Kia Rookie Ladder: Victor Wembanyama on pace to join elite club

Minnesota’s Rudy Gobert remains the favorite to again win the NBA’s Defensive Player of the Year award. It would be his fourth DPOY honor and his first with the Timberwolves, who lead the league in overall defense (108.4 points per 100 possessions).

But Victor Wembanyama is getting noticed, both by media-panel voters and by Las Vegas. Most of the notable oddsmakers list him second in a field that has thinned for various reasons.

Analytics mavens such as Kirk Goldsberry have sliced the data in ways that make a case for the San Antonio long fellow. Consider that in the Spurs’ most recent 15 games through Tuesday, their defensive rating with Wembanyama in the game has been 107.3 – better than Minnesota’s top spot. With Wemby off the court, it has fallen to 119.3, which would rank 29th overall.

The season isn’t measured in 15 games, though. Through 69, the Spurs’ 116.9 ranks 23rd overall. And just like MVPs don’t usually come from teams low in the standings, DPOYs don’t get awarded to players from leaky overall defenses.

Wembanyama remains a long shot – this spring. He could be the favorite next season and for many to come.

Here are the notes and updates for this week’s Kia Rookie Ladder:

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Weekly Recap

• Wembanyama has a shot at joining six stellar NBA big men who averaged at least 20 points, 10 rebounds and 3.5 blocks in a season. The others: Hakeem Olajuwon, who did it six times; Kareem Abdul-Jabbar (three); David Robinson (three); Alonzo Mourning (two); and Patrick Ewing and Shaquille O’Neal, who did it once each. Only Olajuwon maintained those averages for his entire Hall of Fame career.

• Consider this the obligatory qualifier that the NBA didn’t officially track blocked shots until 1973-74, the season after Wilt Chamberlain retired. Chamberlain, for whom the Rookie of the Year award is named, averaged 30.1 points and 22.9 rebounds for his career. According to team statisticians, he routinely blocked 3.5 shots or more in a half.

• Health became an issue for several rookies. Washington’s Bilal Coulibaly is done for the season after falling and fracturing his right wrist in Chicago Saturday. Houston’s Cam Whitmore has missed the past four games with a knee sprain and is expected to be out a couple more weeks. Then there’s Ausar Thompson’s undisclosed illness which will have cost him six games through tonight’s clash with the Pacers.

• Health in the other direction: As the Pelicans have gotten and stayed healthier, their top rookie’s role has diminished. New Orleans is 16-5 since Jan. 31, during which time Jordan Hawkins has averaged only 4.2 points in 11.8 minutes while shooting 25.5% from deep. Before that, he was a frequent rung-holder at 10.5 ppg in 21.6 mpg, hitting 39.1% from the arc.

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Storyline to Watch

Miller’s 3-point climb. The Hornets’ rookie leads the Class of 2023 in 3-pointers taken (394) and made (145), while ranking 5th among 16 first-year players who have attempted at least 150. At his current pace, with 13 games left for Charlotte, he could crack the Top 5 for most 3-pointers in a rookie season. It’s unlikely he could chase down Sacramento’s Keegan Murray, who set the record (206) a year ago.

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Latest rankings

(All stats through Tuesday, March 19)

Keep track of how our rookie rankings continue to evolve throughout the season.

1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs

Season stats: 20.7 ppg, 10.4 rpg, 3.5 bpg
Last Ladder: 1
Draft pick: No. 1

Wembanyama didn’t shoot especially well – 41.2% and 12.5% from deep – but his overall week was strong (20.7 ppg, 11.7 rpg, 5.3 bpg with 4.0 apg). He also was +2.3 in 33.8 minutes while San Antonio went 1-2. He has done enough that noted authority Draymond Green has made up his mind on the award this Ladder tracks.

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2. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder

Season stats: 16.8 ppg, 7.9 rpg, 2.5 bpg
Last Ladder: 2
Draft pick: No. 2 (2022)

Holmgren and his teammates should be recharged after not playing since Saturday (he scored 22 points with 11 rebounds at Memphis). Now they face five games in eight nights. The Thunder rookie and his MVP-candidate teammate also will be visible when they’re not playing in the coming weeks.

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3. Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets

Season stats: 16.7 ppg, 4.2 rpg, 2.4 apg
Last Ladder: 3
Draft pick: No. 2 overall

Miller’s stats dipped in the Hornets’ 1-3 week thanks to his early exit at Philadelphia Saturday. He played only 15 minutes with six points before earning a Flagrant 2 foul for elbowing Tyrese Maxey in the face. He still is likely to join 14 other NBA rookies who have averaged at least 15 points and 2 3-pointers.

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4. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat

Season stats: 12.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 2.6 apg
Last Ladder: 4
Draft pick: No. 18

Showing up has been Jaquez’s big contribution lately, plugging Jimmy Butler’s open spot. He ranks second in total minutes behind Adebayo for a Miami team that has had 32 different starting lineups using 17 different players.

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5. Dereck Lively II, Dallas Mavericks

Season stats: 9.1 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 1.4 bpg
Last Ladder: 5
Draft pick: No. 12

Growing his offense with five games of 10+ points in the past nine games vs. 16 in his first 41. Got his 12 points Tuesday against the Spurs in 16 minutes on 5-of-7 shooting to Wembanyama’s 12 in 32 minutes on 3-of-13.

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The Next 5

6. Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets

Season stats: 8.7 ppg, 5.8 rpg, 2.2 apg
Last Ladder: 9
Draft pick: No. 4

Thompson has helped the Rockets rebound in Sengun’s absence, with a 25-10 double-double vs. Wizards.

Amen Thompson was unstoppable in a CAREER night

25 PTS (career-high) | 10-12 FG | 10 REB pic.twitter.com/dzG4iba6dN

— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) March 20, 2024

7. Keyonte George, Utah Jazz

Season stats: 12.8 ppg, 2.8 rpg, 4.5 apg
Last Ladder: 7
Draft pick: No. 16

A 19.0 ppg week wasn’t enough, as coach Will Hardy sat George down the stretch vs. Wolves Monday.

8. Brandin Podziemski, Golden State Warriors

Season stats: 9.5 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 3.9 apg
Last Ladder: 6
Draft pick: No. 19

Averaged 5.3 ppg on 33.3% shooting this week, while posting a -2.0 in 29.2 minutes.

9. Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons

Season stats: 8.8 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.9 apg
Last Ladder: 10
Draft pick: No. 5

Sidelined since March 9 by an unspecified medical condition, Thompson still has threshold totals in rebounds, offensive boards, blocks and steals reached so far only by Giannis, AD, Joker, Wemby and Scottie Barnes.

T10. GG Jackson II, Memphis Grizzlies

Season stats: 12.8 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 0.9 apg
Last Ladder: —
Draft pick: No. 45

The week’s top-scoring rookie (22.3 ppg), Jackson got traction late but ranks 6th in FGA per game (10.0) and 4th (5.1) from the arc.

T10. Trayce Jackson-Davis, Golden State Warriors

Season stats: 7.3 ppg, 4.4 rpg, 1.1 apg
Last Ladder: —
Draft pick: No. 57

Former NBAer Dale Davis’ son has been the Warriors’ latest youngster making a big impact.

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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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