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ESPN Senior Writer- Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series
- Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers
- Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system
When we last checked in on this season's rookie class, Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren and San Antonio Spurs phenom Victor Wembanyama had separated themselves at the top. From that perspective, not much has changed as we make our way toward Christmas.
However, further down the rankings there has been plenty of movement, as some unexpected names are having a big impact early in this 2023-24 NBA season. All season, ESPN's Bobby Marks and Kevin Pelton will be checking in on first-year players -- including Holmgren, who is eligible for Rookie of the Year after missing his first season in the NBA due to injury -- and ranking their top 10.
Let's break down what we've seen from rookies so far this season.
1.
Pelton: Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Predictably, Holmgren hasn't stayed as hot from the perimeter as he was during the season's first month. After making 46% of his 3-point attempts through our first rankings, Holmgren has hit just 30% since. That hasn't stopped him from continuing to make an impact in the paint at both ends, particularly on defense. His 10 shots defended per game inside five feet according to Second Spectrum tracking on NBA Advanced Stats rank third in the league. As a result, I recently made the case that Holmgren should be the first rookie All-Star since Blake Griffin in 2010-11 based on his performance to date.