.JeremyWoo examines the play of rookies Paolo Banchero, Jabari Smith Jr., Johnny Davis and Walker Kessler
Here we are at midseason, and it’s time to take a glance at how some of the notable rookies have played. Here are some retrospective thoughts on the current class of NBA newcomers, their respective adjustments to the league and how it all adds up with my predraft assessments. This is very muchcomprehensive—apologies if your favorite rookie didn’t get mentioned—but here’s what’s been on my mind so far this season.
Ultimately, there’s a lot of time left for this to bear out. But I do think I undervalued Banchero’s ability to create shots and improvise, as well as what that allows him to do when coupled with the physical strength advantage he’s carried into the NBA. He’s a huge guy who’s always had a strong feel to play with others and also score the ball. I think I lost sight of some of the traits I loved about him early in his high school career and maybe nitpicked the shooting a little too much.
Without making excuses for Smith, I do think it’s fair to make the basic inference that he’s going to eventually be a really dangerous jump shooter in the NBA. It was more or less uniformly agreed upon that his shooting was likely to translate: His form is clean and consistent, and it’s very hard to block his shot considering his size and release point.
I’ll admit to having been fully sold on Davis’s competitive makeup and intangibles as a player, which I do think matter to an extent and are part of why I think he eventually finds his way into an NBA role and settles in. However, I think that element of the eval is part of what caused me to look at some of the holes in his game a little too lightly.
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