The NBA schedule is back in full swing after the All-Star Break. See which rookie is making moves in this week’s Rookie of the Year ladder power rankings.
The NBA Rookie of the Year race continues to be a fierce competition at the top. Outside of the top two jockeying for position, No. 3 through No. 10 continue to see some newcomers in this week’s power rankings.
As teams are either making a push for the NBA Playoffs or using the post-All-Star Break to develop their young players, new faces are emerging as rookies to watch as the season concludes. Rookies like Boston Celtics forward Daniel Theis and Los Angeles Clippers guard Tyrone Wallace continue to excel as role players for their respective teams. Don’t be surprised if they’re in this week’s rankings.
The return of Los Angeles Lakers point man Lonzo Ball looms huge this past week. Ball has missed the past 15 games with a knee injury. He put up nine points, seven rebounds and six assists in 17 minutes in his return. He may not be in this week’s rankings, but don’t panic. As he shakes off the rust, he’ll climb back into the power rankings.
Here’s a look at this week’s Rookie of the Year ladder, but first, some honorable mentions.
Honorable mentions: Bam Adebayo, Tyrone Wallace, Daniel Theis, John Collins and Jarrett Allen
10. Dennis Smith Jr., Dallas Mavericks
Last week: 6th (↓ 4)
Rookie point guard Dennis Smith Jr. is still finding his rhythm as the floor general for the Dallas Mavericks. The Mavericks are currently 18-42 in the Western Conference after going 33-49 in 2016-17. Off-the-court issues continue to dampen what once was a franchise on the rise and it’s beginning to trickle onto the court.
Smith and the Mavericks went 0-2 to kick off their post-All-Star Break schedule. Smith averaged 10.0 points, 5.5 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game this week, but he continues to struggle shooting the basketball.
He went 5-of-16 (31.3 percent) from the floor in their 124-102 loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. On Saturday night, he was 2-for-11 (18.2 percent) in their 97-90 loss to the Utah Jazz. Not to mention, he turned in plus/minus scores of -26 and -21, respectively.
Changes are bound to occur soon for the Mavericks. They’re getting just 12.3 points per game from mainstay Dirk Nowitzki this season, his lowest average since his rookie season back in 1998-99.
9. De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
Last week: 9th (↔)
Sacramento Kings point guard De’Aaron Fox is battling injury but that hasn’t kept him from producing when he’s in the rotation. The Kings led for most of the game against the Oklahoma City Thunder before Russell Westbrook struck at the buzzer. Sacramento fell in that game, 110-107, on Thursday night.
Fox was unable to go for that game, but his presence sure would have made a difference. He did return for Sacramento’s game against the Lakers on Saturday night. Fox had 13 points, six assists, a rebound and a steal, although the Kings still fell 113-108 in the end.
Sacramento isn’t vying for a playoff spot with an 18-41 record right now. The best move they’ve made this season is inserting Fox into the starting rotation.
He’s still learning, albeit on one of the youngest teams in the NBA, so expect some more growing pains. Their offense ranks 29th in in the league in points per game (99.0) and their offensive rating (103.8) ranks 30th.
8. Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls
Last week: 8th (↔)
It looks like Chicago Bulls rookie Lauri Markkanen has hit the proverbial rookie wall post-All-Star Break. Markkanen was producing at a reasonable rate since returning from injury, but in the past two Bulls’ contest, he simply hasn’t been himself.
He is a combined 2-for-16 (12.5 percent) in Chicago’s last two games. From 3-point range, Markannen is a combined 0-for-7. In the same span, he’s averaging just 3.0 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.5 blocks.
It could be rust from the All-Star Break or something else entirely. One thing’s for sure: If Markkanen continues to play this poorly, the Bulls are doomed. He’s been one of their best players this season, averaging 14.8 points per game, fourth on the team.
With an offensive rating below 100 in the past two games (96.0), he’ll certainly need to pick things up. He proved to be one of the top rookies earlier in the season. Now, he’ll just need to do it on a more consistent basis.
7. Josh Hart, Los Angeles Lakers
Last week: 10th (↑ 3)
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Josh Hart continues to increase his value in the rotation with his versatility. Lonzo Ball is back, but that hasn’t limited Hart’s role, which is a good thing going forward for him. Hart registered yet another double-double this week as the Lakers have won their past two games.
The rookie out of Villanova had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 34 minutes of action against the Dallas Mavericks on Friday night. The Lakers won the game, 124-102. It was Hart’s sixth double-double of the season and his fourth in the month of February. He’s started the past nine games for the Lakers, who are 6-3 in that span.
On Saturday night, Hart didn’t record a double-double but he did have 10 points, six rebounds and five assists. While he didn’t kill the boards, he showed off his versatility as both a rebounder and a distributor. He’s emerged as the third rookie with upside on a young Los Angeles Lakers squad. Let’s see if they can turn it into bigger success.
6. Josh Jackson, Phoenix Suns
Last week: 7th (↑ 1)
Phoenix Suns rookie Josh Jackson has Sixth Man potential written all over him. He just has to find the consistency as a shooter to be a consistent contributor. Right now, he’s got the volume part down, just not the efficiency.
In their first game back from the All-Star Break, Jackson went 8-for-18 (44.4 percent) with 19 points, seven rebounds and three assists in a 128-117 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers on Friday night. He followed that up with a 2-for-5 (40 percent) performance on Saturday night with five points, three rebounds, an assist, a steal and a block.
Those numbers aren’t bad, but take into account on Feb. 12 when Jackson went 4-for-18 (25 percent) against the Golden State Warriors and you see what I’m getting at. Jackson hasn’t been the greatest 3-point shooter this year either (26.7 percent). In his defense, a majority of his shots have come at less than 10 feet this season.
Jackson is still averaging 11.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game as a rookie. His growth this season has been one positive for the Suns, who currently have a record of 18-43.
5. Bogdan Bogdanovic, Sacramento Kings
Last week: 5th (↓ 2)
The Sacramento Kings haven’t gotten a Rising Stars performance out of Bogdan Bogdanovic yet, but it’s only been two games. Sacramento went 0-for-2 to kick off their post-All-Star Break this past week. Bogdanovic’s offense was present and accounted for.
Bogdanovic put up just four points in the Kings’ 110-107 loss to the Thunder on Friday night. On Saturday night though, he put up 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting with four made 3-pointers. He also had six rebounds and four assists. Despite his 20-plus point outburst, Sacramento still fell to the Los Angeles Lakers.
Bogdanovic is a player who sees his playing time fluctuate based on his production. For instance, on Friday night, he played just 19 minutes against Oklahoma City. Against the Lakers, Bogdanovic played 30 minutes.
As his offense goes, so does his playing time. He’s still started in the team’s last 17 games and counting, so that’s a plus for his development. The 25-year-old rookie is showing why he was such a coveted addition from across the water.
4. Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers
Last week: 4th (↔)
Los Angeles Lakers rookie Kyle Kuzma is still the sleeping giant in this year’s Rookie of the Year race. He’s put up double figures in the Lakers’ past two contests, showing off his inside-outside ability in the process.
Kuzma scored 12 points, including two 3-pointers in Los Angeles’ win over the Mavericks on Friday night. On Saturday night, he put up 10 points along with two more 3-pointers in the Lakers’ 113-108 victory over the Kings.
The rookie out of Utah averaged 11.0 points, 4.0 rebounds, 1.0 assists and 1.0 blocks in Los Angeles’ past two victories. He’s getting used to Lonzo Ball back in the rotation, along with other things. With Isaiah Thomas and Lonzo Ball potentially being options off the bench, Kuzma could find himself in the plans for more open looks.
The Lakers are 25-34 this season, 7.5 games behind the Denver Nuggets for the eighth playoff spot. A run could be in their future if they can get the offense going. If they do, Kuzma could find himself back in talks for Rookie of the Year.
3. Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
Last week: 10th (↑ 7)
It seems Boston Celtics rookie forward Jayson Tatum has broken out of his brief rookie slump. The All-Star Break looked to be a good time for Tatum to refocus.
After three straight losses before the break, the Celtics have won two games in a row. On the back end, Tatum’s contributions have been part of their newest streak. Tatum put up 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting (2-of-3 from 3-point land) in Boston’s 110-98 victory over the Detroit Pistons on Friday night.
On Saturday night, he filled up the stat sheet in the Celtics’ 121-112 victory over the New York Knicks. He had 11 points, five rebounds, four assists, four steals and a block to give Boston their 42nd victory of the season.
The Celtics are 42-19 currently and control their own destiny for the first seed in the East. If they can keep Tatum playing at a high level both ways, they could be the team to beat soon enough. In the process, Tatum could also find himself in talks for the Rookie of the Year award.
2. Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
Last week: 2nd (↔)
The Utah Jazz saw their winning streak end but found balance once again with a victory in their next game. The Portland Trail Blazers ended Utah’s 11-game winning streak on Friday night. They held the Jazz to 81 points in the loss, their lowest total since Dec. 20.
Rookie Donovan Mitchell still had 21 points on 8-of-20 shooting for the Jazz. However, he turned in an offensive rating of 86.2 and a defensive rating of 97.1, which fared well for Portland in the end.
Mitchell improved his overall rating the next game in Utah’s 97-90 victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Saturday night. His offensive rating was 100.8 and defensive rating was 80.5 in the victory.
He’s a guy who’s learning that playing well on both ends usually leads to better results for his squad. In victories, Mitchell has an offensive rating of 114.1 and a defensive rating of 98.1 with a net rating of +15.9. In losses, his offensive rating is 97.5 and defensive rating is 109.1 with a net rating of -11.6. It’s something to keep an eye on for him as team defense is an overall strength for the Jazz as an organization.
1. Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
Last week: 1st (↔)
Rookie point-forward Ben Simmons and the Philadelphia 76ers saw their seven-game winning streak end on Sunday night at the hands of the Washington Wizards. The loss came as Philadelphia put up just 94 points as a team. They put up 100 points or more in every game during their seven-game winning streak.
Simmons turned in a 122.2 defensive rating against a Wizards team who was without All-Star point guard John Wall. It wasn’t his best defensive performance, although he finished the game with 16 points, eight rebounds and eight assists.
Simmons set a new career-high in points with 32 in the Sixers’ 116-115 victory, including the game-winning bucket over the Chicago Bulls last Thursday night. He did it without attempting a 3-pointer, going 13-for-18 (72.2 percent) from the floor. He also recorded 11 assists to register his 23rd double-double of the season.
Philadelphia is 32-26 in the Eastern Conference, two spots behind Washington for the fourth in the playoff race. In fact, they’re a half-game behind the Milwaukee Bucks for sixth place and 1.5 games back of the Indiana Pacers for fifth place.
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As the playoff race heats up, look for Simmons to increase his level of play, as all eyes will be on him to win or lose the Rookie of the Year award.