Rookie Impact: Who Can Contribute to Playoff Team This Season?

Most contending teams across the NBA either don't have a selection in the draft due to trading picks for veteran talent, or have a pick later in the night. As such, it’s somewhat rare for rookies to make a significant impact on winning on these types of teams.

With that in mind, rotations change and evolve throughout the season as injuries and other obstacles emerge. There’s quite a few rookies that are on projected playoff teams that should have the chance to contribute, even if it’s in short stints.

Who are some of these rookies that could earn playing time on postseason contenders?

Dyson Daniels (New Orleans Pelicans)

New Orleans is loaded in the backcourt, but Daniels should still find playing time with his versatility. He’s got the size and skillset to play either guard spot or on the wing.

The Pelicans are projected to take another huge leap this season with the return of Zion Williamson. However, Daniels could be a sneaky contributor, similar to the rookies New Orleans rostered last season.

AJ Griffin (Atlanta Hawks)

Perimeter shooting is of extreme importance in the modern NBA, which is exactly what Griffin provides. Early in his NBA career, his ability to defend could dictate how much playing time he actually gets.

Although Atlanta has quite a bit of depth on the wing, Griffin does bring a different skillset than some of the guys he’ll be competing with for minutes. Last season at Duke, he found ways to be productive without being a primary option.

Dalen Terry (Chicago Bulls)

Terry is the perfect young connector on a Bulls team that has playoff aspirations. He brings positional versatility and can impact winning without scoring the ball.

Chicago had success with rookie Ayo Dosunmu last season, and Terry could be another huge addition. If he’s able to make an impact on both ends and not be a liability, his career should get off to a fast start.

Nikola Jovic (Miami Heat)

Miami is known for rolling out 3-point shooters in most lineups, with Jovic fitting that mold. He’s a jumbo guard with a great shot and should be effective off the bench even if it's in limited action.

The Serbian prospect has caught fire in several preseason games thus far, but his role will be reduced when the regular season kicks off. With that in mind, don’t be surprised if he ends up becoming a regular rotation player.

Christian Koloko (Toronto Raptors)

Koloko will likely be buried in the depth chart early in the season, but a lot happens throughout the year. Whether it’s injury or rapid development, there’s a good chance Koloko gets an opportunity to shine at some point in the 2022-23 campaign.

With the defensive upside Koloko brings, there could be certain situations in which he makes sense to slot into the rotation. However, he doesn’t project to be an every night rotation piece initially.

Christian Braun (Denver Nuggets)

While Braun has really struggled shooting the ball through NBA Summer League and the preseason, he’s a proven winner. He’s a guy you can bet on figuring things out and becoming a quality option off the bench.

Denver has opted to play a deep rotation in the past, which could open up an opportunity for Braun to prove himself as a rookie. He plays with a competitive spirit that should be well received from his teammates and coaching staff.

Jake LaRavia (Memphis Grizzlies)

LaRavia should provide some positional flexibility for the Grizzlies this season, especially early with Jaren Jackson Jr. out of the rotation. At 6-foot-8, he can play minutes at power forward and allow Memphis to explore different lineup variations.

The rookie has 3-point shooting upside which is always valuable in today’s style of play. It will be interesting to see how he defends early on at this level.

JD Davison (Boston Celtics)

Like most second-round selections in the recent draft, Davison will really have to prove himself to earn many minutes at all with the reigning Eastern Conference champions. He hasn’t gotten many minutes in the preseason, but really flashed some upside during NBA Summer League.

Davison is a good self-creator that can provide a scoring punch off the bench. He is undersized, but has explosive pop that combats that lack of height.

Max Christie (Los Angeles Lakers)

Again, second rounders typically don’t crack the rotation as rookies on contending teams. With that in mind, we saw firsthand how quickly the Lakers’ roster depleted last season with injuries.

A long-term project, Christie will likely play most of his minutes in the G League this season. He was a guy that likely could have gone back to college for a season, but opted to stick in the recent draft. The one thing that could get him NBA minutes as a rookie is the upside as an on-ball defender.

Jaden Hardy (Dallas Mavericks)

If the Mavericks are truly going to contend this season, Hardy will have to contribute in some capacity. There should be no expectation that he completely fills the void of Jalen Brunson, but the rookie guard can score the ball when given a surplus of shot attempts.

It’s unclear how productive Hardy can be outside of scoring the ball, but there should be plenty of opportunity for him to run the second unit as the primary scorer either way. Hardy is truly in a unique situation in which he’s a second-round pick that should play a ton of minutes this season.

MarJon Beauchamp (Milwaukee Bucks)

The Bucks are loaded on the wing, meaning Beauchamp will have to develop a ton throughout his rookie season to earn a spot in the rotation. He’s the ultimate role player prospect and plays well off the ball.

Beauchamp is a good rebounder and plays with a lot of energy. To his benefit, he fits into nearly any lineup and does the little things that impact winning. When he does get the opportunity, he’s got the experience to make a difference, even if it’s in limited stints.

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