NBA 2019-20: Rookie of the Year Power Rankings Week 8

#2 Eric Paschall - Golden State Warriors

Eric Paschall's chances may be impacted by the return of D'Angelo Russell

Eric Paschall started Week 7 dropping 24 points on the Atlanta Hawks, and the 23-year-old appeared primed for another huge week. However, D'Angelo Russell returned from injury for Golden State's next game against the Hornets, and Paschall's numbers have since dipped as he adapts to a smaller role on the Warriors' offense.

Over his past three appearances, Paschall has averaged a relatively low 11.3 points and 3.6 rebounds per game. His Rookie of the Year chances could be negatively impacted by Russell's presence.

Nevertheless, as it stands, the New York native is averaging 16.6 points, 5.2 rebounds and 1.7 assists in 31.5 minutes per game. It will be interesting to see if he can adapt his game well over the coming weeks.

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#1 Ja Morant - Memphis Grizzlies

Ja Morant returned in a big way after missing four games with a back injury

Ja Morant missed four consecutive games last week due to back spasms, but the 20-year-old returned with a huge performance on Monday night. Against a struggling Golden State team, Morant recorded 26 points while connecting with 8 of his 14 field goal attempts. The dynamic point guard was particularly impressive in the fourth quarter as he poured in 13 points.

Morant also connected with 3 of his 5 attempts from beyond the arc, and through 18 appearances this season, the Murray State product is averaging 19.1 points, 3.1 rebounds and 6.4 assists per game. The chasing pack had the chance to close the gap to Morant over the past week, but the Grizzlies man remains the front-runner to be named Rookie of the Year.