The NBA is back, having kicked off the 2022-23 season last week. And, as is common with every campaign, fans are excited to see how the newest class of rookies will perform. Sadly, number two pick Chet Holmgren will have to wait until next season to begin his career, having gotten injured in an exhibition game during the summer, so he won’t be one to watch.
But here are a few others who should definitely grab attention over the course of this long season. Check five of them out right below.
1. Paolo Banchero – Orlando Magic
Paolo Banchero certainly looks like a player worth all the hype. The former Duke star led his new team, the Orlando Magic, in scoring during the preseason, averaging 14.0 points a game on 45 percent shooting from the field. He’s averaging 23.3 points a game to start the regular season.
Banchero became the favorite for Rookie of the Year on the back of Holmgren’s season-ending injury and will be a key player for the Magic this campaign.
The power forward averaged 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, and 3.2 assists, along with 1.1 steals and 0.9 blocks per game over the course of his Duke career. Should he develop a better shot from three-point range, he will have a base to stake acclaim as one of the league’s best in years to come.
2. Johnny Davis – Washington Wizards
The Washington Wizards selected Johnny Davis at number 10 in this year’s draft following a college career replete with personal awards. A consensus First-Team All-American this year, Davis also won the Lute Olson Award (given to the NCAA Division I’s most outstanding player).
The 6’5″ shooting guard will likely have to battle for his minutes and hasn’t seen competitive action yet. However, he is definitely one of the best talents to get drafted in 2022 and is likely to emerge as one to watch this season.
Davis averaged 19.7 points, 8.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.2 steals a game in his final year at Wisconsin. He could also become a bigger threat and a top option for the Wizards with an improved shot from three. He only made 30.6 percent of his threes in his last college season but is not trigger-shy, which was probably to his disadvantage.
3. Ochai Agbaji – Utah Jazz
The former Kansas shooting guard led the Jayhawks to the National Championship this year, much to the delight of residents and fans who put their money on the team, with Caesars sportsbook Kansas a top option over there. Agbaji was named a consensus first-team All-American, as well as the Big 12 Player of the Year and the Final Four Most Outstanding Player.
The Cleveland Cavaliers selected him at 14 in the draft but included him in the trade package that saw them land All-Star point guard Donovan Mitchell. Agbaji had only played a single minute of 2022-23 action in the NBA at the time of writing, but he will likely be a player to turn some heads this season.
4. Jalen Williams – Oklahoma City Thunder
The number 12 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, Jalen Williams, has been suiting up for the Oklahoma City Thunder and should see his minutes increase, given that the team is in rebuild mode. The likes of Josh Giddey and Luguentz Dort have benefitted from the same in recent years, and the rookie guard could serve as a backup for both players.
The former Santa Clara star averaged 18.0 points, 4.4 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game in his final college year, shooting 51 percent from the field and 39.6 percent from three. He was also an 81 percent shooter from the free-throw line.
He has been averaging 5.0 points per game, playing 6.0 minutes a night so far this season, and could have an opportunity to score more without committing too many turnovers, with Giddey mostly running the offense.
5. Jabari Smith Jr. – Houston Rockets
The Rook is on the ?️
— Houston Rockets (@HoustonRockets) September 26, 2022
WATCH ➡️ https://t.co/qI7yWSqa7f pic.twitter.com/aV4AnsVgRr
The Houston Rockets picked Jabari Smith Jr. at number three, but many predicted that he’d go first in this year’s draft. He came in behind Banchero and Holmgren but could be keen on proving he should have been the number one pick with a Rookie of the Year Award.
He has been thrust into a good situation on a personal front, given that the Rockets are also in rebuild mode, and opportunities should fall his way. Jabari averaged 16.9 points, 7.4 rebounds, and 2.0 assists per game at Auburn and is approaching the aforementioned scoring average as an NBA player. Putting in 31.6 minutes a contest in his first three games, the power forward is averaging 13.3 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 1.0 assists a night in a Rockets uniform. He’s likely to remain one of the team’s primary options as the season wears on.
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