Injuries, inconsistency, and lack of minutes have been the story for most NBA rookies so far. 

However, there are a few first year players currently in a very nice rhythm.

  • Detroit’s Cade Cunningham (#1 pick) and Golden State’s Jonathan Kuminga (#7 pick) have yet to make their NBA debuts. Cunningham is dealing with a right ankle sprain while Kuminga recovers from a patellar tendon strain in his right knee.
  • Houston’s Jalen Green (#2 pick), Orlando’s Jalen Suggs (#5 pick), and OKC’s Josh Giddey (#6 pick) are currently off to slow starts shooting the ball. Green & Giddey are shooting just over 30%, and Suggs is in the low 20’s. Despite the early inconsistency, all three guards will play starter minutes and get to learn from their mistakes every game.
  • Sacramento’s Davion Mitchell (#9 pick) and New Orleans’ Trey Murphy III (#17 pick) had productive preseasons on both ends, which earned them rotation spots off the bench. The minutes have been there so far in the regular season, they just need to find a rhythm on offense (Mitchell- 14.3% FG, Murphy III- 33.3% FG) because we already know about their high level defense.
  • Charlotte’s James Bouknight (#11 pick), Indiana’s Isaiah Jackson (#22 pick), Denver’s Bones Hyland (#26 pick), and Brooklyn’s Cam Thomas (#27 pick) showed off impressive skills during preseason as well, but are now out of the rotation for the regular season.
  • Indiana’s Chris Duarte (#13 pick) has played like the NBA’s best rookie through 2 games. The 24-year-old is averaging 21.0 PPG/4.5 RPG/3.0 APG/1.0 SPG on 52.9% from three point range in 2 starts. 
  • Cleveland’s Evan Mobley (#3 pick), Toronto’s Scottie Barnes (#4 pick), and Orlando’s Franz Wagner (#8 pick) are just behind Duarte at the moment. All three are starting for their clubs, as Mobley is putting up numbers of 15.0 PPG/7.0 RPG/4.0 APG/1.5 SPG/1.5 BPG, Barnes averages 18.5 PPG/11.0 RPG/1.5 APG, and Wagner has tallied 14.0 PPG/4.0 RPG/1.0 APG/1.0 BPG.