NBA 2019-20: Rookie of the Year Power Rankings Week 3

We are now into the third week of the 2019-20 NBA season, and basketball fans around the league have had enough time to develop their initial impressions on the latest crop of exciting rookies. While no individual has yet to make a similar impact to last season's winner, Luka Doncic, plenty of rookies have caught the eye.

Additionally, with Zion Williamson out for the foreseeable future, this season's Rookie of the Year battle is shaping up to be among the most competitive in recent memory. So, after watching the latest rookies during the opening two weeks in the NBA, here we will take a look at how they stack up heading into Week 3.

#5 Rui Hachimura - Washington Wizards

Rui Hachimura has made an immediate impact despite Washington's slow start to the season

Rui Hachimura showed glimpses of his talent while representing Japan at the 2019 FIBA World Cup, and the 21-year-old has been able to take advantage of the Washington Wizards' ongoing injury problems to make an immediate impact in the NBA.

While the Wizards have only won two of their first six games, Hachimura has already established himself as Washington's second-best option behind Bradley Beal. The ninth overall pick is currently averaging 14.7 points, 5.7 rebounds, and 1.3 assists per game, and he made plenty of waves last week when he dropped 23 points on the Rockets while shooting 9-15 from the field.

Admittedly, Hachimura endured his first bad game in the NBA just days later as he managed just four points against the Timberwolves, although the 21-year-old will be given ample responsibility on a young Wizards roster, and he could be a dark horse for the Rookie of the Year award.

#4 RJ Barrett - New York Knicks

RJ Barrett has started the season well despite the New York Knicks' woeful form

No rookie was questioned more during the offseason than RJ Barrett, although the Duke product has been among the few positives from a disappointing opening two weeks for the New York Knicks. Through seven games, Barrett is averaging 18.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, 3.3 assists, while shooting a respectable 35.7% from beyond the arc.

Following an underwhelming nine-point performance against the Magic, Barrett bounced back by filling up the stat sheet against the Celtics, before dropping 22 points on the Kings. Nevertheless, load management could be an issue for the 19-year-old as the season progresses as he is currently averaging 36.5 minutes per game - and he featured for 40 minutes in the Knicks' latest loss on Sunday night.

#3 Eric Paschall - Golden State Warriors

Eric Paschall put in a memorable performance against the Trail Blazers

The Golden State Warriors have dominated the NBA for the past five years, although their start to the 19-20 season has been a horror show. After losing several key players over the summer, the Warriors have been played off the court on a nightly basis, and Steph Curry and Klay Thompson face lengthy stays on the sidelines. Nevertheless, the Warriors have found a player in Eric Paschall, who has seized his opportunity in the opening weeks of the season.

Through seven appearances, Paschall is averaging 16.7 points and 4.4 rebounds, and he has now scored at least 20 points in three of his past four games. On Monday night, Paschall celebrated his 23rd birthday by dropping a career-high 34 points on the Trail Blazers, steering the Warriors to just their second win of the season. Due to the Warriors' current injury issues, Paschall will have the opportunity to play a big role in the coming weeks, and the second-round pick will only get better in the coming weeks.

#2 Kendrick Nunn - Miami Heat

Kendrick Nunn has been among the surprises of the season so far

After going undrafted in the 2018 NBA draft, Kendrick Nunn was signed to a partially guaranteed deal by the Warriors, although the Chicago native was soon released and restricted to appearances in the G-League for the Santa Cruz Warriors. Nevertheless, Nunn used the G-League as a platform to demonstrate his talents, and he now finds himself among the most impressive rookies heading into Week 3 of the season.

Last Thursday, Nunn scored a season-high 28 points against the Hawks, which took his points tally through five games to 112 points. This is the most in NBA history for an undrafted rookie, and ESPN points out that it is also more than LeBron James managed in his first five outings for the Heat.

Nunn has made just one more appearance since breaking the record, as he contributed five points and five assists during the Heat's destruction of the Rockets. Evidently, more lies ahead for the 24-year-old and it will be interesting to see how he fares against LeBron and the Lakers later this week.

#1 Ja Morant - Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant is living up to the hype through two weeks of the season

Even before Zion Williamson was ruled out for the opening months of the season, some experts had predicted that Ja Morant would take home the Rookie of the Year award. Much like the other high draft picks on this list, Morant has had little help around him on a struggling Grizzlies roster, although he has still managed to average 19.5 points, 3.7 rebounds, and 5.5 assists per contest.

His accuracy from the field is also at an impressive 53%, while his playmaking skills continue to shine. Ultimately, Morant won't have much success with the Grizzlies this season, although his individual performances put him as the leading contender to take home the 2020 Rookie of the Year award.