NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings: Week 9
Each week, FanSided will be ranking the NBA rookies based on the performance so far this season.
Philadelphia 76ers’ point guard Michael Carter-Williams has fallen out of the top spot for the second time this season.
1. Trey Burke, PG, Utah Jazz
Michael Carter-Williams looked like he could lose the top spot to Victor Oladipo, but instead it is Burke who takes the top spot. Burke, the ninth overall pick in the draft, has had a couple of excellent games this week. In a 104-94 loss to the Memphis Grizzlies Monday, he had 18 points on five-of-12 shooting and dished out five assists. On Friday, the Jazz defeated the Los Angeles Lakers 105-103. Burke had 14 points on six-of-10 shooting and had seven assists. In a 98-90 loss to the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday, Burke had 12 points, six assists, two rebounds and a steal. He’s averaging 13.5 points, 5.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game this season.
2. Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Philadelphia 76ers
Carter-Williams looked like his was going to run away with the Rookie of the Year Award, but injuries have caught up with him. First, Carter-Williams was bothered by an infection in his injured knee. He returned on December 20 and played again the next night. However, the 76ers had a whole week off before getting back to work on Saturday night. In that game, a 115-101 loss to the Phoenix Suns, Carter Williams scored 27 points, but was extremely inefficient, going 12-of-28 from the field. He had six assists, six rebounds, four steals and a block. He’s averaging 17.6 points, 7.8 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 3.0 steals per game this year.
3. Victor Oladipo, G, Orlando Magic
Oladipo has really struggled lately. In a 103-98 loss to the New York Knicks on Monday night, Oladipo only played 16 minutes as Magic head coach Jacque Vaughn decided to stick with his starting five as the Magic cut a 25-point third quarter deficit to one in the fourth quarter. On Friday, in a 109-92 victory over the Detroit Pistons, Oladipo bounced back in a big. He logged 37 minutes and took advantage, finishing with 16 points on five-of-12 shooting, 11 assists, five rebounds and a steal.
4. Tim Hardaway, Jr., SG, New York Knicks
Hardaway continues to impress despite the Knicks’ struggles. After scoring just five points in 18 minutes in the Knicks’ 103-98 victory over the Magic Monday, Hardaway scored 21 points, grabbed five rebounds and dished out two assists in 38 minutes in a 123-94 loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder on Christmas Day. The Knicks were back in action Friday night when they were defeated by the Toronto Raptors 95-83. Hardway had 15 points in the defeat. The Knicks took on the Raptors again Saturday and for the second consecutive night, they were defeated, this time 115-100. Hardway had 12 points in the loss. He’s now averaging 9.0 points, 1.3 rebounds and 1.0 assists per game.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, G, Milwaukee Bucks
Antetokounmpo joins the list and if he can keep playing at this level, it probably won’t take him long to climb it. In a 111-110 loss to the Charlotte Bobcats Monday, Antetokounmpo had 12 points, six rebounds and two assists. In a 104-93 loss to the Brooklyn Nets Friday, he scored 16 points, pulled down 10 rebounds and blocked three shots. In a 117-95 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves Saturday, Antetokounmpo took a bit of a step back scoring-wise, finishing with just six points on six shots. He did, however, add five rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocks. On the season, he’s averaging 7.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game.
In: Giannis Antetokounmpo
Out: Ben McLemore