Mere hours away from the NBA All-Star weekend, the NBA’s newest class of rookies are heating up now more than ever.
The top, Orlando’s Paolo Banchero and Indiana’s Bennedict Mathurin, continue to remain steady in the first and second overall spots, respectively. Meanwhile, Oklahoma City’s Jalen Williams has made a strong case to be the outright third-best rookie on the season with his infusion of efficient offense and XX defense for the Thunder.
Rounding out the top five are Jaden Ivey and Keegan Murray, both of which have continued promising debut campaigns.
Malaki Branham is the newest addition to the list, averaging a rookie-high 17.4 points per game in the month of February so far. He’s shot 49 percent overall, 40 percent from beyond the arc and 71 percent from the line in what’s been one of the hottest rookies stretches of the season. In addition, he’s added 3.6 rebounds and 2.9 assists per game in that span.
Branham, drafted No. 20 overall by the Spurs, saw a slide on draft night 2022. But is still one of the more intriguing long-term players in the class. A surprise one-and-done at Ohio State, he was one of the better scorers in the class. And he’s finally getting to showcase that talent with San Antonio.
Branham's fellow rookie and teammate, Jeremy Sochan, has seen a hot-streak himself.
Here is the full Draft Digest rookie ladder:
1. Paolo Banchero, Orlando Magic
2. Bennedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers
3. Jalen Williams, Oklahoma City Thunder
4. Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons
5. Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings
6. Walker Kessler, Utah Jazz
7. Jeremy Sochan, San Antonio Spurs
8. Jabari Smith Jr., Houston Rockets
9. Jalen Duren, Detroit Pistons
10. Malaki Branham, San Antonio Spurs
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