Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images
Just about a month into the 2018-19 NBA season, check out which rookies from this year’s class are making waves in their debut season.
The 2018-19 NBA season is just over a month in and the rookies are beginning to find their bearings as the 82-game schedule becomes routine for them. There haven’t been any 30-point performances recently, but some rookies are putting in work nonetheless.
The Rookie of the Year race is heating up as there’s some movement among the top few spots. Dallas Mavericks guard Luka Doncic is still on top, but below him, Phoenix Suns big man Deandre Ayton is making moves.
While there are some rookies that didn’t make the list, there are always one or two that turn a few heads. Los Angeles Clippers guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is another rookie that is climbing the ranks this week. He’s injected new life into the Clippers’ starting rotation, as they’ve won in three of his last four starts.
SGA has put up 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals per game since being inserted into the starting lineup. In an overtime victory against the Golden State Warriors, on Monday night, he recorded 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting along with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. His contributions won’t earn him Rookie of the Year honors (yet), but he’s beginning to find his niche as a point guard in the NBA.
Dallas Mavericks</a> guard <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/d/doncilu01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Luka Doncic</a> is still on top, but below him, <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/phoenix-suns/">Phoenix Suns</a> big man <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/a/aytonde01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Deandre Ayton</a> is making moves.</p>
<p>While there are some rookies that didn’t make the list, there are always one or two that turn a few heads. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/los-angeles-clippers/">Los Angeles Clippers</a> guard <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/g/gilgesh01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Shai Gilgeous-Alexander</a> is another rookie that is climbing the ranks this week. He’s injected new life into the Clippers’ starting rotation, as they’ve won in three of his last four starts.</p>
<p>SGA has put up 14.3 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 1.3 blocks and 1.0 steals per game since being inserted into the starting lineup. In an overtime victory against the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/golden-state-warriors/">Golden State Warriors,</a> on Monday night, he recorded 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting along with five rebounds, three assists, two steals and a block. His contributions won’t earn him Rookie of the Year honors (yet), but he’s beginning to find his niche as a point guard in the NBA.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 5 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h3>5. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/c/cartewe01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Wendell Carter</a> Jr., Chicago Bulls</h3>
<p><strong>Last week: 5th (↔)</strong></p>
<p><a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/chicago-bulls/">Chicago Bulls</a> big man Wendell Carter Jr. remains steady in this week’s rankings despite his team being on a two-game skid. Carter has put up 11.0 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks per game over the past week as the Bulls have gone 1-2 in their last three games.</p>
<p>He racked up 15 points, five rebounds and three blocks in their most recent win over the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/cleveland-cavaliers/">Cleveland Cavaliers</a> back on Saturday night. In a close 99-98 victory, he shot 5-of-6 from the field in 25 minutes of action while facing off against fellow rookie <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/sextoco01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Collin Sexton</a>.</p>
<p>Chicago hasn’t found the win column since facing Cleveland though. Carter put up just seven points this past Monday night against the Dallas Mavericks, but did manage to score in double-figures against the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/boston-celtics/">Boston Celtics</a> on Wednesday night. In the last two contests, Carter is 0-for-4 from the 3-point line.</p>
<p>He’ll have a chance to improve his production in the upcoming days. They’ll travel to face the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday night then host the Toronto Raptors on Saturday night. Facing two competitive teams in the East, it will be interesting to see how Carter performs.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 4 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Photo by Ned Dishman/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h3>4. Collin Sexton, Cleveland Cavaliers</h3>
<p><strong>Last week: N/A</strong></p>
<p>Point guard Collin Sexton climbs back into the rankings as the lone bright spot for a struggling Cleveland Cavaliers squad. The Cavs are just 2-12 on the young season, but Sexton is doing his best since <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/l/loveke01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Kevin Love</a> has been out with a foot injury since Oct. 25.</p>
<p>Since Love went down, Sexton has put up 13.9 points, 2.8 assists and 2.7 rebounds per game while shooting 58.8 percent from 3-point range. In their two wins this season, Sexton has looked good, but he needs more playmakers around him.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/FOXSportsOH/status/1062517357820571649</p>
<p>In a big 113-89 victory over the Charlotte Hornets on Tuesday night, Sexton scored 16 points while recording five rebounds and four assists. He shot with volume in the game, going 7-of-18 from the field, but he was also 2-of-2 from behind the arc.</p>
<p>Cleveland is still soul-searching with the loss of <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/j/jamesle01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">LeBron James</a>, but they have a star in the making with Collin Sexton. They’ll just need to get some more talent around him. Fittingly enough, the Cavs will host the<a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/los-angeles-lakers/"> Los Angeles Lakers</a> and James this upcoming Wednesday, giving fans a chance to see Sexton face off against The King.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 3 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Photo by Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images</p>
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<h3>3. <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/y/youngtr01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Trae Young</a>, Atlanta Hawks</h3>
<p><strong>Last week: 2nd (↓1)</strong></p>
<p><a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/eastern-conference/atlanta-hawks/">Atlanta Hawks</a> point guard Trae Young has hit a bit of a rough patch scoring the basketball the past few games. He’s put up a combined 10 points on 4-of-23 shooting from the field and 0-of-9 from 3-point range in the past two games. He’s hit a bit of a rookie slump as the Hawks are riding a six-game losing streak.</p>
<p>His streak of 13 games of scoring in double figures was snapped this past Tuesday night against the Golden State Warriors. He scored a season-low four points against the Warriors on 2-of-12 shooting from the floor and 0-of-5 shooting from behind the arc.</p>
<p>Despite his shooting woes, Young has still managed to be a quality distributor with the ball in his hands. He’s dished out 8.7 assists per game across the last three contests. He put up the fifth double-double of his career with 20 points and 12 assists in a gutsy performance against LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers last Sunday night.</p>
<p>It was also the fifth time Young recorded double figures in assists this season. Struggles aside, he should still be in consideration for this year’s Rookie of the Year award.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 2 </a>
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<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">Photo by Jonathan Bachman/Getty Images</p>
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<h3>2. Deandre Ayton, Phoenix Suns</h3>
<p><strong>Last week: 3rd (↑1)</strong></p>
<p>Deandre Ayton has posted some big numbers in the previous games for the Phoenix Suns. He’s been a model of consistency on the offensive end thus far. The rookie big man is averaging 17.0 points, 9.7 rebounds and 2.0 assists per game through their last three games.</p>
<p>Ayton came up big in the Suns’ win over the <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/western-conference/san-antonio-spurs/">San Antonio Spurs</a> 116-96 on Wednesday night. He racked up 17 points, 10 rebounds and three assists to help his team snap a four-game losing streak.</p>
<p>https://twitter.com/NBATV/status/1062926429552291840</p>
<p>He shot 8-of-11 from the field to lead his team to an unexpected victory while racking up his ninth double-double of the year. He leads all rookies in double-doubles and rebounds per game so far.</p>
<p>Things could be worse for the Phoenix organization given its draft history, but at least with Deandre Ayton they’ve solved one frontcourt need. It could be another season in the dungeon for the Suns, but given this year’s crop of draft talent, things should change sooner rather than later. Wins may come at a premium, but his development will be something to keep an eye on.</p>
<div class="next-slide slider"> <a class="next-slide-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="next-slide-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"#"> <span class="title">Next:</span> No. 1 </a>
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<img class="size-large wp-image-330699" src=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/fetch/c_fill,g_auto,f_auto,h_389,w_590/http%3A%2F%2Fhoopshabit.com%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2Fgetty-images%2F2018%2F08%2F1063030070-850x560.jpeg" alt="" width="590" height="389"><div class="fs-center-img">
<p class="wp-caption-text" style="width:590px;">(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images</p>
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<h3>1. Luka Doncic, Dallas Mavericks</h3>
<p><strong>Last week: 1st (↔)</strong></p>
<p>The streak continues for rookie guard Luka Doncic as he leads the Rookie of the Year race for the third straight week. Doncic and the Mavericks are on a three-game winning streak partly due to his efforts on the hardwood.</p>
<p>He’s averaging 15.3 points, 6.0 rebounds, 4.3 assists and 1.3 steals per game during their current winning streak. Doncic came up big last Saturday night against the Oklahoma City Thunder with 22 points, eight assists and six rebounds in a 111-96 victory. Since then, his teammates have picked up where he left off.</p>
<p>He hasn’t put up more than 13 points in a contest since then, but the Mavericks have still managed to find a way to win by utilizing more than just his scoring ability. It looks as though Dallas is in good hands with All-Star center <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/n/nowitdi01.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Dirk Nowitzki</a> on the way out.</p>
<div class="fs-shortcode" data-type="StoryLink" data-theme="dark" data-text="The 50 greatest NBA players of all time (updated for 2017-18)" data-url="https://hoopshabit.com/2018/09/21/nba-50-greatest-players-time/" data-call-to-action="Next"> <div class="story-link-next"> <a class="story-link-next-btn" style="background:#bb2c32" data-track="shortcode" data-track-action="story-link-next-shortcode" href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://hoopshabit.com/2018/09/21/nba-50-greatest-players-time/"> <span class="call_to_action">Next:</span> The 50 greatest NBA players of all time (updated for 2017-18) </a> </div>
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<p>It seems Dallas has found itself on the positive side of a trade once again, holding a 6-8 record in the early going. They may be a few pieces away from being a contender, but with <a href=https://hoopshabit.com/2018/11/16/nba-rookie-of-the-year-power-rankings-week-5-luka-doncic-holds-firm/"https://www.basketball-reference.com/players/s/smithde03.html?utm_campaign=Linker&utm_source=direct&utm_medium=linker-%22 target="_blank" rel="nofollow noopener" ref="nofollow">Dennis Smith</a> Jr. and now Luka Doncic, they’ve made some quality selections to improve their roster.</p><!—pageview_candidate—>">