NBA Rookie Rankings 12/15/13: Trades Affecting Rookie of the Year Race

5. Nate Wolters, Milwaukee Bucks

After missing last week’s Rookie Rankings, Nate Wolters makes his return to the polls after having the best game of his young career.

Wolters posted a career-high 18 points on 7-for-15 shooting to go along with seven assists and two steals Wednesday night in a blowout loss to the San Antonio Spurs. The game was never really close for the dreadful Milwaukee Bucks so it allowed Wolters to get more minutes than he’s seen since he lost his starting role.

Trying to figure out exactly what the Bucks are doing this season is worse than pulling teeth. Nobody really knows what’s going on. It boils down to the entire roster being unhealthy for the entire season and so far that has culminated in a 5-18 record, the worst in the NBA. The minutes for rookies Wolters and Giannis Antetokounmpo have been fluctuating dramatically and that’s putting it nicely.

Until such time Milwaukee gets healthy or decides to tear it down and start over, that trend is going to continue, meaning Wolters could be on and off the Rookie Rankings every week for the remainder of the season.