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With two conferences over four months yielding eight distinct winners, the NBA’s monthly rookie awards showcase an array of emerging talents ready to excel according to their teams’ needs. Those who maintain an optimistic perspective might interpret the diverse winners as a sign of promising rookie potential. Conversely, a more pessimistic view might highlight the fact that none of the newcomers has yet claimed the award more than once.
Last season saw four rookies—Jaime Jaquez Jr. from Miami, Charlotte’s Brandon Miller, Chet Holmgren from Oklahoma City, and Victor Wembanyama of San Antonio—consistently earning honors, claiming all 10 awards throughout the 2023-24 season.
This year, however, a variety of rookies has taken center stage like players in a Whack-A-Mole game.
In February, the Eastern Conference honor went to Atlanta’s Zacharie Risacher, the top overall draft pick. He received this accolade following earlier wins by Jared McCain of Philadelphia, Washington’s Alex Sarr, and Miami’s Kel’el Ware.
In the Western Conference, Isaiah Collier from Utah claimed the top spot, succeeding Jaylen Wells, Yves Missi, and Stephon Castle, who earned the initial three awards.
Here’s the latest update on the Kia Rookie Ladder, showcasing the constantly shifting rankings of the Class of 2024:
• Collier wasn’t thrilled about being selected 29th overall in June, but that might shed light on his current rise. His Utah teammate Cody Williams commented: “He plays with a chip on his shoulder… He knows he was better than 28 players chosen before him in the draft.”
• For players like Philadelphia’s McCain, whose promising rookie season was cut short by season-ending surgery, pursuing additional learning opportunities is crucial.
• The Orlando Magic’s rollercoaster of good and bad news has affected rookie Tristan da Silva, who has seen his role diminish despite improvements in team health. With a 2-5 record since the All-Star break, da Silva has averaged only 14.3 minutes, 4.0 points, and 1.8 rebounds during a winless week.
• Did you catch Reed Sheppard’s performance with OKC on Monday, where he notched 25 points, five assists, three 3-pointers, and three combined steals and blocks? He made history as the first rookie to achieve all those stats in his inaugural start.
With just five weeks remaining, the race for the top of the ladder and Rookie of the Year accolades is heating up, particularly for fans in San Antonio and Memphis. Stephon Castle and Jaylen Wells find themselves in a close contest, easily interchangeable in the rankings with a month left to play. So far, Castle holds an advantage in usage rate (24.2%) among rookies who have played at least 30 games, reflecting a heavier responsibility with the Spurs, while Wells is at 14th (16.0%), filling a more specialized role for the Grizzlies.
(All statistics are current as of Tuesday, March 4.)
1. **Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs**
*Season stats: 13.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 3.5 apg*
*Last Ladder: 1*
*Draft pick: No. 4*
Castle rebounded from his slump against New Orleans, putting together a strong four-game performance with 95 points, 12 rebounds, and 21 assists. He scored 32 against OKC, marking his second 30-point game in five weeks and shooting 50% (37 of 74) during this successful stretch.
2. **Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies**
*Season stats: 11.4 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 1.7 apg*
*Last Ladder: 2*
*Draft pick: No. 39*
The consistent performer of the Class of 2024 has maintained his scoring, reaching double digits in six of his last eight games. His key advantages over Castle in the Rookie of the Year race include being a starter and contributing to a winning team, although team success is often undervalued in rookie evaluations.
3. **Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies**
*Season stats: 9.4 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.2 bpg*
*Last Ladder: 3*
*Draft pick: No. 9*
Edey has proven effective on both ends of the court, though he sometimes serves a situational role. Limited playing opportunities due to team losses have kept his fourth-quarter minutes low—ranking 20th among rookies—while his defensive effectiveness remains high at 117.3 (109.6 overall).
4. **Kel’el Ware, Miami Heat**
*Season stats: 8.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 1.1 bpg*
*Last Ladder: 4*
*Draft pick: No. 15*
Ware has alternated between double-digit scoring and rebounds in his last four games. He was sidelined (knee) for Wednesday’s game against Cleveland.
5. **Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks**
*Season stats: 11.6 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 1.3 apg*
*Last Ladder: 6*
*Draft pick: No. 1*
As the first overall pick in June, Risacher returns to the Top 5 after winning February’s Eastern Conference rookie award, further bolstered by a 27-point game against Memphis, where he shot an impressive 11-of-13.
6. **Isaiah Collier, Utah Jazz**
*Season stats: 7.2 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 6.1 apg*
*Last Ladder: 7*
*Draft pick: No. 29*
In February, Collier showcased his skill with 123 assists, setting a rookie record for the most in a month since Pooh Richardson in 1990. Notably, his turnovers decreased from 49 in January to 44, even as his on-court responsibilities increased.
7. **Yves Missi, New Orleans Pelicans**
*Season stats: 8.6 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 1.4 bpg*
*Last Ladder: 5*
*Draft pick: No. 21*
Adjusting to playing alongside Kelly Olynyk in a dual-big lineup has proved challenging for Missi, leading to only 14 boards across his last three contests.
8. **Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards**
Carrington leads all rookies in playing time (29.4 mpg) and ranks second in assists, achieving 13 games with 5+ assists and one or fewer turnovers to date.
*Season stats: 9.2 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 4.0 apg*
*Last Ladder: 8*
*Draft pick: No. 14*
9. **Alex Sarr, Washington Wizards**
*Season stats: 11.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.5 bpg*
*Last Ladder: 9*
*Draft pick: No. 2*
After being recognized as January’s top rookie in the East, Sarr has played only four games since due to injury, causing his momentum to stall.
10. **Kyle Filipowski, Utah Jazz**
*Season stats: 7.6 ppg, 5.2 rpg, 2.0 apg*
*Last Ladder: Not ranked*
*Draft pick: No. 32*
Filipowski outperformed Portland’s Donovan Clingan during his breakout week (14.8 ppg, 8.3 rpg, 3.3 apg, 50% FG), but he finished the week with a minus-20 in the Jazz’s 1-3 record.
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Steve Aschburner has been covering the NBA since 1980. You can email him here, explore his archive here, or follow him on X.
The opinions expressed on this page do not necessarily reflect those of the NBA, its teams, or Warner Bros. Discovery.
