NBA Rookie of the Year watch: Week 1
The NBA season made its return this Wednesday. Twenty-four teams and 22 rookies hit the floor to log their first season minutes.
All eyes were on Orlando Magic rookie and No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero when he made his debut Wednesday against the Pistons. The 6-foot-10, 250-pound Duke product punched home 27 points (11-18 FG) on top of nine rebounds, five assists and two blocks in only 35 minutes of play.
Banchero became just the fifth player since the NBA-ABA merger to tally at least 25 points, five rebounds and five assists in their pro debut. He joins Grant Hill, Willie Anderson, Ron Harper and most recently, Lebron James.
One of the most appealing things about Banchero coming into the draft was his “NBA-ready” frame. Scouts noted that Banchero would have a short adjustment period into the league thanks to his muscular build, but that period may be even shorter than anticipated based on his performances this week. While consistency in shooting the three has been an issue so far, there has been no lack of enthusiasm in shooting them.
Third-overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. also made an appearance for the Houston Rockets this week against the Atlanta Hawks. Coming into the draft, Smith was known for his athletic ability but more so for his ability to space the floor with his deadly shooting ability.
Smith dropped 17 points (6-17 FG, 3-11 3-pt FG), seven rebounds and an assist in 33 minutes of play. Through three games this season, the concern for Smith seems to be his efficiency, as his game is predicated on a high quantity of threes. Thankfully, this version of the Rockets is extremely young and still developing a culture and identity as a group. The window for Smith to find his groove leaves most fans hopeful for his future.
Through one week, it looks as though the Detroit Pistons have drafted their future. No. 5 pick Jaden Ivey and 13th overall pick Jalen Duren already have the making of a truly special frontcourt/backcourt duo. Ivey’s Ja Morant-esque style of play has allowed him to record over 17 points per game so far this season, with Duren dropping an additional nine on 58% field goal percentage.
And while Pistons fans are hopeful for their two future stars, the Indiana Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin has begun building his own resume for Rookie of the Year honors.
Mathurin has been on an absolute tear offensively to start the season off, averaging 24 points per game on a blistering 52.4% from three and 52.1% from the field. Yes — Mathurin is shooting sligthly better from the three than he is from the field so far this season.
On an Indiana Pacers team that many consider to be in the midst of tanking, Mathurin has been given the opportunity, as a rookie, to take on a larger role on a team currently in the process of revitalizing its roster.
What some originally wrote off as empty stats, Mathurin is proving the result of hard work. The rookie has been on fire since averaging 19 points in the summer league and seems to be steadily improving during his (extremely) short tenure in the league.
With No. 2 overall pick Chet Holmgren being out for the Thunder this season, the race has become more open for the rest of the insanely talented 2022 class, as individuals are already beginning to distinguish themselves among their peers.
Julian Richardson is a senior majoring in broadcast journalism To contact him, please email jjr6186@psu.edu.
