Last week, we highlighted five NBA rookies who have made a mark on the season in one way or another.
Naturally, there are more rookies to discuss, even if they are a smidge further away than the first group, or simply don’t project to reach similar heights.
So, here are five more names that deserve your attention.
Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies, 9th overall pick
At 7-foot-4, and with a 300-pound frame, Edey occupies a ton of space near the basket on both ends of the court, which is reflected in his 9.1 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. In addition, he’s canning 57.3% of his shots. Oh, and he’s doing all of that in just 20.5 minutes per game.
Some pre-draft concerns, such as lacking foot speed and being too big to effectively guard in space, still have some merit, but that seems more insignificant by the day considering how efficient the Canadian is.
Edey might not have All-NBA-type upside, but there’s absolutely a world where he could become a no-nonsense, 30-minute starter who averages close to an effective 18/10 line down the road.
Matas Buzelis, Chicago Bulls, 11th overall pick
Buzelis might deserve to be in the primary rookie group, exclusively due to his upside and relentless motor. But quite simply, we haven’t seen enough consistency out of him yet.
That doesn’t mean the talent isn’t there, as the highly athletic 6-10 wing is seemingly unearthing new skills every month, which is about the only bright spot the Bulls have this season. His 6.5 points and 2.9 rebounds in just over 15 minutes speak to Buzelis becoming a quality per-minute producer. There’s an argument to be had that the local Chicagoan could have one of the biggest Year 2 leaps of anyone in this class.
With Zach LaVine now elsewhere, and the Bulls turning ever so slightly into a new direction, it’s time to unleash Buzelis for the remainder of the season. It’d be borderline malpractice if he isn’t playing 25 minutes per game the rest of the way. Head coach Billy Donovan needs to explore the limits of his rookie’s game so the team knows what it can expect moving forward.
Carlton “Bub” Carrington, Washington Wizards, 14th overall pick
At just 19 years of age, Carrington has come into a situation where he has started 39 games and is producing a healthy all-around line of 9.1 points, 4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game as one of the primary guards on the team.
His efficiency (52.8 TS%) may not stand out, but that’s to be expected when he’s playing on a team with many young players and a roster that’s overall, well, just not that good. At the very least, Carrington is producing and seeing a ton of minutes to ready himself for what should be a long career.
At 6-4, Carrington is a big guard who’s active on the glass, and he’s refined his playmaking as the season has progressed. It’s unclear if he’s a genuine point guard, or more of a combo, but that isn’t much of an issue as long as he receives opportunities in the open floor, which should be a given, especially now that Kyle Kuzma is in Milwaukee.
Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat, 15th overall pick
In terms of raw potential, Ware is up there. When you’re a 7-foot lob threat with 3-point range, you become interesting. When you add in shot-blocking and quality rebounding, you become outright intriguing.
The 20-year-old hasn’t played a lot — specifically just 783 minutes over the course of 40 games — and that needs to be rectified by Year 2, even if the Heat can at times be stubborn about playing their young guys. He might not get the chance this season due to Miami needing to make the postseason to avoid forking over a 2026 unprotected first-round pick to Oklahoma City.
Long term, though, Ware looks not just like a keeper, but one who could turn into a special player. He’s young and still somewhat undisciplined, but that just means the likelihood of Miami being the right place for him is fairly high.
Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans, 21st overall pick
The Pelicans are in a position where they need to think about making a drastic turn from an organizational perspective. Good for them, then, that Missi fell into their laps at No. 21, providing New Orleans with a center who could start for the next decade.
At 6-11, and with a high motor, Missi is averaging 8.4 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game, while playing a defensive-oriented brand of ball that’s easy to plug into most lineups. He isn’t much of a self-creator, but has shown signs of being patient in the post, knowing when to shoot and when to reset the offense.
Whether Missi has star upside, or if he becomes a healthy version of Mitchell Robinson, remains to be seen, but his mature game, and workhorse mentality, is essentially a failsafe. If he’s healthy, he’ll have a productive career, even if he tops out as a decent starter. For a Pelicans team in need of value, they hit a home run late in the draft.
The best of the rest
Dalton Knecht, Lakers: Mature bucket-getter who is bound to have a few seasons where he’s flirting with a 20-point average.
Ron Holland, Pistons: Rim-pressuring youngster who is one reliable 3-point shot from being a three-level scorer. Solid rebounder, and surprisingly fluid positionally.
Donovan Clingan, Trail Blazers: Elite rebounder who’s still a developing scorer and frustratingly not getting steady minutes. Come on, Portland!
Tristan da Silva, Magic: High-IQ, low-mistake player. Constantly ready to shoot off the catch, and extremely willing to play off superior teammates.
Ryan Dunn, Suns: Formidable defensive prospect who somehow developed a 3-point shot out of nowhere. Should have a long NBA career.
