Although it was initially believed that the freshman class of 2022 He could have fewer numbers than in previous years, but the passing of the games helped dispel that belief. This month of November some solid candidates for the Rookie of the Year.
Some of them are even starting to look like the best franchise values under reconstruction and others to comply key roles in teams at the top of the standings.
MORE | The MVP race: November’s best-of-the-best rankings
A month after the start of the course, some clear trends begin to appear. For this reason, his wording Sports news choose his five favorites for Rookie of the Year ended in the month of October. The grading system is very simple: 1st gets 5 points. the 2nd, 4; and so on.
Click here to see the votes and positions
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5 – Jaylen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)
The 12th pick of the last Draft is confirmed as a guard to be considered in OKC’s rebuilding project. Fast, reactive and with great penetration Williams sneaks into this particular ranking thanks to his consistency.
The former Santa Clara player has been a pretty interesting bench scorer in Mark Daigneault’s schemes, taking advantage of sharing the court with Gilgeous-Alexander and Giddey.
And it is that Williams knows how to wait for his moment to attack from outside to inside, but he has also left good feelings when he has the ball in his hands. With about 3 possessions a night as a creator on instant lock occupies it 62nd percentile overall in the leaguea, a positive but still limited trend. The big question with him is whether he can develop a reliable jump shot and outside shot, after shooting 26.3 percent this November.
4 – Jabari Smith (Houston Rockets)
The level of play of the No. 2 pick of the last Draft is much higher than his averages and success rates indicate. Smith is a gem and is slowly proving it. The pearl of Houston is still very much green enough to be able to compete in the same category as Banchero, Ivey or Mathurin, but the trend is upward, and this November is the confirmation.
In the last 6 games he played, he always finished in double figures in scoring, including two game streaks of 22 and 21 points. He has gradually adapted to the physical level of the NBA and this can be seen in his defensive application, in the search for contact and in the amount of rebounds he records.
It still depends heavily on foreign traffic for production and averages just one 31% pass in their departments at the hoop, but his entire game inspires optimism.
3 – Jaden Ivey (Detroit Pistons)
Given the indefinite fall said Cunningham It has fallen to Jaden Ivey to take much of the creative responsibility on some inexplicable Pistons. Third highest scoring rookie this month November on pace 16.5 points It is also the ultimate helper with 4.6 baskets per night.
Just the absence of who was called upon to be the team’s game director serves to verify that while Ivey knows how to handle the ball well, he is not a pure point guard.
A fact that does not diminish at all, because what really shines is in his strengths. Ivey is the rookie who has the most leads averaged 12.5 per game and achieving a fairly high success rate (46.8%)better than Dejounte Murray or Fred VanVleet without further ado.
2 – Paolo Bansero (Orlando Magic)
The big contender to win Rookie of the Year had competition, and pretty strong too. The number 1 of the last Draft he should give the best version of himself even despite the loss of Chet Holmgren. Currently, banker It has proven to be everything it was expected to be, which is no small feat.
A natural player, ready for the NBA and able to make an impact from the get-go. But also with some shortcomings that will take some time to correct. For example, he sins when it comes to taking some shots from long range, and his success reflects that (25% in November). While, The suspension isn’t much better either, shooting 34.7% from 2 and 20.8% from three.
Beyond that, Banchero is a unique scorer. He can reach double figures with almost no apparent effort, he’s active on defense and manages to fit into a system where he’s not the primary target, which has its value. His career has a high ceiling whether he wins the award or not.
1 – Benedict Maturin (Indiana Pacers)
The Pacers’ young figure is causing a sensation. The number 6 of the last Draft was already warned in the first days of the match, but not just a joke, he continued his excellent performance. So much so, that Mathurin gets the honor of being unanimously voted the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year by the NBA draft Sports news.
And it’s not for less. This month of November the shooting guard is average 18.2 points on 42.7% shooting from the field, including 40.9% from three. Maturin is a scoring machine, and along with Halliburton, the former NBA Academy player has the perfect ally.
Its verticality and direct fit make it a solid contender to win the award. It remains to be seen if he can extend this moment long enough.
votes and positions
| pos. | Player | Points |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benedict Mathurin | twenty |
| two | Paolo Bansero | 16 |
| 3 | Jaden Ivey | 12 |
| 4 | Jabari Smith | 4 |
| 5 | Jaylen Williams | 3 |
Others who received votes: AJ Griffin (1), Walker Kessler (1)
voting
| pos. | Sergio Rabinal (@S_Rabinal) | Leandro Fernandez (@FernandezLea) | Augustine Aboy (@AboyAgustin) | Juan Esteves (@JuanEstevez90) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Benedict Mathurin | Benedict Mathurin | Benedict Mathurin | Benedict Mathurin |
| two | Paolo Bansero | Paolo Bansero | Paolo Bansero | Paolo Bansero |
| 3 | Jaden Ivey | Jaden Ivey | Jaden Ivey | Jaden Ivey |
| 4 | Jabari Smith | Jaylen Williams | Keegan Murray | AJ Griffin |
| 5 | Walker Kessler | Jabari Smith | Jabari Smith | Jaylen Williams |
The views expressed here do not necessarily represent those of the NBA or its organizations.
