Nearly a third of the way through the NBA season, we’re beginning to learn who teams and players truly are. This extends to the rookies — some are carving consistent roles on good teams, some are popping occasionally and some are hitting rookie roadblocks. Our third rookie ladder of the season will discuss these changes (to jog your brain, here’s our second ladder).
2024-25 NBA Rookie Ladder Tiers
As a reminder, this list evaluates rookies as they currently are, not how we project them going forward. Focus more on the tier placements than the individual placements. All rookies playing over 15 minutes per game will be included on the ladder.
*Currently injured
**Currently on G League assignment
Impact NBA Rotation Player
- Jared McCain
- Jaylen Wells
- Donovan Clingan*
- Zach Edey*
- Stephon Castle
- Dalton Knecht
Positive Play By Rookie Standards
- Kyle Filipowski
- Alex Sarr*
- Zaccharie Risacher
- Yves Missi
- Pelle Larsson*
- Jonathan Mogbo
- Ajay Mitchell
- Oso Ighodaro
- Carlton Carrington
Flashes/Inconsistent Play
- Ron Holland
- Ryan Dunn
- Tristan Da Silva
- Kyshawn George
- Isaiah Collier**
- Ja’Kobe Walter
- Tidjane Salaun*
- Keaton Wallace**
- Cody Williams**
Jared McCain
I nearly moved McCain into a tier of his own, as he’s continued his strong play even with a dip in recent usage. He’s still leading all rookies in Estimated Plus-Minus (plus-0.8), usage rate (25.1 percent) and per-game scoring (15.8 points).
With all three of the Philadelphia 76ers’ top players healthy, McCain effortlessly scales down into a complementary role. He’s capable of spacing the floor, cutting and moving off the ball while helping anchor bench units. McCain is the Rookie of the Year favorite for a reason. It’s still early, but this top spot is McCain’s to lose.
Jaylen Wells
Through the first act of the NBA season, Jaylen Wells has been a rotation mainstay for one of the league’s best teams. He’s currently ranked third in EPM (minus-0.3), seventh in minutes per game (24.8) and tied for first in games played (25). Wells started 20 of those 25 games for the Memphis Grizzlies, earning head coach Taylor Jenkins’ trust with his strong play.
Wells extends beyond the garden variety rookie 3-and-D wing, playing with the confidence of an NBA veteran. He’s a decisive player who makes quick decisions off of the catch and can put the ball on the floor to score and pass. His efficiency (57.8 percent true shooting) and high volume 3-point shooting (38.3 percent, 6.7 attempts per 75 possessions) are impressive for a rookie.
jaylen wells is hooping with some mighty impressive confidence. so much more willing to dribble and make decisions than many rookies are pic.twitter.com/lNuxkam5kp
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) December 4, 2024
Memphis trusts Wells on the defensive end, asking him to check primary handlers, including Luka Doncic and Jayson Tatum. His consistency on both ends deserves ample praise. Two-way wings must be able to handle more than just spot-up shooting in the modern NBA and Wells looks like he’ll fit that bill in due time.
Zaccharie Risacher
Risacher has seen a consistent uptick in offensive responsibility as the year continues. He’s still quite inefficient on the entire season sample (49 percent true shooting, 27.6 percent on threes), but he’s progressing nicely as of late and has scored at least 10 points in 11 of his past 14 games, including six games with two-plus triples.
Even when shots don’t fall, his confidence with the ball doesn’t waver. Risacher has been most impressive on defense to this point, contributing to the Atlanta Hawks’ eighth-ranked defense over the last two weeks, per Cleaning the Glass. His agility and versatile perimeter defense are as strong as advertised, and he’s as cerebral as teenage wing defenders come.
Once his 3-point shot normalizes, he should continue to prove himself a useful rotation wing for a surging Hawks team. His scoring off the dribble will play a major part in determining his eventual ceiling, but Risacher is contributing early to winning, even if not at the level of most No. 1 picks.
Oso Ighodaro
Ighodaro reached the minutes threshold for the ladder on the back of his solid play in recent weeks. He’s providing a valuable change of pace for the Phoenix Suns’ center rotation. His mobility and quickness are a far cry from what Jusuf Nurkic provides. Ighodaro ranks fourth in rookie Defensive EPM (plus-0.3), switching out onto the perimeter and containing in drop coverage.
oso ighodaro’s defensive versatility has been a welcome presence for phoenix’s frontcourt. so refreshing to see a suns big moving a bit in space and functioning well in drop pic.twitter.com/ZYQn4wwMdw
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) December 11, 2024
It’s worth noting his low usage rate (10 percent), but Ighodaro leads all rookies in his efficiency within five feet of the rim (83.9 percent) and places second in true shooting (64.5 percent). His vertical pop won’t garner many highlights, but his touch and patience at the basket help him finish plays. He’s a snappy short-roll passer, capitalizing on the advantages his star offensive teammates create.
He seems to be earning head coach Mike Budenholzer’s trust, playing 20 minutes or more in each of Phoenix’s last five games. Ighodaro doesn’t add much value away from the rim on offense and doesn’t space like a traditional Budeholzer big. He’ll continue to rise up the ladder if he maintains this two-way impact as a versatile, change-of-pace defender and seamless offensive fit.
Matas Buzelis, Rob Dillingham and Isaac Jones
These three rookies haven’t cracked the arbitrary minute cutoff for the ladder, but I felt all three deserve a mention. Buzelis will likely enter the ladder’s next edition, playing above 15 minutes during all but one of his previous nine games. His confidence never wavers. Buzelis will always fire away from deep, benefitting from the Chicago Bulls’ fast-paced offense. His secondary rim protection is translating to the NBA as well (5.1 percent block rate).
Dillingham is currently battling a right ankle sprain, but he’s played a critical role for the Minnesota Timberwolves in a few notable contests and provided a necessary offensive spark against the Houston Rockets and Boston Celtics. His creation juice, shotmaking and off-ball play all help remedy some of Minnesota’s major weaknesses, and he’s competing hard on defense, despite his physical limitations.
On a Sacramento Kings team desperate for defensive help in the frontcourt, Jones is proving himself a viable option. Despite standing at 6-foot-9, he’s been an effective big man option by impacting shots at the hoop (4.2 percent block rate) with his gargantuan 7-foot-3 wingspan. He’s an effective low-usage play finisher and should see more minutes if he keeps performing as well as he has.
isaac jones is proving himself a viable defensie option for the kings at the four and the five with his motor, shot blocking and mobility
sacramento so badly needs athletic juice in the frontcourt and jones provides just that pic.twitter.com/3b215ssNCA
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) December 11, 2024
