Kia Rookie Ladder: Breaking down stats from 1st half of the season

One difference between assessing veterans at the midpoint of an NBA season vs. applying that same half-full filter to rookies is the potential for change.

Think about it: The league’s first-year players will double their sample size of games over the next three months. Their lessons as professionals, already coming fast, will get more involved and challenging. By comparison, veterans most of the time are who they are from Opening Night until Game No. 82.

So we’re pausing this week with the 2022-23 Kia Rookie Ladder for snapshots of the statistical leaders thus far. The Class of 2022 is proving to be as adept as it is deep.

Scoring

You can see their per-game stats within the rankings below, but here’s a Top 3 glimpse by total points.

• 743 – Paolo Banchero
• 701 – Bennedict Mathurin
• 600 – Jaden Ivey

Rebounds

Jalen Duren is the Roy Hobbs of rebounders, a natural, of the new guys.

• 332 – Duren
• 274 – Jabari Smith Jr.
• 273 – Walker Kessler

Assists

Picking up the slack for injured Cade Cunningham has Ivey distributing the ball.

• 164 – Ivey
• 135 – Banchero
• 132 – Andrew Nembhard

Steals

Tari Eason has played 200+ fewer minutes than the other two here.

• 45 – Eason
• 37 – Nembhard
• 37 – Ivey

Blocks

Walker Kessler is the Rudy Gobert of this rookie class.

• 76 – Kessler
• 45 – Christian Koloko
• 37 – Smith Jr.

Field-goal percentage (min. 100 shots)

• 70.3% — Kessler
• 63.4% — Duren
• 51% — Jalen Williams

3-point percentage (min. 75 attempts)

• 41% — Keegan Murray
• 40% — Nembhard
• 36.9% — AJ Griffin

Free throw attempts

• 277 – Banchero
• 243 – Mathurin
• 187 – Ivey

» Complete rookie stats leaderboard

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The Top 5 this week on the 2022-23 Kia Rookie Ladder:

(All stats through Tuesday, Jan. 10)

1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic

Season stats: 21.2 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 3.9 apg
Since last Ladder: 23.2 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 3.8 apg
Last Ladder: 1
Draft pick: No. 1 overall

Of the 40 names showing up on the first returns in fan balloting for next month’s All-Star Game, only one was a rookie: this guy. Banchero ranked eighth in frontcourt voting for the East squad, though it’s a longshot that he’ll actually make the team (no rookie has done so since Blake Griffin in 2011). The young trio of Banchero, Franz Wagner and Wendell Carter Jr. really has been clicking — they are plus-8.3 points in 342 minutes for a team getting outscored by 3.8 ppg overall.

paoloooo ‍@Pp_doesit pic.twitter.com/zTSoD6j5o7

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) January 5, 2023

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2. Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers

Season stats: 17.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 1.4 apg
Since last Ladder: 14.0 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 1.7 apg
Last Ladder: 2
Draft pick: No. 6 overall

Second place on the Ladder is good, but Mathurin might rank even higher on a mythical Sixth Man Ladder. He leads all reserves in points scored (681) and likely will get to 700 before those in his wake — Russell Westbrook (541), Malik Monk (535) and Malik Beasley (520) — even reach 600. Mathurin’s embrace of the role has been key to both his and the Pacers’ success so far.

BENNEDICT MATHURIN BRINGING THE HUSTLE! pic.twitter.com/HNJJJYt7JR

— Indiana Pacers (@Pacers) January 7, 2023

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3. Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons

Season stats: 15.0 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.1 apg
Since last Ladder: 14.8 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 5.0 apg
Last Ladder: 4
Draft pick: No. 5 overall

Win or (mostly) lose, Ivey is going to do something that demonstrates his potential once he and his Detroit coaches are able to knit it all together. Against the Sixers Sunday, he had his sixth 10-5-5 game. Two nights later, he hit 3-of-5 from deep for 17 points and four assists. Ivey spent time watching film with coach Dwane Casey Tuesday and one goal is trying not to “think too much.”

Climbed the ladder and put that man on a poster#Pistons | @IveyJaden https://t.co/RgSeHslQWy pic.twitter.com/GUXsAedMZi

— Detroit Pistons (@DetroitPistons) January 5, 2023

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4. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings

Season stats: 11.7 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.9 apg
Since last Ladder: 13.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.5 apg
Last Ladder: 3
Draft pick: No. 4 overall

Murray drained five of his six 3-point attempts in the blowout victory of Orlando Monday. With 15 points, he didn’t outscore Ladder leader Banchero (17) but he did more than his share in helping the Kings to a franchise-record 23 threes. Since Dec. 1, the Iowa product has shot 49.5% from the arc, tops among all NBA players who have taken 100+ shots since that date.

How good has Keegan Murray been as a rookie?

53 players have attempted 100+ threes since Dec. 1. No one in the is shooting a higher percentage than Murray (49.5). pic.twitter.com/rInPjQ3Ibd

— Alex Kramers (@alexkramers) January 10, 2023

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5. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder

Season stats: 11.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.8 apg
Since last Ladder: 13.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 4.0 apg
Last Ladder: 6
Draft pick: No. 12 overall

Williams’ versatile game and usage by coach Mark Daigneault has him poised to nail down an All-Rookie first-team spot, which would make him the first Thunder player to earn the distinction since Russell Westbrook in 2009. (Williams’ teammate Josh Giddey just missed, landing on the second team last spring.)

JDub with impressive finishes back-to-back pic.twitter.com/chnQiy1YRz

— OKC THUNDER (@okcthunder) January 9, 2023

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The Next 5:

6. Jabari Smith, Jr., Houston Rockets

Season stats: 11.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 0.9 apg
Since last Ladder: 8.7 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.3 apg
Last Ladder: 5
Draft pick: No. 3 overall

A lot of catch-and-shoot limits his athletic skills mostly to defense.

7. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons

Season stats: 7.7 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 1.0 apg
Since last Ladder: 14.5 ppg, 10.0 rpg, 1.0 spg
Last Ladder: 7
Draft pick: No. 13 overall

Teenager had 18p, 11r, 8-of-8 in win vs. Warriors, then ankle layoff.

8. Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz

Season stats: 6.9 ppg, 6.7 rpg, 0.7 apg
Since last Ladder: 6.8 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 1.0 apg
Last Ladder: 8
Draft pick: No. 22 overall

Has shot 50% or better in 35 of 41 appearances. Season FG: 70.3%.

9. Andrew Nembhard, Indiana Pacers

Season stats: 8.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.7 apg
Since last Ladder: 13.3 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 2.3 apg
Last Ladder: 11
Draft pick: No. 31 overall

Class of 2022’s biggest steal, from Draft spot to Ladder rung.

10. Dyson Daniels, New Orleans Pelicans

Season stats: 4.3 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 2.2 apg
Since last Ladder: 2.3 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.8 apg
Last Ladder: N/A
Draft pick: No. 8 overall

Pels’ injuries and his defense opening up minutes.

11. AJ Griffin, Atlanta Hawks

Season stats: 9.9 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 1.0 apg
Since last Ladder: 5.7 ppg, 1.0 rpg, 0.7 apg
Last Ladder: 10
Draft pick: No. 16 overall

Better off the bench: 17.3 points per 36, 49.2%/40% vs. 16.5, 43.5%/32.3%.

12. Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio Spurs

Season stats: 8.7 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 2.4 apg
Since last Ladder: 7.0 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 2.8 apg
Last Ladder: 9
Draft pick: No. 9 overall

“A great all-around game,” coach Gregg Popovich said recently.

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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 Twitter.

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