NBA99: Ranking the best rookies in the NBA this season

FanSided has released their NBA99, ranking the 99 best players in the NBA right now. We'll be updating the rankings throughout the year but you can check out the current rankings here. As part of that project, we're also looking at the relative rankings of the rookies in this historic class.

The 2023 NBA rookie class was billed as the greatest in recent history. Well, that was underselling it a bit. We have an all-time battle for Rookie of the Year honors unfolding, in addition to several future stars and high-level contributors just starting to scratch the surface of their potential.

It can be difficult to judge the value of rookies in a vacuum. Each prospect inherits a different role on a different team.

There are great rookies marinating in the G League, such as Jazz forward Taylor Hendricks. He looks great in G League competition, but he won't be on this list because he's not in the NBA rotation. On the flip side, those lucky enough to land in a rebuilding situation — such as No. 3 pick Scoot Henderson — are able to play through mistakes and learn through trial and error.

With these rankings, the focus will be on winning impact, regardless of role. It's impossible not to favor those with more pronounced responsibilities, but we will not overlook the excellent utility pieces that aren't necessarily putting up flashy numbers.

Here are the 15 best rookies in the NBA right now.

Marcus Sasser has carved out a real niche in the crowded Pistons backcourt. He's not a developmental priority there, but Sasser's high 3-point volume, dynamic handles, and connective passing instincts should factor into the second unit for years to come.

He needs to figure out the jumper, but Ausar Thompson's live-wire athleticism continues to shine in Detroit. He's the best perimeter defensive playmaker in his class, constantly exploding into passing lanes or flying over from the help side to block shots. The offense is a work in progress, but Thompson's blistering first step, high-level passing, and acrobatic finishing around the rim allows him to contribute.

Toumani Camara competes his a** off on defense, night in and night out. At 6-foot-8, he handles Portland's toughest assignments and applies constant pressure at the point of attack. The offense has a long way to go, but Camara hits enough 3s to stay on the floor. Meanwhile, his athleticism translates to impressive finishes around the rim.

A rare 27-year-old rookie, Duop Reath worked long and hard to finally earn his chance in the NBA. Now, he's signed with the Blazers long-term. A true stretch-five, Reath supplies a steady dose of spot-up 3s and finesse finishes to go along with commendable effort on defense. He's vulnerable guarding in space and he's not the most multi-faceted contributor, but Portland has benefitted immensely from Reath's floor-spacing.

Cam Whitmore has made several teams regret their decision to pass on him already. The athleticism contained within his 6-foot-7, 232-pound frame is difficult to fathom. Whitmore explodes down the lane like a muscle car, absorbing contact for tough finishes and seldom coming across a defender quick enough to combat his first step. He needs to progress as a decision-maker and defender, but the tools are there and Whitmore is already a prolific bench scorer.

It took time for Scoot Henderson to find his footing after an early-season injury, but the production is starting to come in steadier waves. He needs to boost his efficiency and improve his defense, but Henderson's thundering drives, acrobatic finishes, and high-level passes pop on a nightly basis. He's the closest we have to Derrick Henry in the NBA. With more polish and a little bit of time, we should see Henderson's star power start to shine through.

Keyonte George struggled with efficiency out of the gate, but he took to Utah's starting point guard role with surprising quickness. The bubbly shot creation and dynamic 3-point shooting are very real, and George will only get more consistent in both areas over time. He is consistently generating advantages and spearheading the Jazz's egalitarian offense, fitting beautifully within Will Hardy's dynamic scheme.

A relative late-bloomer compared to others on this list, Amen Thompson returned from an early-season ankle injury to assert his prominence in a crowded Rockets backcourt. There are few better athletes in the NBA. Thompson already wows in transition and on defense, where his activity level often leads to transition opportunities. He's a visionary passer with an unrivaled first step at 6-foot-7. The only major drawback is his lack of 3-point proficiency.

Cason Wallace plugged into OKC's deep and versatile lineup on day one and did everything asked of him. He's an efficient spot-up shooter, an active cutter, and a smart connective passer. OKC's offense is predicated on having ball-handling at every position. Wallace has excelled at maximizing his skill set on limited touches. Factor in excellent perimeter defense, and it's only a matter of time until Wallace is shouldering a much bigger load for the West's best team.

Surprise, surprise. Putting a lob threat next to Luka Doncic works. Dereck Lively assumed the starting center spot in Dallas two games into the season. He has recently lost reps to Daniel Gafford, but on the whole, few rookies have matched Lively's contributions to a winning team. He's anchoring a passable defense and feasting on simple finishes at the rim on offense.

As the Warriors dynasty reckons with its own mortality, Steve Kerr has finally engaged with the young talent on Golden State's roster. That has led to an impressive rookie campaign from Santa Clara's Brandin Podziemski, who perfectly embodies the Warriors' unique brand of basketball.

Podziemski is an excellent spot-up shooter, which serves as the foundation upon which the rest of his game is built. Stretching defenses with his gravity, Podziemski also supplies value as a secondary creator working off of Golden State's stars. He's a shifty ball-handler, capable of deploying sly changes in speed and direction to offset his limited burst.

What makes Podziemski special, though, is how quickly he processes the game. He's an active off-ball mover and cutter, often catching a pass in stride and immediately calculating the next move. He's similar to Draymond Green in that way — always thinking two steps ahead of the defense. Golden State's offense is predicated on ball movement and player motion. Podziemski contributes amply on both accounts.

The defense has been remarkably solid, too. Podz doesn't possess elite physical traits, but he's a hard-working team defender who gets by on instincts. He is only going to see his role increase as Golden State starts the next chapter.

Jaime Jaquez Jr. was made for the Miami Heat. He's such an idiosyncratic player that it was hard for some NBA Draft analysts — including yours truly — to project him with any confidence at the next level. Jaquez put in four productive seasons at UCLA before making the NBA leap, showcasing a variety of unique skills that have translated straight away.

The primary hurdle for Jaquez to clear in the league was his low 3-point volume. It's still a work in progress, but Jaquez is taking 3s at a reasonable clip and hitting them at a respectable rate. That has opened up his game as a slasher. Jaquez often dominated in the mid-range area for UCLA, a trait he is now offering to Miami. Jaquez hits all sorts of off-balance jumpers and high-difficulty touch shots.

He's emerging as a legitimate passing hub, too. Jaquez plays with the poise and pace of a vet. In many ways, he is a vet after such a storied collegiate career. He reads the floor at a high level and understands how to leverage drives to create for teammates. We have also seen Jaquez hunt mismatches in the post, another UCLA-era trick that has carried over better than expected.

Jaquez puts in the effort on defense, often making up for his limited lateral quickness with fundamentally sound footwork and sheer hustle. The Heat are a bonafide contender so long as Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are healthy. Jaquez has been the third banana on more than one occasion, hitting timely shots and giving the Heat another source of creation in a year defined by injuries to the backcourt.

The Charlotte Hornets have once again lost a season to injuries. The good news is, they also gained something — a new franchise cornerstone in Brandon Miller, who has silenced those who lobbied for Scoot Henderson before the draft. In many ways the prototypical modern wing, Miller continues to expand his repertoire as Charlotte runs more of its offense through him.

Miller made the occasional high-level skip pass at Alabama, but there was valid concern about how his processing speed and limited handles would translate to the next level. Miller moves fluidly, but he doesn't often get all the way to the rim. He lacks the strength to combat physical defense and he's a mostly below-the-rim finisher.

Thankfully for Charlotte, that doesn't matter so much when Miller is scorching nets from 3-point range and obliterating defenses as a pull-up shooter. Miller has comfortably worked up a rhythm as Charlotte's occasional lead ball-handler, curling around screens and flowing effortlessly into mid-range jumpers. His off-the-dribble shooting has improved significantly since college. Miller's ability to stick jumpers under duress and create pockets in the mid-range is a huge development.

He has been remarkably efficient for a playmaking wing thrust into a central offensive role. Factor in the multi-positional defense at 6-foot-9, and there are All-Star berths in Miller's future.

Chet Holmgren is the infamous "fake" rookie. He took the Ben Simmons route, riding the bench with a broken foot in his first year before debuting as an NBA sophomore. He is, of course, an actual rookie by every definition, and he will receive Rookie of the Year votes accordingly. Few first-year players have ever produced across the board at Holmgren's current level. It's probably unfair to name-drop Luka Doncic, but in terms of rookie-season impact, that is the rare air Holmgren occupies.

Of course, Holmgren occupies a vastly different role than Doncic, rooting his impact in elite rim protection. Holmgren, at 21 years old, should probably finish top-5 in Defensive Player of the Year voting. Forget the rookie awards. He is the ideal modern center, possessing endless length (7-foot-6 wingspan), mobility out in space, and the vertical pop to impose his will in the paint.

He is noticeably skinny, the one real knock on Holmgren's defensive profile, but he deters drives in the paint and contains ball-handlers on the perimeter. Surrounded by excellent perimeter defenders in OKC, Holmgren's presence is an empowering one. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander wouldn't be able to create the havoc he does as a roamer without Holmgren cleaning up messes on the inside.

Offensively, Holmgren checks about every box one could hope for a 7-footer to check. He bombs deep 3s, looks coordinated on drives to the rim, and finishes lobs with regularity. His wide catch radius is a boon for OKC's guards, but Holmgren can also face up and self-create from the perimeter. He changes speeds and direction with uncommon fluidity for a string bean big, and he also happens to read the floor well, capable of delivering passes with either hand. In terms of box-checking, few rookies have ever been so comprehensive as Holmgren.

Honestly, what rotten luck for Holmgren. In any other year, he would be the runaway No. 1 on this list. Unfortunately, his debut happens to bump up against one of the greatest prospects ... ever. Victor Wembanyama was hailed as the greatest basketball prodigy since LeBron James. Others went as far back as Kareem. It's too early to say definitively where Wemby stands in the annals of history, but he's well on his way to breaking basketball.

With each passing week, Wemby's stat lines get more absurd. He started the season on a steep learning curve, and his efficiency suffered under the burden of San Antonio's go-to role. Those days are long gone. Wemby looks right at home with the offense running through him. In addition to the absurd step-back 3s and unguardable drives, Wemby is dropping high-feel passes to open cutters and using his gravity to create for teammates. If there was one hole to poke in Wembanyama's game as a prospect, it was his tendency to cough up turnovers due to laggy processing speed. Well, he has improved drastically in the course of the last year. It's getting to the point where the weaknesses don't really exist, except for perhaps his literal physical weakness.

Wembanyama has struggled to muscle up some of the NBA's more dominant interior scorers, but he's already on the DPOY shortlist thanks to an endless 8-foot wingspan that can eclipse the rim at any moment. Drivers are frequently bamboozled when Wembanyama appears in their periphery. There isn't a single NBA player who can cover more ground on the defensive end.

So, as Wemby comes into his own as a legitimate go-to scorer, ancillary playmaker, and all-world defender, the Spurs' future comes into sharp focus. It's hard to imagine San Antonio taking the rebuild approach for much longer. Wemby can lead a winner right now. He has several All-Star and All-Defense berths on the horizon. Before long, we'll probably be talking about the MVP award.