NBA Rookie Report Cards: Picks Four Through Six
Earlier this week, I gave each of the top three picks of the 2022 NBA Draft a letter grade based on their rookie seasons. Today, we continue this series by doing the same for picks four through six.
The grades I assign to these rookies will not solely revolve around their first-year performance, but rather will focus on the level of optimism they’ve earned in regards to their future outcome relative to draft position.
Keegan Murray, Sacramento Kings: A-
Fourth Overall Pick
As I give Murray this grade, he’s preparing for the biggest game of his lifetime. On Sunday afternoon, his Kings will welcome the Warriors to Golden 1 Arena for game seven of their first round series.
This is Sacramento’s most successful season in well over a decade, and their rookie forward has a lot to do with this. He started 78 games this year, and averaged over 12 points while converting 41.1% of his tries from deep. His playoff career started a bit slow, but in games five and six he recorded x and x points respectively, helping earn a game seven. The 22-year-old former Hawkeye is already a good starter on a playoff team, earning him an A-.
However, he is a little bit older, and hasn’t really shown too many indicators of star upside via creation flashes or high-end defense, so he doesn’t quite earn a higher grade.
Jaden Ivey, Detroit Pistons: A+
Fifth Overall Pick
Prior to the draft, many regarded Ivey as a top-three prospect. He slipped a little bit to pick five, but he’s given his believers vindication with his rookie campaign, averaging a stat line of 16.3 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 5.2 assists per game.
All year, the 6-foot-4 Pistons guard displayed his incredible explosiveness, crafty finishing, and savvy passing chops all year. In his best games, he truly looked like a budding star. The former Purdue Boilermaker notched three games with at least 30 points and five games with at least 10 assists. Not only was Ivey one of the best rookies this season, but flashed legitimate upside arguably only matched by the Rookie Of The Year favorite, Paolo Banchero.
This earns him one of the few A+ grades in this series.
Benedict Mathurin, Indiana Pacers: A-
Sixth Overall Pick
Early in the season, Mathurin was competing for the Rookie Of The Year award. He was scorching from deep and racking up points like it was nothing. He cooled down later in the year, but still finished the year averaging nearly 17 points. He may not have flashed a whole lot of superstar potential, but Mathurin clearly displayed the signs of a budding off-ball scorer, earning him an A-.
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