Rookie Wire Power Rankings: Victor Wembanyama maintains No. 1 spot after historic performance
The regular season is past the trade deadline and approaching NBA All-Star Weekend, with the top players in the game set to compete in various events in Indianapolis, Indiana.
The crop of rookies continues to perform well this season, resulting in some remarkable performances of late. Led by Victor Wembanyama, Chet Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Scoot Henderson and others, they have captured national attention and have been fascinating at times.
The class will be represented in the Rising Stars game, as 11 first-year players will participate in the revamped exhibition. Including 10 sophomores, and seven players from the G League, the game will feature the top up-and-coming players.
To make sense of it all, we looked at the best recent performances of these first-year players and ranked them in the Rookie Wire Power Rankings. The rankings are not for Rookie of the Year purposes but to illustrate the best players week to week.
Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors
Last Rank: N/A
Stats: 9.5 points, 5.8 rebounds, 3.7 assists
Podziemski continues to impact games with the Warriors this season, filling a key role off the bench for Steve Kerr. He is averaging 11 points, 7.6 rebounds, 6.3 assists and one steal over his last seven games. He leads all rookies in assists (44) in February and is third in rebounding (53). He recently became the first rookie since the 1967-68 season to register three straight double-doubles with no turnovers. The former Santa Clara standout has impressed this year and is emerging as a key player with the Warriors, as a result.
For more coverage on the Warriors, visit Warriors Wire
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets
Stats: 7.2 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.5 assists and 1.1 steals
Thompson has started in four straight games for the Rockets, averaging 10.3 points, 11.5 rebounds, 4.5 assists and 1.8 steals on 62.5% shooting from the field over that span. He is tied among rookies for the lead in rebounds (60) in February and is coming off a five-steal effort on Monday in a win over the Knicks. Thompson has demonstrated his all-world athleticism and has the potential to be an incredible two-way player in the future.
For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire
Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons
Last Rank: 9
Stats: 8.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, 1.9 assists
Thompson has finally returned to the starting lineup after earning the nod in his last four games with the Pistons. He has scored in double figures in three of those games, averaging 11.8 points, 5.3 rebounds, two assists and 1.5 steals on 55% shooting from the field. The Pistons won back-to-back games in that stretch for only the second time this season and looked to be better defensively, with Thompson playing a larger role. With less than 30 games to play, the fifth pick should continue to see heavy minutes.
GG Jackson, Memphis Grizzlies
Last Rank: 8
Stats: 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds
Jackson is averaging 10.1 points and 3.4 rebounds on 37.9% shooting from 3-point range in 21 appearances. He is eighth among first-year players in scoring and 10th in 3-point percentage. The Grizzlies recently rewarded him with a standard contract after becoming the youngest player in history to record at least 25 points off the bench (19 years, 53 days). He was curiously held out of action on Monday, though, after violating a team rule, so it will be worth monitoring how the 19-year-old responds to the incident on Wednesday against the Rockets.
Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
Last Rank: 6
Stats: 11.2 points, 4.2 assists, 2.8 rebounds
George recently scored in double figures in seven consecutive games, averaging 14.7 points, three rebounds and three assists on 50% shooting from the field over that span. The Jazz now look to be turning toward their younger players following a few moves at the trade deadline, which should clear more minutes for George and others.
Cam Whitmore, Houston Rockets
Last Rank: 5
Stats: 11.9 points, 3.6 rebounds
Whitmore has missed the last two games with an ankle injury. However, he was in the midst of his best stretch of the season with the Rockets prior to the injury, averaging 17.4 points and 4.7 rebounds on 41.4% shooting from 3-point range over his last nine games. He scored in double figures in seven straight games in that span and looks to be giving the team a good lift off the bench. After playing sparingly to start the year, Whitmore has emerged as a key player over the past two months.
For more coverage on the Rockets, visit Rockets Wire
Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers
Last Rank: 5
Stats: 12.8 points, 4.7 assists, 3 rebounds
Henderson has shaken off a slow start to the year and appears to be settling in on the court. He is averaging 18.3 points, six assists and 3.5 rebounds on 41.2% shooting from 3-point range over his last four games with the Trail Blazers. The third pick is taking care of the ball more and minimizing his turnovers of late after struggling in that area earlier this season. He was a highly touted prospect entering the NBA draft last year and is really beginning to show that ability.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Last Rank: 3
Stats: 16.7 points, 7.6 rebounds, 2.7 assists, 2.6 blocks
Holmgren continues to produce nightly for the second-place Thunder. He has starred in his role on offense and defense and understands when to assert himself or yield to the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jalen Williams and others. The team believes Holmgren has improved throughout the year in some of the smaller details on the court, such as his pick-and-roll defense and decision-making. He has stepped in this year and has played like anything but a rookie. He has earned the trust of his teammates and coaching staff, and should only continue to play at a high level.
For more coverage on the Thunder, visit Thunder Wire
Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets
Last Rank: 2
Stats: 16.4 points, 4 rebounds, 2.3 assists
Miller is in the midst of his best stretch with the Hornets. He is averaging 22.9 points, 4.4 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals on 40.6% shooting from 3-point range over his last eight games. He produced back-to-back 30-point games in that stretch to become the first Hornets rookie to accomplish that feat and is one of five first-year players this season with multiple 30-point games. He has dealt with injuries throughout the year that have seemingly prevented him from getting into a rhythm, but he appears to be settling in now.
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Last Rank: 1
Stats: 20.4 points, 10.1 rebounds, 3.2 assists, 3.2 blocks, 1.1 steals
Wembanyama exploded on Monday with a historic triple-double in a win over the Raptors. He produced 27 points, 14 rebounds, 10 blocks, five assists and two steals to become just the fifth player ever to reach that stat line. He is the first player to record a triple-double with blocks since Clint Capela in January 2021 and just the fourth rookie to reach that mark.
The top pick became the first rookie since Spurs legend and Hall of Famer David Robinson in February 1990 to record a triple-double with blocks. He also joined Ralph Sampson and Mark Eaton to reach that mark since blocks became an official stat in the 1973-74 season. He thought about a quadruple-double but settled instead for the win.
“As a second thought, yes, but I was trying to win first,” Wembanyama said of accomplishing that feat. “I almost got a quintuple-double with (seven) turnovers.”
Spurs coach Gregg Popovich thought Wembanyama went through a bit of the rookie wall in the last month or so. However, the 7-footer shook that off this week and put up another historic performance with his effort against the Raptors.
For more coverage on the Spurs, visit Spurs Wire
