Memphis Grizzlies rookie Cameron Boozer is No. 1 on the first TalkBasket.net NBA Rookie Ladder, published Wednesday, narrowly ahead of Golden State Warriors rookie Yaxel Lendeborg. The ranking covers games through Nov. 3.
Boozer is averaging 17.7 points, 10.3 rebounds and 5.6 assists through seven games, according to Basketball-Reference. He is the only rookie in the top 10 averaging double-digit rebounds. Memphis is 6-1, the best record of any team with a rookie on the list.
Lendeborg is averaging 21.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 3.9 assists through eight games. He scored 37 points on 13-of-19 shooting, including six 3-pointers, in Golden State’s 124-112 win over the Los Angeles Clippers on Sunday. It was the most points by a Warriors rookie since Stephen Curry. Golden State is 5-3.
The gap between the two is small. Boozer’s score is 0.696 and Lendeborg’s is 0.688, so one strong week could change the order.
Sacramento Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. is third, and Chicago Bulls rookie Caleb Wilson is fourth. Sacramento and Chicago are each 1-6.
Washington Wizards rookie AJ Dybantsa is fifth, with Washington at 4-3. San Antonio Spurs rookie Trevon Brazile is sixth.
The ladder is TalkBasket.net’s own rating. It combines a rookie’s production, his role and how his team is doing, and it ranks the 10 best rookies each week.
The next ladder will be published Monday, Nov. 9. See the full top 10 and the stats behind it.
