Kia Rookie Ladder: Victor Wembanyama's big week vaults him back to top
This week’s Kia Rookie Ladder sees Victor Wembanyama reclaiming the No. 1 spot.
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These days, Victor Wembanyama is fully embodying the old show biz saying, “Always leave them wanting more.”
His performance seems to improve the less he plays, which is a major factor in his ascent to the top of the Kia Rookie Ladder this week.
Wembanyama isn’t pleased with the minutes restriction imposed on him by his superiors in San Antonio. The Spurs aren’t particularly fond of it either, at least in the short term, but they are determined to prioritize caution due to his healing ankle that was initially sprained before Christmas.
Fans would undoubtedly appreciate seeing more of the No. 1 pick than his current 26-minute limit in the past six games. However, the 7-foot-4 French player, who just turned 20 last week, has been making the most out of those minutes with his performance.
When adjusted to 36 minutes, Wembanyama’s average over six games stands at 33.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and an impressive 6.5 blocks. For example, in Sunday’s game against Cleveland, he scored 24 points, secured 10 rebounds, made three assists, and achieved five blocks. Despite the Spurs losing by two points, Wembanyama had a positive impact of +17, even though he played for less than 25 minutes.
Weekly recap:
• Chet Holmgren, the Oklahoma City center who has vied with his Spurs counterpart all season for the Ladder’s top rung, was no slouch last week. He averaged 20 points, including 31 at Washington Monday when the Wizards looked determined to test his range. But he dipped to 4.3 rebounds and 1.0 blocks. Holmgren did snag the West’s Rookie of the Month honors for December, while Miami’s Jaime Jaquez Jr. was similarly named in the East. No other rookies have won the awards this season.
• Wembanyama still ranks fourth in playing time (29.2 minutes per game) among this season’s rookies. But if he were to be voted Rookie of the Year award at that average, it would be the fourth fewest minutes by any winner. Only LaMelo Ball (28.8 in 20021), Malcolm Brogdon (26.4, 2017) and Mike Miller (29.1, 2001) played less.
It appears that Wembanyama’s cautiousness with his ankle is reflected in his shot selection, as he averaged 6.5 attempts from the 3-point line last week, with a success rate of only 30.8%. In this class, Jordan Hawkins (5.7), Brandon Miller (5.4), and Keyonte George (5.3) are the leaders.
Storyline to watch:
Head-to-heads. The schedule Wednesday night sets up almost as a “rookie watch party.” Eight of the Ladder’s 10 rung-holders potentially will be in action in the slate of 10 games. That includes Holmgren vs. Jaquez in the battle of West vs. East Rookies of the Month from December, and Wembanyama vs. Detroit’s Ausar Thompson. Only Dereck Lively II and Scoot Henderson have the night off with Dallas and Portland both idle.
Latest rankings
(All stats through Tuesday, Jan. 9)
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Season stats: 19.3 ppg, 10.1 rpg, 3.3 bpg
Last Ladder: No. 2
Draft pick: No. 1
The praise keeps pouring in for Spurs’ sensation Wembanyama, with a few Cleveland Cavaliers players adding to his expanding list of commendations. “He lives up to the hype,” remarked Donovan Mitchell. “He’s already a formidable defender. Having played with Rudy [Gobert], seeing someone who’s even bigger and longer than him is quite astonishing.” Jarrett Allen chimed in, “I’m thrilled for Wemby. He’s skilled, he can drive past defenders, he’s an exceptional shot blocker, he can post up. He has the complete package.”
2. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Season stats: 17.8 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 2.6 bpg
Last Ladder: No. 1
Draft pick: No. 2 (2022)
According to Holmgren, only Boston and Minnesota hold superior records at this point than the Thunder, who are at 24-11. He mentioned that their youthful team has discovered the perfect balance between overly cautious play and rash errors. He expressed that everyone is aiming to execute the correct moves while maintaining assertiveness. Holmgren added that there is a critical juncture where the attempt to make too many correct plays can hinder the forceful play on the court.
3. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat
Season stats: 13.7 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 2.7 apg
Last Ladder: No. 3
Draft pick: No. 18
Jaquez earned that second consecutive Rookie of the Month award by averaging 16.1 ppg and helping the Heat to an 8-5 mark in December. He ranks second in shooting percentage (50.7%, 10.5 field goal attempts per game) among rookies averaging double digits in attempts in shooting percentage.
4. Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets
Season stats: 14.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 2.2 apg
Last Ladder: No. 4
Draft pick: No. 2 overall
Ranks third in scoring among newbies, second in field goal attempts (12.9) to Wembanyama (15.8). But impressing teammates with two-way work. Said Miles Bridges: “It doesn’t even feel like he’s a rookie. He knows the insides and outs of the game. He plays with amazing pace, which is not something that a rookie plays with.”
5. Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors
Season stats: 9.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 3.3 apg
Last Ladder: No. 6
Draft pick: No. 19
A bigger role may be possible due to Chris Paul’s hand fracture, though he sputtered against the Raptors Sunday (2-of-11 overall and 1 for 8 on 3-pointers for five points). Ranks fourth among guards in offensive rebounds (45), behind only Russell Westbrook (57), Jrue Holiday (52) and Josh Giddey (49).
The Next 5:
6. Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
Season stats: 8.7 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 1.3 apg
Last Ladder: No. 5
Draft pick: No. 12
Another stretch of injury absences due to a left ankle sprain, with seven in the past 13 games.
7. Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
Season stats: 11 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 4.5 apg
Last Ladder: No. 7
Draft pick: No. 16
Slow going post-ankle layoff, but sure perked up at Milwaukee.
8. Scoot Henderson, Portland Trail Blazers
Season stats: 12.1 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 5.0 apg
Last Ladder: No. 8
Draft pick: No. 3
We can see the progress, though lessons can still sting.
9. Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons
Season stats: 8.3 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 2.1 apg
Last Ladder: No. 9
Draft pick: No. 5
Are severe minute cuts the best way for a struggling team to develop lottery picks?
10. Jordan Hawkins, New Orleans Pelicans
Season stats: 10.3 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 1.4 apg
Last Ladder: Not ranked
Draft pick: No. 14
Opportunity Overview: 11.2 Field Goal Attempts (FGA) during October/November, decreased to 5.3 in December/January.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
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