16. Sophomore encore
The draft class of 2018 produced some of the best collective rookie numbers in history. Never before had all top-five picks been selected for the All-Rookie First Team until last year and the Rookie of the Year race didn’t even include No. 1 overall pick Deandre Ayton, who averaged 16.3 points and 10.3 rebounds per game.
Luka Doncic grabbed the award from the get-go and never looked back despite a spirited push from Trae Young. Marvin Bagley III and Jaren Jackson Jr. flashed their various skill sets from the power forward spot. Mitchell Robinson, a little-known second-round pick, is tops in win shares among his draft mates at 6.1.
The list of notable rookies is truly long, from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander to Kevin Huerter and plenty more. It’s a class that checks all the boxes, with multiple future All-Stars and potential superstars along with those less talented but still more than capable of contributing at a high level.
No matter their ceiling, the NBA world is buzzing at the prospects of these young studs with a pinch of experience under their belt.
Headlined by Zion Williamson, the pending rookie class is sure to generate plenty of hype. Given how well they manage as rookies themselves, however, the focus should be on those a year ahead and the sizable steps they are likely to take having already shown us so much in such a small period.