NBA 2019-20: 8 best performing rookies so far

Every year, the NBA welcomes rookies from all over the world to show their skills in the league. A total of 60 players are selected on the Draft day out of hundreds of draft prospects by the teams during the off-season. They are then tested in the summer league and the preseason so that the teams can work on the rookies to nurture their skills in order to make them ready for the upcoming NBA season.

Usually, the top draft picks perform the best during the season, get the best contract out of their rookie season and often become the face of their franchise in the future. However, every year we see some rookies who get drafted really low but still surprisemost people with their skills.

Last season, Luka Doncic, who was the 3rd overall pick in the 2018-19 NBA draft, averaged 21 points, 7 rebounds, and 9 assists per game for the Dallas Mavericks and made the case as to why he should have been the 1st overall pick. He also won the Rookie of the Year award and like him, we have some more surprising rookies who have come out of nowhere this season and are proving to be of great value for their respective teams. Let's have a look at 8 of them.

#8 PJ Washington

The recent addition to the Charlotte Hornets' roster with the 12th overall pick, PJ Washington is a solid offensive talent with quick wet jumpers from downtown and is really a solid transition shooter. Coming out of Kentucky, Washington averaged 12.9 points, 6.6 rebounds, and 1.7 assists per game, which made him a clear top 1st round pick in the 2019 NBA Draft.

With the Hornets however, he is averaging 12.1 points, 5.1 boards, and 1.8 assists a game right now. Washington's offensive game looks very solid as he is shooting nearly 50% from the field, 42.5% from the 3-point line, and his effective field goal percentage is 56.6%.

Washington is locked in for a great rookie season and is getting a lot of experience form Devonte' Graham and Miles Bridges as they have come out of their rookie season and are making a great jump in their career. The Hornets' future is not as bad as it looked earlier in the off-season when Kemba Walker left the team.

#7 Coby White

Another top 1st round pick, Coby White is showing some really solid offensive skill-set. While being with the North Carolina college basketball team, White didn't have great playmaking ability, but his scoring game got him a top spot in the draft and the Chicago Bulls drafted him at No. 7. While he couldn't show much efficiency in the summer league, but still the hype for his game didn't go down as he went off for some really solid performance in the preseason.

His start of the season was really impressive as he scored 17 points, 7 assists and 3 rebounds while shooting 46% from the field. He had some really good starts and his talent is very evident. In the first two games, White showed up really well while coming off the bench and showed us why the Bulls drafted him. He has given a much needed offense as a rookie to the Bulls and serves great as the 6th man of the team.

#6 Rui Hachimura

With the 9th overall pick, the Washington Wizards introduced Rui Hachimura to their lineup. Hachimura played for the Gonzaga Bulldogs in his college career and had 3 really productive seasons there. He averaged 19.7 points, 6.5 rebounds, and 1.5 assists per game in the 2018-19 college season and left a very strong impression on some NBA scouts and this landed him in the NBA draft this off-season.

Right now, Hachimura is averaging 14.2 points, 5.8 rebounds, and 1.7 assists a game. While his 3-point is game is not good, his soft touch at the rim and mid-range jumpers are rock solid.

His 6'8" tall structure is really helping him getting boards at both ends of the floor and his defense will be his greatest asset throughout his basketball career and it looks likes the Wizards have found another explosive offensive talent like John Wall in Hachimura, but this time as a Power Forward.

#5 Tyler Herro

Herro's shooting and scoring ability caught everyone's eye and this surely got him a spot in the draft this off-season. After playing only 1 year in college for Kentucky, Herro averaged 14 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.5 assists while shooting 46.2% from the field and a solid 93.5% from the free throw line.

This past off-season had been really busy for the Miami Heat as they traded in Jimmy Butler and Kendrick Nunn as another rookie. Herro is shooting an efficient 39.2% from the 3-point line and besides being just a shooter, Herro is proving to be a complete player at the NBA level as he is quick enough to drive to the basket, knows how to create space for his teammates on the floor, and has the ability to fill an open space to take a wide open shot very well.

Herro's talent is undeniable and the 2019-20 NBA season for the Heat doesn't look disorganized as they have Butler, Goran Dragic and now Herro is proving himself as one of the best rookies if not the best rookie.

#4 RJ Barrett

The 3rd overall pick in the draft brough RJ Barrett to the New York Knicks. As he came out of high school, Barrett was the 1st overall ranked player in the country and as a Duke in college, he averaged an impressive 22.6 points, 7.6 boards, and 4.3 assists per game. This made a really safe and secured top spot for him in the draft.

The Knicks saw Barrett's capabilities and got him early in the draft. But what was really concerning about him was his shooting ability while players like Zion Williamson and Ja Morant could be seen everywhere on the floor during their 2018-19 college season and that's what concerned everyone when the Knicks drafted him at the 3rd overall spot.

Barrett's skills were somewhat witnessed in the summer league, but his shooting skills were nowhere to be found. However, as the regular season progressed, Barrett's shooting came to notice as he shot 53.8% from the 3-point line and 50% from the field through the first 3 games of the season.

Barrett has really impressed the franchise and his teammates don't really hesitate while giving him the ball in clutch situations. He has come up as the playmaker and primary offensive option for the team and makes a solid potential for the Rookie of the Year title this year.

#3 Kendrick Nunn

The only undrafted rookie on the list! Although Nunn had some rough days back in 2016 as he was charged with domestic violence. He then joined the college of Oakland in the 2017-18 season and averaged a solid 25.9 points, 4.7 rebounds, and 3.8 assists per game. This built-up good confidence in him and he declared for the 2018 NBA draft but went unnoticed by several NBA teams and finished it undrafted.

Nunn then routed to the g-league and played for the Santa Cruz Warriors. There he shot 47.3% from the field while averaging 19.3 points per game and that caught the Miami Heat's attention and they signed him for a 2-year $3 million contract this off-season.

Nunn once again gained a lot of national attention when he scored 40 points including 6 3 pointers in the preseason against the Houston Rockets. He hasn't slowed down since then even in the regular season (averaging 15.3 points, 2.5 boards, and 3.4 assists a game), shooting 44% from the field and he is in the real conversation to win the Rookie of the Year award where he will be the first undrafted player ever to do so. His strength and confidence looks unstoppable and the addition of such a player to the Heat's team along with Tyler Herro and Jimmy Butler is giving us a solid future for the Miami Heat.

#2 Eric Paschall

The only 2nd round pick this NBA Draft, Eric Paschall is one of the recent additions to the Golden State Warriors' lineup. Although Paschall wasn't supposed to step-up this much for his team, but the fact that Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson are out due to injuries and Draymond Green is also dealing with injuries every now and then, couldn't make Paschall stay on the bench for most of the minutes of the game.

After playing 4 years in college, Paschall got drafted as the 41st overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft. In the past season with Villanova University, Paschall averaged 16.5 points, 6.1 boards and 2.1 assists per game.

As a Warrior, he is averaging more than 31 minutes per game while averaging 17 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. Right now, he is leading all the rookies in minutes played, points, field goals made, free throws made, rebounds, points in paint, and 2nd chance points. This shows us the level of work Paschall is doing for his team. He is all over the floor, making every possible effort to keep the momentum of his team.

However, as there's a lack of leadership in the Warriors' game, everything looks sloppy and dysfunctional. But still, there is a hope that Paschall could be named the Rookie of the Year if he continues his momentum and also leads his team to some further wins in the regular season.

#1 Ja Morant

Now comes the 2nd overall pick in the 2019 NBA draft, Ja Morant. When Morant finished his High School, he was unknown to most of the basketball world as he was unranked and his abilities didn't show much of a certainty and that was reflected in his freshman season in college too. Since then, he outworked himself, climbed up in ranking and was noticed by many NBA scouts.

In his sophomore season in college, Morant averaged 24.5 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 10 assists per game which made him the best draft prospect after Zion Williamson and the Memphis Grizzlies didn't hesitate when they drafted him at no.2. The hype for Morant was real and he didn't let any of those expectations down as he is currently averaging 18.6 points, and 6.4 assists per game.

The Grizzlies needed a much needed offense from a Point-Guard which they were lacking ever since Mike Conley left the team and this is where Morant comes in. His scoring and passing abilities are unmatched, his speed and ability to finish at the rim are as good as advertised. This clearly makes him the top candidate for the Rookie of the Year award.

Edited by A. Ayush Chatterjee