NBA Rookie Leaderboard 2/10/21

3. Immanuel Quickley

Immanuel Quickley is a new entrant into the rookie leaderboard this week. Quickley has been one of the biggest surprises of the draft so far. The 25th pick has found consistent playing time under Coach Tom Thibodeau in New York. He is playing an average of 19 minutes per game and has been the Knicks second point guard off the bench. Quickley is a score first guard who’s shifty game allows him to get off floaters and runners in the lane with ease. Seriously, Quickley already has one of the best floaters in the NBA today. His consistency with the ball and low turnover/assist ratio have made him a trusted player within the system. Immanuel leapfrogs last week’s bronze medal winner Anthony Edwards because of his ability to help winning. He is averaging 11.8 PPG, only 2 less than Edwards and his team has a much better record. The Knicks have been a surprise in the East so far this year, and they might have snagged the steal of the draft as well.

(theathletic.com)

2. Tyrese Haliburton

As much as I like Quickley, this Rookie of the Year race is quickly, see what I did there, turning into a two man race. The second runner in that race is Kings guard Tyrese Haliburton. This dude plays like he’s already been the league for 10 years. Similar to when Malcolm Brodgan won Rookie of the Year, Halliburton might win it for just being the smartest and most consistent rookie of the bunch. This year’s 12th overall pick has been a huge part of the Kings surprisingly hot start to the season. He is averaging 18 PPG in the last week and has been on the floor in the final moments of every close game this year. Haliburton has put Sacramento into a position of surplus at the guard position. His great play may allow them to move a player like Buddy Hield or Harrison Barnes without much issue. He even had a “smart foul” highlight on House of Highlights. That’s like the ultimate achievement for a crafty player. If Haliburton can keep up the impressive play, he may be able to overtake our number one rookie.

(Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

1. LaMelo Ball

Man, I was so wrong about LaMelo Ball. It only took him about 2 weeks to prove doubters like me wrong and he’s now stepped his game up to another level. Ball is averaging 24.8 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 6.5 assists in his last 4 games, with Charlotte going 2-2 over that stretch. LaMelo’s best game of the season came in a loss to the league leading Utah Jazz Friday night, where Ball dropped 34 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 assists. He also hit 7 threes during the game. For a guy who looked like his three pointer would not translate to the big leagues, LaMelo is shooting 36% of 5 attempts per game. A good stat for a young point guard who’s best skill is his passing. Speaking of passing, LaMelo could already be a top 5 passer in the league. His 6.2 assists per game leads all rookies and leads his Charlotte Hornets. Ball’s “Big Baller” week has him creating some space between himself and Haliburton. LaMelo took the starting job in Charlotte and I think its going to be hard to give it back to either Rozier or Devonte Graham. I was wrong about LaMelo, and you probably were too. It’s fully time to admit that he’s a joy to watch and the best rookie so far this year.

(Getty Images via nypost.com)