10 Best NBA rookies to watch out for in the 2021-22 season

#3 Jalen Suggs

2021 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot - Jalen Suggs posing with a basketball

Are you a fan of high-pace basketball that ends with a ferocious dunk or transition pull-up three? So you're going to love watching Jalen Suggs this year. The Orlando Magic can run a fun backcourt pairing of Suggs and Cole Anthony, or throw in Markelle Fultz to add some unpredictability to the line-up.

Suggs projects to be an efficient scorer who likes to pressure the rim and stretch the floor. NBADraft.Net had this to say about Suggs earlier this year:

"Tremendous shot selection with regard to the modern NBA, as almost 85% of his attempts came at the rim or behind the arc."

As a defender, Suggs is a high-energy competitor who will use his body to slow down the opposition and is capable of reading the passing lanes to create an early opportunity offense.

Suggs will likely be one of the more prominent rookies this season, and playing for the Magic will ensure he's afforded a ton of playing time to continue developing his encouraging playmaking and scoring skills.

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#2 Jalen Green

2021 NBA Draft - Jalen Grene shaking hands with Adam Silver

Jalen Green jumped straight from high school to the G-League with the Ignite team, and he dominated. A three-level scorer with an ability to create his own shooting space, Green projects to be one of the Houston Rockets' best players from opening night.

Green comes into the NBA as a ready-made contributor who has all the physical tools to take over games for stretches. Green will pressure the rim, hunt mid-range opportunities, and offer floor spacing when required. Defensively, Green showed he can hold his own against bigger, stronger opponents last season and will hope to continue that this season - though he will need to bulk up for that to become a reality.

I agree with ESPN here that Jalen Green will have the keys to the Rockets offense and is likely one half of a two-horse race for Rookie Of The Year.

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#1 Cade Cunningham

Detroit Pistons Introduce First NBA Draft First Overall Pick Cade Cunningham

A generational talent just waiting to be nurtured. Cade Cunningham enters the league as the most sought after prospect since Luka Doncic, and projects to be a fearsome opponent for years to come.

Pairing him with Killian Hayes, the Detroit Pistons have a back-court to last them the next decade or more. Cunningham shot 40% from deep last year while also averaging 3.5 assists and 62 rebounds per game. His team-first mentality makes him a coach's dream, while his ability to dominate games on either end of the floor makes him a nightmare to scheme for.

Cunningham can create or score out of both the pick-and-roll or isolation situations, and he loves to initiate fast-break plays with well-timed pitch passes after securing a rebound.

When thinking of rookies who will provide "can't miss TV" and a high-level impact on winning basketball, you can't look any further than this year's consensus number 1 pick. Oh, and just so you know, Cunningham is the other horse in that Rookie of the Year Race.