Multiple Second-Round Picks Given Rotation Minutes in Last Night's NBA Slate

Last night's NBA slate featured just two games, but they could end up being some of the most entertaining of the season. Through three nights of action, most of the league's matchups were nail-biters, and yesterday was nothing short of that.

The first game saw the Oklahoma City Thunder in an NBA Finals rematch against the Indiana Pacers. On the road, the Thunder took home a double-overtime win, but the Pacers hung in there without Tyrese Haliburton. They used their biggest strength: depth.

One player featured was Taelon Peter, the No. 54 pick of the 2025 NBA Draft. The 6-foot-3 guard put up just three points, one assist and one steal, but received 17 minutes, including some time down the stretch.

Peter could be a big piece for Indiana down the road, considering Haliburton will miss the entire season. He shot 45.3% from three at Liberty last season, averaging 13.7 points per game. The spot-up shooter could be a major offensive piece for a team that likes to run fresh, young legs.

The other game was just as entertaining, as the Golden State Warriors took down the Denver Nuggets in San Francisco, winning 137-131 in overtime. Stephen Curry once again come up clutch with 42 points, six rebounds and seven assists.

The other rookie featured in that game was Will Richard, the No. 56 pick in the draft. For the second-straight game, he received at least 14 minutes of playing time, this time getting 17 against the Nuggets.

The 22-year-old put up six points, five rebounds, three assists and a steal, doing a little bit of everything in spurts for the Warriors. He managed to shoot 2-for-5 from the field.

Given his age as a rookie, Richard could be a key rotation player for a Golden State team without Moses, Seth Curry and De'Anthony Melton to start the season. He has experience playing at the highest level in college, helping lead Florida to a National Championship this year.

The 2025 NBA Draft class was very deep, so while it's a bit of a surprise to see these second-round picks get good minutes early in the season, their strengths were not overlooked.

Again, Richard and Peter are 22 and 23 years old, so they are more developed coming into the league as rookies. That may mean their ceilings aren't as high as other top picks or younger rookies, but they can come and make an immediate impact, which is what happened last night.