Let’s just get something out of the way: It’s really hard to evaluate rookies this early in their professional careers!
Players are still trying to find their role in the league and adjusting to the experience of playing against the toughest competition in the world. Coaches are still hoping to figure out the best to utilize these guys, many of whom are still very raw.
But we still wanted to have a baseline evaluation of the rookies we have seen so far, even if it might look a bit strange. Before you get too upset, though, let’s offer a quick reminder. Per ESPN’s Kevin Pelton, the NBA’s Rookie of the Year almost always goes to the first-year player who had the highest total combination of points, rebounds and assists per game.
During the preseason, that player was (obviously) Victor Wembanyama.
Our list doesn’t follow that model, but it may look a bit spicy due to some notable players being excluded. It is worth noting, though, that six of the 10 players we highlighted ranked in the top 10 among rookies in that very basic points/rebounds/assists formula.
Average it out to productivity per 36 minutes and then filter out everyone except for the 30 players who logged the most minutes and you will find eight of the following players.
Our rankings do, however, give more weight to scoring efficiency and turnovers. We also accounted for defensive metrics like blocks, steals and fouls. These are all important measures of impact on a basketball court.
You may be surprised to not find players like Miller or Henderson but both were still figuring out the kinks. That doesn’t mean they won’t get on here in the regular season once they find their rhythm. This is not predictive of their future success but rather an assessment of where they are at this moment.
But during preseason, for example, Henderson led all rookies in turnovers and personal fouls committed. Miller, meanwhile, had an effective field-goal percentage of below 40.0 percent (the league average was at 54.5 percent last season). It’s worth acknowledging, though, that they do have tougher roles on their teams than some of their competition.
Otherwise, here is how we would rank the upcoming rookies based on their play during the preseason: