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, the old show biz saying, “Always leave them wanting more,” is fully applicable to Victor Wembanyama.
His performance seems to improve the less he plays, a major factor contributing to his rise to the top of the Kia Rookie Ladder this week.
Wembanyama is not fond of the minutes restriction imposed on him by his bosses in San Antonio. The Spurs are also not thrilled about this measure in the short term, but they are dedicated to taking a cautious approach with his recovering ankle, which he initially sprained before Christmas.
Fans definitely want to see the No. 1 pick in action for more than the 26-minute cap he has had in the last six games. On a positive note, the 20-year-old 7-foot-4 Frenchman, who celebrated his birthday last week, has been making the most out of those minutes with considerable production.
When calculated on a 36-minute basis, Wembanyama has averaged 33.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and 6.5 blocks in the last six games. For example, on Sunday at Cleveland, he scored 24 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, made three assists, and blocked five shots. Despite playing less than 25 minutes, Wemby’s impact was significant with a +17 rating, even though the Spurs lost by two points.
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.
Seemingly, Wembanyama’s cautiousness with his ankle has reflected in his shot selection, as he averaged 6.5 3-point attempts last week with a success rate of only 30.8%. In this category, Jordan Hawkins (5.7), Brandon Miller (5.4), and Keyonte George (5.3) are the leaders of this class.
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 the Spurs’ sensation, Wembanyama, with two members of the Cleveland Cavaliers adding their commendations to his expanding collection of fantastic reviews. “He lives up to the hype,” stated Donovan Mitchell. “He’s already an incredible defender. I’ve played alongside Rudy [Gobert] before. Seeing someone who’s even taller and has a greater reach is pretty astonishing.” Jarrett Allen added, “I’m thrilled for Wemby because he’s gifted, can dribble past opponents, is a superb shot blocker, and excels at post-ups. He’s got it all.”
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)
Currently, only Boston and Minnesota have superior records than the Thunder (24-11). Holmgren noted that their youthful team has achieved an equilibrium between overly cautious play and reckless errors. He expressed, “Everyone is striving to execute the correct moves while maintaining aggressiveness.” He added, “There’s a threshold where you’re attempting to execute too many correct moves and consequently not playing forcefully.”
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 period of injury absences due to a left ankle sprain, seven out of 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 details: 11.2 Field Goal Attempts (FGA) through October/November, reduced 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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