This NBA 2024 season has been particularly fruitful for the rookies, as many are living up to their initial expectations, even succeeding them so far. A lot of them have been earning the trust of their respective teams, being able to play more minutes, gaining the confidence of their teammates and coaching staff, and already starting to consolidate as a central piece for the roster. Here are our top three:
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Jaime Jaquez Jr. – Miami Heat
The most surprising rookie is by far “Triple J” as he’s been showing unreal improvement with the Miami Heat. He could not have landed in a better place to develop his skills as a new NBA player, as the team, the organization as a whole, and even the fanbase are incredibly beneficial for him, confirming that the Heat Culture is proficient at player development. His lethal playstyle has advanced massively on both ends of the court, especially in offensive drives and post-up scoring, polishing his movements and stepping up when needed the most.
2023-2024 Stats so far: 14.0 PTS, 3.9 REB, 2.7 AST, 51.3 FG%, 13.8 PER
Victor Wembanyama – San Antonio Spurs
The 2023 number one overall pick is displaying excellent basketball level every night. Not only has he become the most important player of his team, the San Antonio Spurs, but he is also adapting well to the NBA, showing constant improvement in every aspect of his game, especially in offense and rim protection. However, his team is having a lousy season thus far, lacking a lot of chemistry and experience overall. They are young and extremely talented, yet have a long way to go if they actually want to contend. But Wemby is unsurprisingly living up to the expectations individually.
2023-2024 Stats so far: 19.9 PTS, 10.1 REB, 2.9 AST, 46.2 FG%, 21.1 PER
Chet Holmgren – Oklahoma City Thunder
Similarly, Chet could not have been in a better place to make the most of his skills as a young center. Oklahoma City’s roster is pretty energetic, talented, and explosive. Despite missing the entire 2022-2023 NBA season, Holmgren looks more polished than ever in his first year, being an indisputable starter and providing tremendous amounts of value to OKC. His mobility, agility, and overall swiftness have been astonishing so far, exploiting his skills in the paint while also showing versatility all around. Being on one of the best teams in the entire league right now is truly beneficial for him.
2023-2024 Stats so far: 17.3 PTS, 7.2 REB, 2.8 AST, 54.2 FG%, 20.6 PER
While the NBA 2024 Rookie Of the Year award is going to go to either Chet or Wemby, as there is a clear gap between them and the other rookies, all three of them have shown spectacular improvement and unreal performances thus far, adapting pretty quickly to an ever-challenging NBA environment and being valuable to their team.
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text sources: nba.com
