NBA Rookie Rankings: Who is the best pure scorer?

Being a great scorer doesn’t make you a great player in today’s NBA, but these rookies have the valuable skill of being able to put the ball in the hoop.

In many ways, scoring has gone out of vogue in the NBA. Some players are derided for only having “counting stats” when their advanced metrics don’t look good. There’s a lot of fairness in those criticisms, but there’s still a place in the league for guys who can get buckets.

Fortunately for several teams, they managed to unearth rookies in the draft who have translated to instant offense at the professional level. This list doesn’t necessarily represent the best five rookies in the class, but these guys have already shown an ability to score at a high level. In most cases the rest of their games need work, but flashing the ability to score prolifically gives them an upper hand on their peers.

We start our list with a guy who scores in an unconventional way. He may not wow you with shooting or one-on-one moves, but he still finds a way to really hurt opposing defenses.

5. Jaren Jackson, Jr.

Jackson does his best work on offense by sprinting to the front of the rim on every possession. That allows him to seal off defenders and go to work with his jump hook. It’s not the most glamorous skill set of all time, but it’s very effective.

What’s even more intriguing about Jackson is the fact that he’s getting much more comfortable with the three ball. He always projected as a guy who could become an above average shooter from deep, but he struggled mightily from three to open th year.

Recently, he’s really flashed the ability to make shots from beyond the elbow. That’s an excellent sign for a young player who’s just scratching the surface of his immense ability.