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While the 2022-’23 season is months away, NBA rookies are hard at work preparing for their first year in professional basketball and the pressure that comes with playing at the highest level.
Both the fans and the media are giving this year’s rookie class intense hype, which is reasonable because of how incredibly talented the players are. While the Summer League circuit provided these NBA rookies with a brief opportunity to prove themselves, there is a long road ahead. Even after training camp and the regular season, several of these first-year players will either be thrust into prominent roles or play for contenders.
In the past, we’ve seen rookies take on the challenges that were set before them in the pros. While some achieved success, others were not able to overcome the pressure of the league. With that, here are three rookies with the most pressure.
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Jalen Duren’s back-to-back trades should fuel him to have a monster rookie season
The 2022 NBA Draft provided a unique experience for Jalen Duren. The former Memphis Tigers big man was first selected 13th overall by the Charlotte Hornets. Before he could really celebrate, his draft rights were sent to the New York Knicks. Suddenly, minutes after learning that news, he was traded to the Detroit Pistons.
Duren hasn’t played a single game in the NBA, yet he’s already been traded twice in one night. As crazy as it seems, I believe that Duren is in a better situation with Detroit’s young core.
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The young defensive big can prove to the Hornets and the Knicks how they missed out on him. Duren is a promising young big who can provide a ton of defensive firepower for the Pistons. I think that Duren will have a season that will make the Hornets and the Knicks regret their moves.
The Miami Heat’s Nikola Jovic should live up to his hype
Coming into this year’s draft, Nikola Jovic was one of the talked-about players. The hype surrounding Jovic back when he was in Europe carried over to the US. Before getting drafted, he was often compared to other European stars including his countryman, Nikola Jokic.
He fell late in the first round, which was where most mock drafts had him. Jovic is an incredible offensive talent. Standing at 6-foot-10, Jovic’s ability to stretch the defense is invaluable. However, he lacks the defensive abilities to keep his man in front of him. The Heat are a defensive-minded team, and they will require Jovic to be able to hold his own on defense.
Jovic’s defensive shortcomings early on might result in him not being able to see regular minutes, just like Duncan Robinson. During their 2022 playoff run, Robinson saw a very limited run because of his defensive incompetence. For Jovic to see more action on the floor, he needs to be a better team defender.
Offseason feud puts added pressure on Paolo Banchero
The NBA offseason is wild. This year, an offseason beef between Paolo Banchero and Dejounte Murray became a great topic among NBA fans. Drafted no. 1 overall by the Orlando Magic, Banchero was already going to be among the NBA rookies facing the most pressure. Now, that’s amplified because of a recent beef with Dejounte Murray.
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Much like everyone else, I did not see this coming. According to Murray, it’s because Banchero was “flexing” the fact that he was the first pick.
No one knows the full story, but this new rivalry between Seattle natives drew a ton of attention from everyone. Banchero’s already pressured enough for being the first pick, and now he has to deal with a one-time All-Star who’s in the same division. They’ll get matched up against each other more than once this season, everyone’s counting on it to be intense.