2017-18 NBA Rookie of the Year ladder: Week 4 power rankings

One month into the season and the rookies are beginning to make a name for themselves in the NBA. Here’s a look at the Week 4 Rookie of the Year ladder.

The rookies are beginning to find their groove early on in their NBA careers. Whether they’re in the starting rotation or first man off the bench, this year’s Rookie of the Year competition is sure to be a competitive one.

For instance, take Jayson Tatum of the Boston Celtics. He’s averaging 29.7 minutes per game although he missed the team’s game on Wednesday night. His defensive upside has been hard to ignore in Boston and even more useful with the loss of Gordon Hayward to injury.

The Celtics went 4-0 with Tatum in the lineup last week.

Then there’s De’Aaron Fox of the Sacramento Kings. Fox isn’t in the starting lineup but is the team’s second-leading scorer, averaging 12.3 points per game. He’s averaging 27.0 minutes per game off the bench and was the team’s hero in its most recent win on Thursday night.

Philadelphia 76ers point forward Ben Simmons is the only rookie with a triple-double this season. He got his second one last Friday in a 121-110 victory over the Indiana Pacers. Based on how things are playing out, he may not be alone by the end of the regular season.

There aren’t any newcomers to this week’s Rookie of the Year ladder, but there are some reasonable honorable mention picks.

Honorable Mentions:  John Collins, Frank Ntilikina, Dillon Brooks, Dwayne Bacon, Bogdan Bogdanovic