Predicting The Top Three Scorers Amongst NBA Rookies

Every year, the rookies who score the most points quickly attract the most attention. After all, what’s a better way to introduce yourself to NBA fans than by getting buckets?

In addition, while it doesn’t necessarily mean these players will be the best players in the long run, those who productively score in the early stages of their career allow them to earn minutes and continue to develop with those extra reps.

En route to capturing last year’s NBA Rookie Of The Year award, Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic led all rookies by averaging a clip of 20.0 points per game. He was followed by Bennedict Mathurin, who poured in 16.7 points per contest for the Indiana Pacers, and Jaden Ivey who averaged 16.3 of his own for the Detroit Pistons.

Looking ahead to the upcoming season, these are the three rookies who I believe will lead the pack in scoring.

1) Victor Wembanyama

To the surprise of few, the believe the top pick has a great chance to be the highest scorer amongst rookies. Although he still has lots of work to do as a bucket-getter, he will be given a level of opportunity on the San Antonio Spurs that his peers will not. He should be able to approach 20 points on a nightly basis with his high usage rate and ability to rack up easy baskets when finishing plays.

2) Scoot Henderson

Whether Damian Lillard remains on the Portland Trail Blazers or not, has a clear path to be the second most talented scorer in the 2023 NBA Draft Class. Drafted third overall, the 6-foot-3 point guard will be given lots of offensive responsibility in his own right, and should be able to rack up points inside-the-arc via his slashing and mid-range game.

3) Keyonte George

Despite being the 16th overall pick, George is one of the most talented scorers in all of this rookie class. With an NBA-ready body and the skill to make shots buckets from all three levels, the 6-foot-3 guard should have a smooth transition to scoring against professional defensive players. After averaging over 15 points per game last season at Baylor, there’s a real chance he could replicate this stat-line, now playing in an Utah Jazz uniform.

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