Latest ranking (All stats through Monday, Nov. 4) 1. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies Season stats: 11.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.9 bpg Draft pick: No. 9 Call it recency bias, but it’s been very good to the 7-foot-4 replacement for Steven Adams. Edey had his best game yet Monday – 25 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks in 29 minutes at Brooklyn – for a second consecutive double-double. His fit in Memphis’ system under Taylor Jenkins suggests big things, and premature comparisons to Yao Ming, by way of Canada rather than China, aren’t out of line. 2. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards Season stats: 10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.8 apg Draft pick: No. 14 Carrington and teammate Kyshawn George earned compliments from Golden State Warriors stalwart Draymond Green for their energy and edge Monday in D.C. The 6-foot-4 point guard from Pitt — whose actual first name “Carlton” makes him sound like a Grey Poupon devotee — had 16 points, eight boards and seven assists that night. He is averaging just 1.3 turnovers, too, while hitting 50% of his shots from 16 feet out to the new-to-him NBA arc. 3. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies Season stats: 9.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.9 apg Draft pick: No. 39 In the tradition of GG Jackson II, a midseason surprise in 2023-24, the Grizzlies found a second-rounder who looks like a keeper. When Marcus Smart (ankle) got hurt, Wells went from 8.2 ppg in 20.5 minutes to three starts, 35 minutes nightly and 12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg. He’s a proud Washington State product in the footsteps of Craig Ehlo, Malachi Flynn and Klay Thompson. 4. Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns Season stats: 6.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.9 apg Draft pick: No. 28 Dunn’s early work as a D-and-three guy — the Suns’ priorities for him in that order — has Phoenix excited about his fit on that star-laden, 6-1 team. In his two starts, he averaged 14.5 points and sank seven of 13 from the arc. 5. Alexandre Sarr, Washington Wizards Season stats: 9.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.8 bpg Draft pick: No. 2 Top rebounder in this class, Sarr thinks the lights are coming on in terms of picking his moments and finding his spots. Having Jonas Valančiūnas around to handle more rugged matchups helps while the athletic rookie adds strength. Strong starts by fellow Wizards rookies Carrington and George have helped ease the spotlight. The Next 5: 6. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks Season stats: 9.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.1 apg Draft pick: No. 1 No star born yet but among rookies, he’s fourth in minutes per game, second in usage, first in shots. 7. Jonathan Mogbo, Toronto Raptors Season stats: 6.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.9 apg Draft pick: No. 31 The first pick of Round 2 ranks in the rookie Top 10 in points, rebounds, assists. 8. Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers Season stats: 7.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.0 apg Draft pick: No. 17 “Sir Charles” ripped NBA GMs for letting arguably the Draft’s best perimeter shooter (47.4 FG%, 37.5% on 3-pointers) fall to Lakers. 9. Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors Season stats: 6.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 4.8 apg Draft pick: No. 45 On-the-job trainee committed to playmaking and defensive disruption. 10. Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic Season stats: 8.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 apg Draft pick: No. 10 “Da Silva lining” since Paolo Banchero went down: Three games, 85 minutes, 33 points, 13 rebounds. https://www.nba.com/news/kia-rookie-ladder-november-6-2024-edition
Weekly recap • McCain is the fifth Sixers rookie to string together five games of at least 20 points, joining Joel Embiid, Allen Iverson, Jerry Stackhouse and … Lee Shaffer? For the uninitiated, Shaffer was ACC Player of the Year at North Carolina, a 6-foot-7 forward who averaged 16.9 and 18.6 points in his first two seasons. Shaffer suffered a broken leg that limited him to 41 games in 1963-64, but what shortened his NBA career was an offer from his college roommate to become part owner in a petroleum transport company in Chapel Hill. The prospect of a comeback was legit enough that his rights were included in the trade package to San Francisco (Golden State) that brought Wilt Chamberlain back to Philadelphia in January 1965. • Movement summary: Four rookies moved up or onto the Ladder this week, while six slipped or dropped off their rung entirely. Welcome, Donovan Clingan, who makes his first appearance. • It’s way early, but so far five of the top 10 picks in June have yet to show up here: Reed Shepperd (No. 3), Ron Holland II (5), Tidjane Salaün (6), Rob Dillingham (8) and Cody Williams (10). Storyline to watch Stephon Castle is on the rise. The San Antonio guard’s eight double-figure scoring games have come in the Spurs’ nine most recent games — all since assistant Mitch Johnson stepped in for ailing coach Gregg Popovich. And with franchise guy Victor Wembanyama sidelined the past two games, Castle developed a nice chemistry with backup big Charles Bassey. Castle and the Spurs have two games this week vs. Utah, sandwiched around an NBA Cup game against Golden State on Saturday at home. Latest ranking (All stats through Tuesday, Nov. 19) 1. Jared McCain, Philadelphia 76ers Season stats: 15.2 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 2.5 apg Last Ladder: No. 5 Draft pick: No. 16 McCain’s big jump in the Ladder came from big contributions. His production over the past week — 27.7 ppg, 50.8 FG%, 19.7 shots nightly, 10.7 of them from the arc — is right in line with Maxey’s work in his seven games before his injury. Additionally, his 27.3% usage rate ranks higher than Devin Booker’s and LeBron James’. 2. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies Season stats: 11.5 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.6 apg Last Ladder: No. 1 Draft pick: No. 39 Wells has said he hasn’t had a “Welcome to the NBA” moment yet — which is a good thing, since those often are slaps of reality for a first-year player – and slipping a rung this week certainly doesn’t qualify. Injuries open opportunities for rookies, but rookies also can be surprising first responders when a team’s veterans are beset with ailments. 3. Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers Season stats: 11.3 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 1.1 apg Last Ladder: Not ranked Draft pick: No. 17 For the record, Knecht was the preseason prediction of the Ladder committee (me) to win the Kia Rookie of the Year award from a wide-open Draft class. Just 72 hours before his 37-point barrage Tuesday, he scored 27 at New Orleans. And his rise has coincided with the Lakers’ six-game winning streak. Said Lakers big man Anthony Davis Tuesday: “He can do more than just shoot. But he’s really good at shooting the basketball. We get mad at him when he don’t shoot.” 4. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks Season stats: 12 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.4 apg Last Ladder: No. 4 Draft pick: No. 1 Defined role, consistent minutes, inconsistent shooting for the Hawks forward. After hitting six of 10 3-pointers against the Knicks, he made only one in 19 tries across the next five games before Monday’s 3-of-5 at Sacramento. He has been good at the line, sinking 11 of his last 13 in three games. 5. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies Season stats: 11.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.0 bpg Last Ladder: No. 2 Draft pick: No. 9 He did not play vs. the Nuggets Tuesday after spraining his left ankle against the same foe Sunday. The initial prognosis was “week to week” for the 7-foot-4 center. He averaged 11 points, eight rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game in three games. The Next 5: 6. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs Season stats: 9.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 3.5 apg Last Ladder: No. 10 Draft pick: No. 4 Tips from LeBron James on Friday, big block of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander on Tuesday. 7. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards Season stats: 10.4 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 5 apg Last Ladder: No. 3 Draft pick: No. 14 Only member of the Class of 2024 averaging 30+ minutes, boosting his counting stats. 8. Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans Season stats: 6.7 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.1 bpg Last Ladder: No. 8 Draft pick: No. 21 The Pelicans’ best center so far is called “a sponge” by teammate Brandon Ingram for his learning. T-10. Alexandre Sarr, Washington Wizards Season stats: 9.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg, 2.1 bpg Last Ladder: No. 7 Draft pick: No. 2 Lights come on, training wheels off — in spurts. Like this and this. T-10. Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns Season stats: 6.9 ppg, 2.6 rpg, 0.6 apg Last Ladder: No. 6 Draft pick: No. 28 Guarding top scorers can be a thankless job, especially in a losing streak. T-10. Donovan Clingan, Portland Trail Blazers Season stats: 5.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 2.1 bpg Last Ladder: Not ranked Draft pick: No. 7 The defensive difference-maker came within two blocks of a triple-double (17-12-8) vs. Timberwolves.
