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          NBA rookie surprises: Breakout skills and standout prospects

          • Mike SchmitzJan 8, 2021, 07:25 AM ET

          What has stood out from the NBA rookie class after the first few weeks of the regular season?

          These prospects have faced plenty of challenges getting acclimated, working against a long layoff combined with little time to get integrated with their new teams.

          But there have been plenty of pleasant surprises so far -- ranging from important skill development among the top picks to second-rounders earning rotation minutes.

          Here are the trends that display the most promise, both this season and in the long term.

          James Wiseman is ahead of schedule

          When James Wiseman made his NBA debut on Dec. 22 after not playing a competitive, televised 5-on-5 game in over a year, my expectations were low. I was intrigued by his long-term talent, but given the long layoff and the fact that foul trouble and decision making plagued him as a prep star, I expected considerable rust.

          But Wiseman is cementing himself as Golden State's center of the future, averaging 21.2 points, 11.1 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per 40 minutes through eight games while cashing 42% of his triples. Only two players have ever reached those per-40 marks over the course of a season before age 21 -- Shaquille O'Neal and Anthony Davis. It's early, but that's not a bad start.

          I underestimated just how much Wiseman's sheer physical gifts -- 7-1 with a huge frame, supreme fluidity and a 9-6 reach -- would overwhelm even NBA opponents. He couldn't be in a better situation, with teams putting two defenders on the ball in Stephen Curry pick-and-rolls and one of the best short-roll passers in the game in Draymond Green serving up lobs.

          While he has already surpassed my expectations, Wiseman is still searching for his identity on the floor. We saw that Wednesday night against the LA Clippers. When he sees a mid-post jumper or two go down, he stops rolling to the rim as hard and tends to float on the perimeter -- over-dribbling, settling for long 2s and losing his tenacity on the glass and on defense. His shooting potential is a blessing and a curse, as it can pull him away from the hard rolls that make him dynamic. While the Giannis Antetokounmpo-like grab-and-gos and the catch-and-shoot 3s have made great highlights, Wiseman is so much more effective when he's barreling down the lane, as the sheer threat of his lob catching opens up 3s for his teammates. Wiseman also has a long way to go in defending pick-and-roll and protecting the rim, so much so that the Clippers played him off the floor with their small lineup.

          But if Wiseman can embrace a peak DeAndre Jordan-type role -- while sprinkling in an occasional 3 and fake handoff drive -- the Warriors could have something special.

          LaMelo Ball's basketball instincts and improved shooting

          Ball's feel for rebounding never quite got the credit it deserved, until now. Through eight games, the jumbo point guard is averaging 8.7 boards per 40 minutes, ranking fifth among all point guards in rebound percentage, timing his jump perfectly to rip boards away from 6-10 bigs such as John Collins.

          And it's how he gets his hands on so many boards that has been eye-opening. Ball has an innate sense for reading the ball off the rim, beating opponents to spots to create extra possessions. When he doesn't come up with the offensive board, he's great at jamming the rebounder, either slowing the fastbreak or swiping the ball away for a steal.

          Now, Ball's tendency to go rogue and crash the offensive glass from anywhere has certainly thrown off Charlotte's transition defense. He also really struggles to contain dribble penetration. But his overall energy has been good, and he's turned into a defensive playmaker when he doesn't get caught ball watching.

          He already looks like one of the league's best passers, and ranks toward the middle of the pack among NBA point guards in assist-to-turnover ratio, ahead of Damian Lillard and Steph Curry. And for all the talk about his shooting, Ball is actually connecting on nearly 48% of his catch-and-shoot 3s. Some teams have even started running him off the line, opening up drive and kicks or feathery floaters.

          Ball still really needs to improve his defensive discipline, get stronger around the rim as a finisher and prove himself as a pull-up threat from deep. But he's fitting in with an exciting young Hornets group and impacting the game all over the floor. He is still my favorite to take home Rookie of the Year, potentially becoming the youngest player in NBA history to post a triple double in the process.

          Anthony Edwards' passing upside

          Edwards is far and away the most dynamic scorer in the rookie class, which he showed again Thursday night with a barrage of explosive drives and space creation moves you only see from NBA All-Stars. His combination of power and quickness can be devastating.

          Yet even with his poster dunks and pull-up 3s, I've been most intrigued by the glimpses he's shown as a passer so far this season. In his current role as a bench shot creator, Edwards has had enough ball-screen opportunities to show his court vision, improving pace and ambidextrous passing ability. We saw glimpses of it in transition at Georgia, but too many of his possessions ended in contested jump shots in the half court.

          Although his shot selection remains a major work in progress, Edwards is now regularly coming off of screens tight, keeping his defender on his hip and then hitting the roll man in stride, probing through the paint or whipping a pass to a shooter.

          He still needs to make quicker decisions and become a more efficient offensive player, but Edwards' vision suggests that he could ultimately function as a lead shot creator next to a more traditional PG, like we've seen from Donovan Mitchell and Victor Oladipo.

          While I was bullish on Ball as the best prospect in the draft, Edwards was a firm No. 2 for me. So long as he can find some stability with his jumper and decision making, he has everything necessary to become one of the most dynamic shot creators in the NBA someday.

          Tyrese Haliburton's range

          I'm tempted to write thousands of words about all the things the Iowa State guard does well on the court, from his passing to his off-ball defense. But it's the flashes of his Damian Lillard-esque shooting range that could make Haliburton a nightmare cover, mitigating some of the pre-draft concerns about his slight frame, lack of shift with the ball and overall ability to go get a bucket in pick-and-roll.

          While just two of his 13 made 3s have come from a different stratosphere, I'd expect that deep ball to come in handy even more with additional on-ball reps on the horizon if De'Aaron Fox is out for an extended period.

          We knew Haliburton would be a reliable off-ball shooter, as he proved to be one of the best spot-up shooters in college basketball. But he's now 5-for-8 on pull-ups through six games. His ability to tee up his long-range jumper from 30-plus feet when teams go under pick-and-roll is forcing teams to defend him with drops, which he's too skilled not to pick apart as a passer or scorer.

          It's true that Haliburton's camp tried to steer him away from certain organizations, but there are still several teams in the top 10 that simply said no thanks, particularly Phoenix and Detroit. If Haliburton ends up playing close to 30 minutes a night from here on out, he's right up there with Wiseman, Ball and Edwards in the Rookie of the Year mix.

          Isaac Okoro: Cleveland's iron man

          The No. 5 overall pick is impacting winning all over the floor, leading all rookies in minutes per game at 35.5. For reference, no other rookie is even logging 30 minutes a night, and the Cavs are 3-1 in games Okoro has played.

          Okoro's latest heroics came during a 39-minute effort against the Memphis Grizzlies in which his defensive activity and motor shined brighter than ever. With 33.5 seconds left in the game and the Cavs up 1, Tyus Jones looked like he had a clear look at a transition layup to take the lead when the Okoro came flying in for the block.

          He ultimately flushed home a game-sealing dunk on the next possession, capping off his best game of the season. After going 34-0 as a high school senior and 25-6 as the best player on Auburn last season, Okoro has a reputation of winning at every level and he's clearly carried that to Cleveland with his defensive versatility, toughness, explosiveness and all-around feel for the game. He looks like a perfect pick for this Cavs team.

          Deni Avdija: More than a spot-up shooter

          After a strong start to his NBA career, Avdija attempted just one shot in Wednesday's loss to the Sixers that saw 277 total points scored -- a half-court heave at the end of the first half. While that's expected to some extent for a rookie playing alongside a slew of talented scorers, Avdija mostly has been planted in the corner, with catch-and-shoot jumpers making up over 50% of his total shots. He has an eFG of 67.5% in those situations and is shooting just under 46% from distance on three attempts in 23.4 MPG, which is a huge plus.

          But a big part of Avdija's intrigue is his ability to function as a mismatch playmaker at close to 6-foot-10, getting downhill to his right hand in pick-and-roll to score or facilitate. He needs to be more aggressive in grab-and-go situations and improve greatly as a finisher at the rim. More reps with the second unit might be a good way to unlock some of Avdija's versatility, especially with Davis Bertans starting to get into a rhythm.

          Patrick Williams: The Kawhi development plan

          Patrick Williams is on the Kawhi Leonard rookie development plan -- fly around defensively and in transition, play to your strengths in the midrange and knock down open corner 3s. So far so good for the No. 4 overall pick, who is posting an 83.3% eFG on nine corner 3s with a 44.0% eFG on 2.78 mid-range pull-ups per game, according to Second Spectrum data.

          You have to credit Billy Donovan and his staff for allowing Williams to play his game as a midrange threat, even using him some in pick-and-roll. The key will be for Williams to continue building his game out and speed up his release from 3, but at 6-foot-8, 230 pounds with huge hands, long arms and great footwork, the 19-year-old's glimpses are impressive.

          Payton Pritchard's finishing

          Standing a modest 6-foot-2 with a 6-foot-4 wingspan, Pritchard is posting a 72.7% eFG on 2.44 shots per game in the restricted area, according to Second Spectrum data. With a strong handle, a sturdy base and an excellent change of pace, Pritchard is getting wherever he wants on the floor, and he's already employing a host of veteran tricks when he gets a piece of the paint.

          He's outstanding going from full speed to slow and under control, utilizing big-step, slow-down footwork to create finishing angles that wouldn't otherwise be there. He's also tremendous at utilizing his strong frame to get into the body of defenders, dislodging shot-blockers with subtle dips into the lower body. He has improved his floater since college, displays ambidextrous touch around the rim, uses fakes well and finishes high off the window with soft touch.

          On top of his finishing, Pritchard's playmaking has also exceeded expectations. More of a score-first guard at Oregon, he's doing a way better job of keeping his dribble alive and delivering one-handed passes on the move. It's rare to see rookie guards play this big of a big role on an upper-echelon playoff team.

          Kentucky guards thriving

          I was shocked Tyrese Maxey fell all the way to No. 21, so him shining off the bench for the Sixers is no surprise.

          But most people in NBA circles felt that Immanuel Quickley going No. 25 overall was a slight reach for the New York Knicks. Yet Quickley is thriving in a bench role thanks to his stellar shooting, strong playmaking, defensive energy and comfort playing with or without the ball. While the Knicks have long been searching for a guard of the future, could Quickley actually be the perfect fit alongside a more ball-dominant RJ Barrett? For years Quickley has been revered for his work ethic and approach to the game. That mentality is turning into production under coach Tom Thibodeau.

          Even with Kentucky's struggles this season, the NBA success of Wildcat guards in Maxey and Quickley will keep John Calipari's recruiting pitch as strong as ever.

          Wing shooters finding minutes

          Shotmaking wings such as Saddiq Bey, Desmond Bane, Devin Vassell and Jordan Nwora are carving out useful roles, all playing double-digit minutes and shooting over 45% from distance.

          Bey is fresh off a career-best 20 and 10 outburst against Milwaukee, converting over 46% of his 3s in more than 22 minutes a night on the season. Nwora, who is cashing 54% of his 3s, looks like he might be able to work his way into a regular rotation spot for the Bucks, which would prove to be excellent Year 1 value considering he was drafted No. 45. Vassell is just starting to hit stride, coming off a 12-point, 16-minute game in a win over the Clippers. And the 22-year-old Bane is averaging the seventh-most minutes among rookies, shooting 47% from distance on over 4.5 attempts per game while also showing off his feel for the game.

          Those percentages should regress a bit, but the main takeaway is positional size and shooting usually finds its way onto the floor.

          Precious Achiuwa's perimeter defense

          The 21-year-old rookie is settling into a key bench role for the Heat, averaging over 15 minutes per game as a switch-everything big with excellent feet to go with his 7-1 wingspan. Although it's a tiny sample, Achiuwa is allowing just 0.69 points per direct isolation (2.6 per game) so far this season, according to Second Spectrum data. He stonewalled Jayson Tatum on a few possessions on Wednesday night and has had glimpses of success against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Luka Doncic, and Brandon Ingram.

          Just like we saw during his freshman season at Memphis, Achiuwa looks more than comfortable switching positions 1-5 in a pinch. He's still learning the nuances of team defense, but Achiuwa could turn into a real option over the course of the season if coach Erik Spoelstra needs a long-armed, shutdown stopper.

          More intriguing rookies

          • Cole Anthony will clearly step into a bigger role now with Markelle Fultz out for the season. Kevin Pelton breaks down what that could look like here.

          • Second-round steal Theo Maledon continues to shine in a backup point guard role for the Oklahoma City Thunder, playing with the pick-and-roll pace of a veteran. Once a projected top-10 pick, the 6-5 Maledon uses his size extremely well and figures to be a great fit alongside Gilgeous-Alexander long-term.

          • Elite high school recruit and mid first-round pick Isaiah Stewart is thriving in an energy role for the Detroit Pistons. Stewart, a physical bulldozer, ranks fourth in the NBA in offensive rebound percentage behind only Jarrett Allen, Enes Kanter and Robert Williams. He's a load to deal with on the glass.

          • Now healthy, second-round pick Xavier Tillman looks poised to fill an energy role for the Grizzlies, adding value with his rebounding, defense, toughness and passing.

          • At age 29, Facundo Campazzo continues to earn more minutes in Denver thanks to his defensive toughness, floor game and standstill shooting. He's looking more and more like a key bench cog in a potential Nuggets playoff run.