The NBA preseason is in full gear, and teams are ramping up in anticipation to make a run at the NBA Finals or Victor Wembanyama.
Either way, teams will undoubtedly lean on rookies for legitimate rotational minutes, or developmental minutes as they churn through their rebuilds.
Thursday saw a rookie-laden slate, as several lottery selections and even deeper picks faced off on the hardwood.
The top rookie performance of the day was Portland’s Shaedon Sharpe, who was selected No. 7 overall in the 2022 NBA Draft.
Stephen R. Sylvanie / USA TODAY Sports
Sharpe exploded for 27 points on 10-for-13 shooting against Maccabi Ra’Anana of Israel, showcasing his innate ability to see the ball through the hoop. He remarkably tacked on three steals and two blocks in some of his first actions since high school.
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Miami forward Nikola Jovic also had a strong performance, scoring 10 points in just 16 minutes while grabbing three rebounds, dishing out five assists and nabbing two steals. All while he was supposed to be taking a test to graduate high school.
On the flip side, some rookies have, understandably, struggled to start their career.
Top overall selection Paolo Banchero has yet to find his offensive groove in the preseason, scoring nine points on 3-for-8 shooting. Not bad numbers by any stretch, but not what you’d expect from the top selection.
Banchero has of course remained effective, grabbing five boards, dishing out three assists and grabbing three steals.
In the same game, lottery selection Jeremy Sochan struggled to score, shooting 1-for-6 overall from the field. Malaki Branham and Blake Wesley, strong all-around guards drafted by San Antonio, scored seven and eight points, respectively, in the contest.
NBA preseason action continues on Friday night, with Benedict Mathurin, Jabari Smith Jr., Jaden Ivey and Banchero headlining rookie play.
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