ends of the floor while anchoring his team’s second unit points to longterm success as a pro.

[HAPvsOA 315]

22 hours ago, toddc said:

Ranking the NBA's best rookies

6 hours ago

The NBA regular season is over and the play-in tournament set to tip Tuesday night. That means we can take a collective look back at the draft class of 2022 and how they fared in their rookie seasons. Yet, we're not just rating the top rookies. We're tracing their trajectories — including what they were ranked out of high school and where they were ultimately drafted. 

The process not only provides a broader understanding of how these players have developed, but it also gives some clues as to what characteristics or qualities can best translate to the highest levels of the game.  

With all of that in mind, here are the top 14 rookies (in line with the number of lottery picks) from the 2022-23 season.

1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

(Photo: Ethan Miller, Getty)

Drafted: 1st overall
Ranked: 2nd in the 2021 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 72 games (72 starts), 33.8min, 20pts, 6.9reb, 3.7ast, 43% FG, 30% 3pt, 74% FT

Paolo Banchero is the rare player who has been at the top of his class from day one. He was identified early as one of the top prospects in the class of 2021 as a high school freshman and stayed there for all four years of high school. He was the best freshman in the NCAA a year ago at Duke. And this year, after Orlando surprised people on draft night by taking him number one, he left little doubt about who the Rookie of the Year should be.

He scored 20 points or more in 40 of the 72 games he played this season while continuing to evolve into the jumbo playmaker we saw last year in college. Although he has a mid-range heavy style and needs to keep improving from behind the three-point line, there was definite progress after the All-Star break as he shot 37% from three in the month of March.

Overall, this is consistent with what we’ve seen over the years. Banchero is a player who maintains their spot atop of their class by continuing to add new weapons with each passing year.

2. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

(Photo: Getty)

Drafted: 12th overall
Ranked: Unranked in the class of 2019
NBA Stats: 75 games (62 starts), 30min, 14pts, 4.5reb, 3.3ast, 1.4stl, 52% FG, 36% 3pt, 81% FT

Jalen Williams wasn’t even a major recruit coming out of high school. 18 months ago, as he was starting his junior year at Santa Clara, he wasn’t on the NBA radar. Now, he’s one of the best rookies in the NBA and playing a critical role on an OKC team that is playing in the play-in tournament after improving their win total from 24 last season to 40 this season.

Williams is a classic late-bloomer who is long, athletic and impactful on both ends of the floor. He scored more than 20 points in a game 17 times this year and had 10+ assists twice. He also joined guys named Durant and Westbrook as just the third Thunder rookie to have three games with 25 points, 5 assists and 5 rebounds.

If that weren’t enough, he has led the league in steals since January 1 and has the 15thhighest true shooting percentage ever by a rookie. In short, it looks like OKC hit the 12thpick out of the park last year.

3. Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz

(Photo: Getty)

Drafted: 22nd overall
Ranked: 22nd in the 2020 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 74 games (40 starts), 23min, 9.2pts, 8.4reb, 0.9ast, 2.3blk, 72% FG, 52% FT

Two years ago, opposing fans were chanting “overrated” as Walker Kessler averaged less than 9 minutes per game as a freshman at North Carolina. He transferred to Auburn for his sophomore season, blocked nearly 5 shots per game and played his way into the first-round.

He became part of a huge package that Minnesota sent to Utah for Rudy Gobert. But ironically, Kessler looks like the best shot-blocker in the deal. Not only did Kessler finish second overall in blocks per minute (behind only Jaren Jackson), but he was also among the top five players in the league in total shots contested. Offensively, he led the league in field goal percentage, but won’t actually get credit for it because he came up two field goal attempts short of the minimum 300 (per NBA rules) after missing the last four games due to concussion protocol.

4. Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons

(Photo: © Brad Penner, USA TODAY Sports)

Drafted: 5th overall
Ranked: 89th in the 2020 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 73 games (72 starts), 31.1min, 16.3pts, 5.3ast, 3.9reb, 42% FG, 34% 3pt, 75% FT

The Detroit Pistons were the worst team in the NBA this year once Cade Cunninghamwent down with a season-ending injury after just 9 games. The only silver lining for the former Bad Boys was the progression of their rookies.

Jaden Ivey finished the year as one of five rookies in NBA history with at least 1200 points, 385 assists, 285 rebounds and 120 threes. He also continued to get better with each passing month averaging 13.8 points per game in December, 15.2 in January, 16.4 in February, 18.3 in March and 24 in April. In fact, over his final 8 games, he averaged 23.8 points, 8.2 assists and 4.1 rebounds on 46% shooting from the floor, 41% from behind the arc and 90% from the free-throw line. In short, the gains we saw over his two years at Purdue continued into his rookie season as the gap between his explosive athleticism and his playmaking/shooting continues to shrink.

5. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings

(Photo: Darren Yamashita-USA TODAY Sports, USA TODAY Sports)

Drafted: 4th overall
Ranked: Unranked in the class of 2020
NBA Stats: 80 games (78 starts), 29.8min, 12.2pts 4.6reb, 1.2ast, 45% FG, 41% 3pt, 77% FT

Keegan Murray had to go to prep school after having only one Division I scholarship offer coming out of high school. He quickly emerged into one of college basketball’s best players in just two years at Iowa.

In the NBA, he was arguably more ready to help impact winning than any other rookie this season. A year after going 30-52, the Kings went 48-34 this year with Murray being a full-time starter and key player. He became the first rookie in NBA history to hit 200+ threes in a season and the youngest player in NBA history to shoot over 40% on at least 500 three-point attempts. Simultaneously, he proved to be one of the most durable rookies in the league as well as being efficient beyond his years with his ball-security and his shooting.

6. Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

(Photo: Getty Images, Getty)

Drafted: 6th overall
Ranked: 136th in the 2020 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 78 games (17 starts), 28.5min, 16.7pts, 4.1reb, 1.5ast, 43% FG, 32% 3pt, 83% FT

Coming off two seasons at Arizona, the former NBA Academy product played like one of the two best rookies in the league to start the season.

Although Bennedict Mathurin wasn’t able to sustain his shooting numbers from long-range, he still had an excellent year overall and finished the season on a high note. He scored 26 or more points three times in the Pacers’ last seven games, averaging over 21 points per game during the stretch.

On the season, he broke a franchise record for threes and free-throws made by a rookie and scored more points than any Pacer rookie in 36 years. His scoring prowess is probably best exemplified by the fact that he averaged more points per 36 minutes (21.3) than any other rookie in the league this year.

7. Jabari Smith Jr, Houston Rockets

(Photo: Houston Rockets)

Drafted: 3rd overall
Ranked: 7th in the 2021 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 79 games (79 starts), 31min, 12.8pts, 7.2reb, 1.3ast, 0.9blk, 41% FG, 31% 3pt, 79% FT

It began on draft night when Jabari Smithwas expected to be the top overall pick and ended up going third. Things didn't go as expected during the season, either.

In high school, Smith was a player who was known for his infatuation in the mid-range area. That followed him to the NBA and it cost him in the first-half of the year, when he converted just 33% of his pull-ups. However, that rose to 45% after the All-Star break. At Auburn, his range stretched out to the three-point line as he shot 42% from behind the arc. That number plummeted to 31% this year, while still attempting roughly five threes per game.

Still, Smith is known as a quality defender (particularly for a front court rookie), has solid rebounding splits and is still growing into his body. Overall, he showed some encouraging signs down the stretch, but he must regain the floor-spacing prowess he had at Auburn to live up to his full potential. 

8. Shaedon Sharpe, Portland Trail Blazers

(Photo: Getty)

Drafted: 7th overall
Ranked: 3rd in the 2021 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 80 games (15 starts), 22.2min, 9.9pts, 3.0rebs, 1.2ast, 47% FG, 36% 3pt, 71% FT

For the first five months of the season Shaedon Sharpe looked like a 19-year-old who was a ways away from being able to make a consistent impact in the league. Then Portland went into tank mode with 10 games left in the season. This opened the door for their young players to see heavy minutes, resulting in Sharpe blowing up in a way no one could have expected.

He averaged 23.7 points, 6.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists in that 10-game span, while playing 36 minutes per night. There was shot-making (46/38/77 splits), attacking and even some passing. Granted, Portland went 1-9 in that span and was absolutely blown out more than half the time. But still, Sharpe’s production captured the league’s attention and reminded everyone why he was once the top ranked prospect in the class of 2022.

9. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

(Photo: NBA.com)

Drafted: 13th overall
Ranked: 6th in the 2021 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 67 games (31 starts), 24.9min, 9.1pts, 8.9reb, 1.1ast, 0.9blk, 0.7stl, 65% FG, 61% FT

This would have been his freshman year in college if he had stayed in his original graduating class. Instead, Jalen Durenbegan the season as the youngest player in the NBA after a single season at Memphis. Physically, he is already more than capable of holding his own with his length, power and athleticism. Also, his sheer productivity was beyond his years as well.

Duren was a constant double-double threat and one of the best offensive rebounders in the NBA (3.4/game). He was also at his best late in the season when he averaged 11.8 points and 11.4 rebounds on 72% shooting in the month of April. Once a top two prospect in the class of 2022, Duren is now part of a young core in Detroit that is giving fans a reason to be excited about the future (especially when they add in a healthy Cade Cunningham and another high draft pick).

10. Tari Eason, Houston Rockets

(Photo: Getty)

Drafted: 17th overall
Ranked: 138th in the 2020 247Sports Composite
NBA Stats: 82 games (5 starts), 21.5min, 9.3pts, 6.0reb, 1.1ast, 1.2stl, 45% FG, 34% 3pt, 75% FT

Tari Eason came off the bench as a freshman at Cincinnati. He also came off the bench as a sophomore at LSU, even after establishing himself as an elite talent. So, it was no surprise that he thrived off the bench for the Rockets this year. In fact, he led all NBA reserves with 82 steals, was sixth among that group in minutes played and tenth in points. He even joined Hall of Famers James Worthy and Scottie Pippen as the only rookies to secure more than 80 steals and 40 blocks while coming off the bench.

Eason was also the Ironman of the rookie class as he was just one of ten players in the NBA to play every regular season game. Overall, the chip on his shoulder that he is known for is serving him well. Also, his ability to change the game on both ends of the floor while anchoring his team’s second unit points to longterm success as a pro.

I think Jabari is a slow developer and will be top 4 from this class in a few years given his progression at the end of the year. And I still am not sure we have a good idea of what his ceiling can be given the lack of a decent coach, system, development, etc. in the Pros. The Rockets were a mess this year. I still think he has a chance to pass Paolo even though most have given up on that by now. 

But there's a legit chance that Kessler could end up being the best of them all. Sure we all knew he's a stud, but I didn't see anyone projecting a ceiling this high and he's still a rookie. Paolo, Santa Clara J Will, and K. Murray are all great and better than I expected, but Kessler is killing it in the advanced stats. It will be interesting to see how that sticks with more minutes per game.  

[toddc 13,194]

Jabari is one of the youngest in the bunch I believe so he’s probably going to get better each year.

[toddc 13,194]

 

[fishepa 1,911]

I gotta eat some crow on Kessler.  I didn't think he would do anything in the NBA.

[WillMunny 1,384]

On 4/14/2023 at 5:03 PM, fishepa said:

I gotta eat some crow on Kessler.  I didn't think he would do anything in the NBA.

Me either.  And I never would have guessed he would have been more valuable as a rookie than Jabari Smith.

[icanthearyou 4,463]

Can't believe we didn't make the final four with both of them on the team.

[AURex 2,036]

On 4/11/2023 at 5:33 PM, toddc said:

Ranking the NBA's best rookies

6 hours ago

The NBA regular season is over and the play-in tournament set to tip Tuesday night. That means we can take a collective look back at the draft class of 2022 and how they fared in their rookie seasons. Yet, we're not just rating the top rookies. We're tracing their trajectories — including what they were ranked out of high school and where they were ultimately drafted. 

The process not only provides a broader understanding of how these players have developed, but it also gives some clues as to what characteristics or qualities can best translate to the highest levels of the game.  

With all of that in mind, here are the top 14 rookies (in line with the number of lottery picks) from the 2022-23 season.

 

 

For those of us who do not follow every sports publication, website, blog and podcast in the world, would it be too much to ask to provide the original source of the article? For all I know, is this your own evaluation, or is it from Louisiana Joe Bob's BBQ Rant page. or is it from a legit sports source?.

 

Edited April 18, 2023 by AURex

[arktiger1975 554]

https://www.slcdunk.com/2023/9/8/23865102/fiba-world-cup-2023-steve-kerr-cost-usa-gold-by-not-playing-walker-kessler

I was thinking this, glad other people saw it. Kerr pissed the championship away.