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NBA Preseason is already over with NBA rookies showing off their talents on the court. Preseason has, so far, been used to anticipate the Rookie of the Year player entering the regular season. So far, Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have shown all the potential to become the Rookie of the Year.
Based on their potential and their preseason performance, here is the list of top 10 rookies entering the regular season in the fantasy rookie rankings in 2023. This is just the list before the season, there is a high chance that the list could change substantially with even newer players being included on the list.
Fantasy Basketball Top 10 best rookies 2023
#1 Victor Wembanyama, PF/C, San Antonio Spurs
As long as no serious injury keeps him off the court in his rookie season, Victor Wembanyama is the best rookie entering this regular season. He is also the running favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award.
Wembanyama came off of one of the best preseasons for a rookie. He averaged 19.3 points along with one steal and 2.8 blocks per game in four games in the preseason. What is even more impressive is the fact that he did it averaging under 21 minutes per game.
He recorded the most shots taken by a rookie per game in the preseason but did it on almost 51% field goal percentage. He is going to spearhead the Spurs’ offense and defense in the regular season.
#2 Chet Holmgren, PF/C, Oklahoma City Thunder
Chet Holmgren is technically a rookie because he did not play in his drafting season after being injured during the offseason. Just like Wemby, he is also a gifted scorer and an excellent rim protector. Chet had an excellent preseason and played four games for the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Holmgren averaged under 20 minutes per game for the Thunder. In those 19.3 minutes, he averaged 16.3 points, five rebounds, and two blocks per game. He averaged almost the same points as Victor.
#3 Scoot Henderson - PG, Portland Trail Blazers
Scott Henderson is considered to be a combination of Derrick Rose and Russell Westbrook. He has off-the-charts athleticism and high shooting ability. Although he could not display his shooting ability to its fullest, he had a good preseason. He is the best guard in the rookie class based on the way he reads the defense and facilitates.
In the four preseason games for the Portland Trail Blazers, he averaged 13.50 points and 5.75 assists in 28.3 minutes per game. With Damian Lillard gone and Jrue Holiday also traded, Henderson will have more minutes on the court, which would be substantial to his development.
#4 Ausur Thompson - SG/SF, Detroit Pistons
Ausur Thompson entered the league as one of the most promising rookies, and of course, this is good news for the Detroit Pistons. Through three preseason games, he has proved his worth with his game on both ends of the court.
Through the three preseason games, he averaged 12.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.3 blocks per game. He also shot at a high 50% from the three-point line. Of course, this is an unusual start for a rookie. Even if his three-point shooting percentage goes down in the regular season, he still would be able to maintain a good percentage. Additionally, his defense is also going to earn him good minutes on the court.
#5 Dereck Lively II - PF/C, Dallas Mavericks
Dereck Lively II is the first rookie player since Luka Doncic to start a regular season opening night for the Dallas Mavericks. This puts him in the running to steal the ROTY award. He is already among the 13 rookies from this season that Nike has signed to a shoe deal.
Lively has already impressed coach Jason Kidd with his work ethic. He averaged just under nine points and shot at an impressive 68% field goal percentage.
#6 Amen Thompson - PG/SG, Houston Rockets
He averaged 11.60 points, 3.20 assists and 1.20 steals per game while playing 21.7 minutes over five games for the Houston Rockets. The 6-foot-7 guard provides length and young legs to the team and averaged only two turnovers over the five games.
He is also one of the best on-ball defenders in the rookie class. Yes, he will have to improve his three-point shooting percentage over time, but his talent is an absolute fit for the Pistons.
#7 Vasilije Micic - PG, Oklahoma City Thunder
Vasilije Micic is a very unusual rookie since he is already 29 years old and entering his rookie season for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He is the most experienced rookie in 2023. Perhaps the best part of his game is his assist.
Ahead of Henderson, Vasilije averaged 6.0 assists per game in just 18.5 minutes per game. If he gets to have more minutes, he might be one of the top assists leaders in the league.
#8 Julian Strawther - SF, Denver Nuggets
Julian Strawther is everything the Denver Nuggets could want from a rookie on their roster. Amid the noise that Wembanyama and Holmgren had around them, Strawther was quietly writing his own chapter.
Julian was only second behind Wembanyama in the points per game by a rookie in the preseason. Perhaps, the best part of his game that stood out was his three-point shooting. He shot at 45.2 percent from 3-point range. Just know that he is playing with Nikola Jokic, which is just perfect for his talent.
He is also an excellent defender for a rookie and that should, at least, earn him good minutes during the regular season.
#9 Anthony Black - PG, Orlando Magic
Anthony Black did not have an impressive preseason with the Orlando Magic. He was selected number overall in the 2023 Draft. What makes Black stand out in his class are his passing skills and the basketball IQ at his young age. With a 6-ft-7 size, he has a great ability to see over the defense to his credit.
In his final preseason game, he filled up the stat sheet with numbers. He scored 21 points, which included five three-pointers from beyond the arc.
Magic already has too many guards on the roster, but his three-point might get him some minutes in the games. The question is, how he is going to use his minutes to win more from his coach?
#10 Emoni Bates - SF, Cleveland Cavaliers
Emoni Bates is one of the biggest surprises in the rookie class. He can be one of the leading beneficiaries of the Cleveland Cavaliers' spaced-out leading attack. He can score from all points on the floor, which should earn him good minutes.
In the four preseason games that Bates played, he averaged only 15.2 per game and averaged 10.50 points and just one turnover per game. He also shot at an impressive 50% from the field and 45.5% from the three-point line.
