Some NBA analysts think Reddish has the brightest future among the trio of Duke rookies, including Williamson and Barrett.
8 seed in the West, but they’ll have plenty of company fighting for the final playoff spot. After going undrafted in 2018 and spending a season in the NBA G League, Nunn emerged with a strong NBA Summer League and didn’t slow down once handed the reins ahead of the 33-year-old Goran Dragic. A walking mismatch nightmare on the offensive end, Porter adds size, shooting, and athleticism to any lineup. Despite all that, Clarke was widely identified as a top sleeper after a historically dominant two-way season at Gonzaga.
Last edition: No. Barrett might have had the toughest task of any rookie in the league: to act as a high-usage offensive creator for one of the worst teams in the NBA at 19 years old. In 59 games, the point guard finishes 2nd among rookies in scoring (17.6 ppg) and first in assists (6.8 apg) while shooting 49.1% overall and 36.7% on 3-pointers.
For Garland to improve his scoring efficiency from his 49.8 true shooting percentage, he’ll have to find a way to become a better finisher at the rim (46.8 percent) or blossom into one of the league’s elite shooters. Herro is a natural fit playing next a dominant ball handler like Davis bet on himself when he decided to decline the chance to be a second-round pick on a two-way deal to instead work towards a guaranteed contract at summer league as an undrafted free agent.
The 6’6 forward was drafted at No. The Heat drafted Herro at No. Morant is a threat to put his defender on a poster with every drive, with his ambitious missed dunks becoming just as memorable as the ones he converted. There’s nothing particularly flashy about his game, but having a steady two-way forward with length (7’2 wingspan) and the ability to stretch the floor is bound to make Washington a valuable piece for a long time. Taken at No.
Morant is a lock to win Rookie of the Year, and he absolutely deserves it. Obviously, he had the ups and downs and sometimes you’re put in a position where you’re not allowed to show your entire game as part of the NBA, I feel like a lot of guys are going through that. Memphis has itself a new star to build around. White had an up-and-down season, but finished strong, becoming one of the most promising breakout guards of this class. With each new NBA season there are always dozens of fascinating plotlines to follow aside from who will be the last team left standing. Whether White ultimately ends up as Chicago’s point guard of the future or settles into a sixth-man role, he looks like he has both a high floor and high ceiling as a microwave scorer.
He also had some impressive defensive moments putting his 7’1 wingspan to use — his 1.9 steal rate was the highest of any player drafted in the lottery. Still, there were some moments of promise, like a The Hawks took Hunter at No. The undrafted rookie gave the Heat a scoring option and helped lead them to a 41-24 record, something he mentions in his ROY case. We use cookies and other tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience on our site, show personalized content and targeted ads, analyze site traffic, and understand where our audiences come from. Williamson finishes the season averaging 23.6 ppg and 6.8 rpg while shooting 58.9%. The scariest thing is he was still playing himself into shape and figuring out how to best leverage his talents as he was doing it.
A 6’11 center with a 7’3 wingspan, Hayes runs the floor like a guard and has a rare combination of coordination and touch. 12 overall pick.
The Pelicans drafted him at No. 2 pick out of Murray State was electrifying yet composed.
His playmaking was a bit underwhelming, finishing with an 18.5 percent assist rate while averaging 4.5 assists per-36 minutes. He didn’t get to the free-throw line consistently and often failed to make his teammates better as a passer. Fortunately, Morant has welcomed all challenges in his rookie season and proven he won’t back down.