Draft Digest Rookies of the Week: Jalen Williams and Jalen Duren Continue to Climb
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Each week, the Draft Digest team picks an NBA rookie from each conference as the best player of the week.
While Paolo Banchero continues to be the favorite for NBA Rookie of the Year, there’s been several other lottery picks that have put together special seasons. Especially on young teams, first year players have the ability to take the floor in large roles and contribute early on.
That’s the case for the two winners this time around. Who brought home the hardware this week?
Eastern Conference
Jalen Duren (Detroit Pistons)
Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Stats Since Last Week: 2 GP | 20.0 PPG | 11.0 RPG | 76.2% FG | 100% FT
In what was one of his best performances at this level, Duren scored 23 points to go along with 15 rebounds against the Milwaukee Bucks this week. He continues to show scoring upside while maintaining the production on the glass.
As a lob threat and strong defender, the rookie is overall getting it done on both ends. In a league that’s dominated by floor spacing bigs, Duren has found a way to stay impactful in more of a traditional center role.
Western Conference
Jalen Williams (Oklahoma City Thunder)
Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports
Stats Since Last Week: 3 GP | 13.7 PPG| 4.0 RPG | 2.0 SPG | 54.8% FG
The numbers only tell part of the story as it relates to Williams. In a close game against the Atlanta Hawks this week, he made star-level plays down the stretch on both ends that can't be measured by the box score.
As we approach February, you could argue Williams has been a top three rookie in this class. He’s continued to generate a high number of steals and blocks, which has led to a 75 DSI according to Cerebro Sports.
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