NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings: Week 14
Each week, FanSided will be ranking the NBA rookies based on their performance so far this season.
Orlando Magic guard Victor Olaidpo is beginning to give Philadelphia 76ers’ point guard Michael Carter-Williams a run for his money at the top of the list. Utah Jazz point guard Trey Burke had a rough week, but retains his spot. New York Knicks’ guard Tim Hardaway, Jr. returns to the list after having the best week of his career. Atlanta Hawks’ center Pero Antic fell out of the rankings, mostly because of his injury, which keeps Milwaukee Bucks’ guard Giannis Antetokounmpo on the list.
1. Michael Carter-Williams, PG, Philadelphia 76ers
Carter-Williams had a bit of a rough week. After scoring 22 points and dishing out 11 assists in a 124-113 loss to the Phoenix Suns on Monday, Carter-Williams had just 10 points on four-of-14 shooting to go with seven assists, five rebounds and two blocks in a 95-94 win over the Boston Celtics Wednesday. He scored 17 points, dished out five assists and grabbed four rebounds in 125-99 loss to the Atlanta Hawks Friday and suffered a shoulder injury that kept him out of the 76ers’ 113-96 loss to the Detroit Pistons Saturday. Carter-Williams still has been the best and most consistent rookie. He is averaging 17.2 points, 6.6 assists, 5.5 rebounds and 2.3 steals per game.
2. Victor Oladipo, G, Orlando Magic
Oladipo and the Magic had four games this week, but were able to win just one. In a 103-87 loss to the Pistons Tuesday, Oladipo had an excellent game, finishing with 19 points on seven-of-14 shooting with four rebounds and three assists. A day later, the Toronto Raptors took down the Magic 98-83. Oladipo had 12 points, three assists and two rebounds and shot just three-of-14 from the field. The Magic finally got a win on Friday, defeating the Milwaukee Bucks 113-102. Oladipo had 15 points on five-of-10 shooting to go with seven assists, five rebounds and three steals. The Magic then traveled to Boston where they defeated by the Celtics 96-89 Sunday afternoon. Oladipo had an awful day shooting, going three-of-16 from the field. He had 12 points, five assists, three rebounds and a steal. He’s now averaging 13.9 points, 4.5 rebounds, 3.9 assists and 1.6 steals per game.
3. Trey Burke, PG, Utah Jazz
Like most of his counterparts, Burke struggled throughout the week. In a 106-99 win over the Sacramento Kings Monday, he had eight points and four assists and shot just three-of-10 from the field. On Friday, the Golden State Warriors took down the Jazz 95-90. Burke managed just four points on two-of-10 shooting to go with six assists and three rebounds. In another loss, this time a 102-87 defeat at the hands of the Los Angeles Clippers Saturday night, Burke had six points, five assists and two rebounds. For the week, he averaged 6.0 points per game and shot seven-of-33 from the field (21.2%). It was certainly a week for the rookie to forget. On the season, he is averaging 12.9 points, 5.7 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game.
4. Tim Hardaway, Jr. G, New York Knicks
Hardaway, Jr. had the best week of his career. In a 114-88 win over the Boston Celtics Tuesday, Hardaway scored 16 points on five-of-10 shooting. Then, on Thursday, in a 117-86 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers, Hardaway scored a career-high 29 points on 11-of-17 shooting. He scored 17 points on seven-of-14 shooting in a 106-91 loss to the Miami Heat Saturday. Perhaps most importantly, Hardaway averaged 33.3 minutes per game. He’s now averaging 9.3 points and 1.4 rebounds per game.
5. Giannis Antetokounmpo, G, Milwaukee Bucks
Antetokounmpo, as usual, had an up-and-down week and the Bucks extended their losing streak to six games (and they have lost 15 of their last 16). On Monday, in a 114-86 loss to the Clippers, Antetokounmpo had eight points, seven rebounds, three assists and a block. Two days later, the Suns took down the Bucks 126-117. Antetokounmpo had six points, four assists and two rebounds. The Bucks were defeated by the Magic in Orlando 113-102 on Friday. Antetokounmpo had an excellent night, finishing with 15 points on four-of-seven shooting to go with seven rebounds, three assists and a steal. The Bucks were taken down by the Memphis Grizzlies 99-90 Saturday. Antetokounmpo played just 20 minutes and had only three points on one-of-three shooting. He is now averaging 7.1 points, 4.6 rebounds and 1.8 assists in 23.8 minutes per game.
In: – Tim Hardaway, Jr.
Out: – Pero Antic