NBA Rookie Rankings: Collin Sexton and Wendell Carter rise up

CLEVELAND, OH - OCTOBER 6: Collin Sexton #2 of the Cleveland Cavaliers is seen against the Boston Celtics during a pre-season game on October 6, 2018 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by David Liam Kyle/NBAE via Getty Images) /

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There’s a lot of upheaval in our rookie rankings this week. Collin Sexton and Wendell Carter both crack the top five for the first time.

We bid a fond farewell to both Trae Young and Marvin Bagley this week. Both have been members of our top five all season, but you won’t find either star on this week’s list. Young and Bagley both need to score to impact their teams in a positive manner. Neither has done so lately.

In their place, you’ll see two new lottery picks. Wendell Carter is giving the Bulls a nice lift at the center position. Scoring isn’t his forte, but he’s doing the little things right for Fred Hoiberg’s club.

Collin Sexton’s rise has been even more impressive for the Cavaliers. That’s not a team that has any hope of being good this season, but he’s leading Cleveland in scoring lately. That at least gives the franchise a glimmer of hope for the future.

We start this week’s rankings with a deep dive on a new guy at the No. 5 spot.

5. Wendell Carter

Carter isn’t the flashiest rookie in this class, but he is getting better night in and night out for the Bulls. In particular, he’s giving his team a nice boost on the defensive end of the floor.

That’s where Carter can really become a standout in Chicago. He’s got surprising lateral quickness for a guy his size. He may never become a great switch guy, but he’s passable in most matchups. Given the struggles of guys around him to defend this season, he’s been a real bright spot.

Offensively, he’s shown flashes of good finishing ability, but there’s still work to do. He’s averaging over 11 points per game, but he’s only shooting 46.5 percent from the field. In particular, he needs to do a better job finishing around the rim. Carter isn’t an explosive athlete vertically, but he’ll learn to improve his finishing with more craft as his career progresses.

Bulls fans should be really pleased with Carter’s play thus far, he looks like a long-term starter at the five for years to come.

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