Rookie Notes: A Quarter Of The Season Through
As most teams have crossed the 25% mark of the 2023-2024 NBA season, it's time for some rookie notes, some of which might be important, and some of which might not.
Victor Wembanyama
It took Victor Wembanyama exactly one half of basketball to figure out Bulls center Nikola Vučević, who aggressively got the rookie on a few moves during their game on Dec. 8th. Vučević got Wembanyama out of balance on a few occasions, didn't rush his shot, and managed to get a few ones in.
At the end the second quarter, Wembanyama's footwork had already improved noticeably. He covered off angles, using his arm to shield the basket, and forced Vučević to pass out of the post. By the second half, the veteran center decided to try again, only to get swatted twice, with Wembanyama fully in control of the matchup on the defensive end.
While this is a snapshot moment, it underlines just how deep the pool of potential is for the young Frenchman, and not just off physical traits. Defensively, Wembanyama projects as one of the best defenders of his generation, and it's time we began to separate him from San Antonio's defensive ranking, which has little to do with him.
Ausar Thompson
It's another misstep in what has been a ghastly performance by head coach Monty Williams this season, who seems to not understand the fact that he signed up for a rebuild situation. Thompson is unequivocally the team's best rookie, their best perimeter defender, and he's been reduced to spot minutes for reasons that seem to be unknown for the outside world.
Make no mistake, however. Thompson is worth more than the minutes he's receiving, so don't get the impression that he's been bad for Detroit this season. Considering the losing, the wrongful hire, and how the organization seems to have lost control at every turn, he's been a pillar of consistency.
(But yes, do work on that jumper, Ausar.)
Julian Phillips
Julian Phillips has become a sort-of-bright-spot in Chicago, another team without direction and much meaning to the way they do business.The 20-year-old is one of the most athletic players in the NBA, at least vertically, and he's made good use of that in both transition, and on the offensive glass. Now, to be fair, Phillips has a total of 11 points and nine rebounds on the season, so let's not go nuts. But unlike last year's selection, Dalen Terry, Phillips seems to already understand what role will propel him forward in this league.
He's not going to crack the rotation and play 20 minutes per game anytime soon, as the Bulls are using him a ton with their G-League affiliate, but he's already at that point where he injects energy whenever he enters the game - a much-needed element for the Bulls.
Brandon Miller
We need to talk about Brandon Miller, and how he's flown under the radar. The second overall selection, so far, looks like he's justified his selection, putting up 14.6 points and hitting almost 41% of his outside shots.
Aiding Miller this year is an uncanny ability to produce consistently. His lowest scoring game is that of seven points, and he's only failed to reach double-figure scoring twice in 18 games. With LaMelo Ball out, Miller has done more with the ball in his hands, and his decision making looks solid for a rookie who's yet to even play 20 career games.
Of course, some might argue it isn't much of a challenge getting points for the depressing Hornets, and there might be some of that in his line. Yet, undermining his effort, skill set, and ability to produce night in and night out will only serve to present a false narrative. Miller is already on his way to become good, and as soon as he realizes his own 6-foot-9 frame (which he seems to frequently forget) there should be a leap coming.
Bilal Coulibaly
Boy, was I off on Bilal Coulibaly. The 19-year-old is far more NBA-ready than I thought he was, in particular defensively, and in his maturity.
Coulibaly is patient. Very patient. He doesn't rush shots, he let's the offense grow, and he waits for gaps in the defense to open up, before he takes advantage. His 53.2% from the field, and 41.5% from range, are eye-popping numbers, even if they're low volume. He was projected to be a rough, long-term project, and instead he's seemingly years ahead of where he should have been.
His touch around the rim is absurd, as he's converting on over 77% of his shots within three feet, and it's due to a combination of athleticism, touch, and opportunity. As stated, he doesn't rush, and rarely attacks matchups that doesn't favor him, and that selective nature has so far served him well.
Unless noted otherwise, all stats via NBA.com, PBPStats, Cleaning the Glass or Basketball-Reference. All salary information via Spotrac. All odds courtesy of FanDuel Sportsbook.
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