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 business adage, “Always leave them wanting more.”
His performance seems to improve with less play, a major factor in his rise to the top of the Kia Rookie Ladder this week.
Wembanyama is not a fan of the minute restrictions his superiors in San Antonio have imposed on him. The Spurs are also not particularly fond of it, at least in the short term, but they are dedicated to prioritizing caution while his ankle, which he initially sprained before Christmas, heals.
Fans definitely want to see more of the No.1 draft pick than his current 26-minute limit within the last six games. Nevertheless, the 7-foot-4 Frenchman, who just turned 20, has been making the most of those limited minutes.
When adjusted to 36 minutes, Wembanyama’s average stands at 33.1 points, 11.1 rebounds, 4.3 assists, and a remarkable 6.5 blocks over six games. A perfect example of his skills was seen on Sunday at Cleveland, where he scored 24 points, made 10 rebounds, three assists, and five blocks. Despite the Spurs losing by two points, Wemby’s performance was outstanding with a +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.
Being cautious with his ankle seems to have influenced Wembanyama’s shot selection, as he averaged 6.5 attempts at 3-pointers last week but only made 30.8% of them. Jordan Hawkins (5.7), Brandon Miller (5.4), and Keyonte George (5.3) are the leaders in this class overall.
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 string of compliments keeps rolling in for the Spurs’ sensation, with a pair of Cleveland Cavaliers players joining the chorus of praise for Wembanyama. “He lives up to his reputation,” said Donovan Mitchell. “He’s already a formidable defender. Having played with Rudy [Gobert], seeing someone taller and with greater reach is quite a sight.” Jarrett Allen also shared his excitement, saying, “I’m thrilled for Wemby. He’s skilled, can dribble past opponents, blocks shots excellently, and posts up. He’s got everything.”
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)
At this point, only Boston and Minnesota have superior records than the Thunder, which stands at 24-11. Holmgren stated that their youthful team has discovered the ideal balance between being overly cautious and making careless errors. He noted, “Everyone is striving to make the correct move while remaining assertive.” He added that there is a critical point at which an excessive focus on making the right moves can hinder forceful play.
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
In the past 13 games, another stretch of injury absences occurred due to a left ankle sprain, totaling seven absences.
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 Oct/Nov, dropped to 5.3 in Dec/Jan.
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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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