Kia Rookie Ladder: Edey leads to open new chase

• Get NBA League Pass TODAY >
This is not your older sibling’s rookie class. Older, as in born and paying attention 12 months ago to the players making their NBA debuts.
The Class of 2023 had a battle for supremacy at the top of the Kia Rookie Ladder — San Antonio Spurs center Victor Wembanyama vs. Oklahoma City Thunder big man Chet Holmgren — that entertained and lasted nearly all season. Wembanyama already is projected to become one of the NBA’s Top 100 (assuming that tradition continues in 2047), while Holmgren, Brandon Miller, Dereck Lively II and a few others realistically can aim for All-Star, All-NBA and even Hall of Fame consideration.
The Class of 2024? Early returns suggest more modest contributions by most of its graduates. They’ve started slowly, with only two newcomers averaging 10 points, four averaging at least five rebounds and two dishing more than three assists nightly.
But rotation guys, sixth men and reliable starters matter, too. What this group might lack in superstar magnetism, it should make up for with an evenly contested ROY race and frequently flipped Top 5.
• Not to lower the bar of expectations, but it’s worth noting that the lowest scoring average for a ROY winner came in 2016-17 when Milwaukee guard Malcolm Brogdon won. The 36th pick in 2016, Brogdon averaged 10.2 points in 26.4 minutes (also the fewest among ROY winners).
• Only Zach Edey (25) and Kyshawn George (20) among this year’s rookies have scored at least 20 in a game so far. Ten rookies have had nights with 15 or more.
• Seven of the Top 10 picks in June are not on this week’s Ladder. No biggie, plenty of time. That’s true for No. 3 Reed Sheppard, a popular pick for ROY who is being brought along slowly and joined a Rockets’ roster heavy with young talent.
• Just for the record, here’s what the Rookie Ladder predicted a year ago at the start of the season: “There’s no denying the obvious: Victor Wembanyama looks to be the biggest lock for Rookie of the Year since at least Minnesota’s Karl-Anthony Towns (who got all 130 ROY first-place votes in 2015-16).” It just so happened that Wembanyama got all 99 first-place votes from the streamlined voting panel to snag the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy.
It will be a rookie-thon — or newbie-palooza if you prefer — when Washington visits Memphis Friday night (8 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass). Two squads prominently featuring first-year contributors will be battling at FedEx Forum. That includes Nos. 1, 2, 3 and 5 on this week’s Ladder, along with Washington’s Kyshawn George, a likely rung-holder as this season grinds on.
(All stats through Monday, Nov. 4)
1. Zach Edey, Memphis Grizzlies
Season stats: 11.1 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 0.9 bpg
Draft pick: No. 9
Call it recency bias, but it’s been very good to the 7-foot-4 replacement for Steven Adams. Edey had his best game yet Monday – 25 points, 12 rebounds, four blocks in 29 minutes at Brooklyn – for a second consecutive double-double. His fit in Memphis’ system under Taylor Jenkins suggests big things, and premature comparisons to Yao Ming, by way of Canada rather than China, aren’t out of line.
2. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards
Season stats: 10.3 ppg, 4.3 rpg, 4.8 apg
Draft pick: No. 14
Carrington and teammate Kyshawn George earned compliments from Golden State Warriors stalwart Draymond Green for their energy and edge Monday in D.C. The 6-foot-4 point guard from Pitt — whose actual first name “Carlton” makes him sound like a Grey Poupon devotee — had 16 points, eight boards and seven assists that night. He is averaging just 1.3 turnovers, too, while hitting 50% of his shots from 16 feet out to the new-to-him NBA arc.
3. Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies
Season stats: 9.8 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 1.9 apg
Draft pick: No. 39
In the tradition of GG Jackson II, a midseason surprise in 2023-24, the Grizzlies found a second-rounder who looks like a keeper. When Marcus Smart (ankle) got hurt, Wells went from 8.2 ppg in 20.5 minutes to three starts, 35 minutes nightly and 12.3 ppg, 5.7 rpg. He’s a proud Washington State product in the footsteps of Craig Ehlo, Malachi Flynn and Klay Thompson.
4. Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns
Season stats: 6.7 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 0.9 apg
Draft pick: No. 28
Dunn’s early work as a D-and-three guy — the Suns’ priorities for him in that order — has Phoenix excited about his fit on that star-laden, 6-1 team. In his two starts, he averaged 14.5 points and sank seven of 13 from the arc.
 5. Alexandre Sarr, Washington Wizards
Season stats: 9.8 ppg, 7.0 rpg, 2.8 bpg
Draft pick: No. 2
Top rebounder in this class, Sarr thinks the lights are coming on in terms of picking his moments and finding his spots. Having Jonas Valančiūnas around to handle more rugged matchups helps while the athletic rookie adds strength. Strong starts by fellow Wizards rookies Carrington and George have helped ease the spotlight.
6. Zaccharie Risacher, Atlanta Hawks
Season stats: 9.4 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 1.1 apg
Draft pick: No. 1
No star born yet but among rookies, he’s fourth in minutes per game, second in usage, first in shots.
7. Jonathan Mogbo, Toronto Raptors
Season stats: 6.8 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 1.9 apg
Draft pick: No. 31
The first pick of Round 2 ranks in the rookie Top 10 in points, rebounds, assists.
8. Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers
Season stats: 7.3 ppg, 1.3 rpg, 1.0 apg
Draft pick: No. 17
“Sir Charles” ripped NBA GMs for letting arguably the Draft’s best perimeter shooter (47.4 FG%, 37.5% on 3-pointers) fall to Lakers.
9. Jamal Shead, Toronto Raptors
Season stats: 6.6 ppg, 1.1 rpg, 4.8 apg
Draft pick: No. 45
On-the-job trainee committed to playmaking and defensive disruption.
10. Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic
Season stats: 8.3 ppg, 3.3 rpg, 1.5 apg
Draft pick: No. 10
“Da Silva lining” since Paolo Banchero went down: Three games, 85 minutes, 33 points, 13 rebounds.
* * *
Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.
The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NBA, its clubs or Warner Bros. Discovery.