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The NBA has announced the rosters for the non-existent Rising Stars Game this year, and while we may not see LaMelo Ball, Anthony Edwards, Zion Williamson, and Ja Morant all on the same team, we can only hope the league will make up for it. one way or another next year. The new format the league adopted in 2015, which went from rookies versus sophomores, to Team USA versus Team World, was meant to highlight all the international talent the league has seen entering the NBA in recent years.
However, this change in the roster of an entire squad full of rookies meant there would be notable snubs left on both rosters, which is exactly what has happened this season. Rookies like Immanuel Quickley, Saddiq Bey, Desmond Bane, and Patrick Williams have all been left out, and while that’s totally understandable given that the U.S. squad is absolutely stacked, it’s still a shame that some rookies who have terrific summer in the first half of the season will not get that honor.
The current format is a great idea because it shows how global basketball is, but it also keeps some of the league’s brightest from playing on a bigger stage. If anything, it just shows how many young talent the NBA has as a whole, which shows the league is in good hands for the future.
Now let’s move on to this week’s rookie rankings. These rankings will reflect a rookie’s performance on a weekly basis only, not the collective season, so they are not the Rookie of the Year rankings. With that sorted out, here’s a look at this week’s top rookies.
Ball had his second strongest game of the season when he scored 30 points against the Trail Blazers in a loss, in a performance where he also distributed eight assists and won four draws. He continues to impress in every game, as his passing game is way beyond what people expected, where he shows glimpses of being as creative a passer as his brother Lonzo, and his shooting efficiency. both in the field and at 3 points. the range has continued to improve this season.
He picked up Rookie of the Month honors for the second time this season, as he is clearly the Rookie of the Year favorite. Inserting him into the starting lineup gave the Hornets another offensive weapon alongside Gordon Hayward and Terry Rozier, making Charlotte one of the most exciting teams to watch this year.
Edwards had another ridiculous dunk this week, but what was most impressive about his three performances was his consistency. He had back-to-back 20-point games and a 19-point performance against Ball and the Hornets. The biggest hit is still its ineffectiveness, as it always hovers around 30 seconds deep and below 40% court. This is the time when Edwards is able to work on his shooting efficiency, so he is expected to experience growing pains, but Wolves are probably hoping he can eventually become a more efficient goalscorer at one. given time this season.
Quickley was snubbed from the Rising Stars roster, but when you look at who made the U.S. roster, and remember that includes rookies and sophomores, then that’s understandable. There were multiple rookies who would make the cut each year, but when Zion Williamson, Ja Morant, and Tyler Herro are also on the roster, that makes more sense. That aside, however, Quickley has had a big week, capped off with a 26-point performance in a loss to Spurs. He finished the game with a plus-minus -13, which is atypical for him given he has been so efficient this season, but it was also the second most minutes he has played this season, which is also a factor. As he continues to have more playing time, his effectiveness is likely to decline slightly, but that doesn’t take away from the fact that he always played a key role in the Knicks’ start to the season.
Lee is making the most of the continued increase in his playing time, as evidenced by a 20-point outing in a surprising win over the Raptors. His development over the past month has been the best part of the Pistons trading Derrick Rose as Detroit can now assess all of his young talents and allow these young players to grow up with more opportunities.
It’s fitting that Lee and Bey are side by side in the standings, as the Pistons have several young players who continue to impress. But as Lee goes up, Bey stumbled a little this week in her 3-point shot. He shoots 40% on the year and regularly spins 50% for pieces of the season, but in back-to-back games he’s shot 20% from beyond the arc. He combined to go 3-for-13 in a two-game streak against the Knicks and Raptors and was unable to find other effective ways to help the offense. It might just be an outlier, but when his shot doesn’t fall he’ll have to find other ways to influence the game.
The Celtics are 6-3 this season when Pritchard scores 10 or more points off the bench, and his 14 points have certainly come in handy in a close game against the Clippers this week. His contribution has been up and down all season, and he hasn’t been in the weekly rookie rankings since the start of the season, but very often he will have a performance like the one against the Clippers, where he went. 4- by 7 deep, that will show why he earned his place in the regular rotation for Boston.
Williams’ performance against Zion Williamson was certainly a revelation this week. Take a look at this:
Williams was thrown into the fire early in the season ahead of guys like Giannis and LeBron, and he was certainly outmatched. But watching how he was able to massage a tank from someone like Sion in this clip certainly shows improvement against bigger opponents. Just another reason why the Chicago selection of him is getting brighter by the day.
Tate has been excellent in offense for the Rockets this season, except behind the arc where he shoots 32% over the year. The Rockets are attempting the third most 3-per-game (42), but are last with a 3-point percentage (33.3%). If Houston is to continue this style of play, where 3-point shooting is heavily used, then guys like Tate are going to have to take those shots down. In a year of rebuilding, there is no better time for him to familiarize himself with the filming of this shot.
Bane was put to the test in Memphis’s game against the Clippers this week, having to check on both Kawhi Leonard and Paul George on different occasions. While this was sure to be a learning opportunity for him against a dominant LA side, Bane continued to work out and show small improvements throughout the game. His individual defense still has a long way to go, but he’s shown he’s a solid defender, which you can really expect from a rookie.
In an incredibly shocking victory over the Sixers, Okoro racked up 15 points, eight draws, three assists and three steals. It was his career record in points and rebounds, and probably closer to the performance the Cavaliers thought they were getting from him every night when they drafted him fifth overall. It’s a positive sign that he has the ability to score at a high level in this league, but now he has to build on that and become consistent.
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