The race for the Rookie of the Year award in the NBA is already heating up and the Kia Rookie Ladder provides an up-to-date ranking of the league’s top fresh faces. With a number of talented rookies making headlines this season, basketball fans across the globe have their sights set on who will emerge as the top newcomer. And while the race is still wide open, one player who’s turning heads is Paolo Banchero. The Duke Blue Devils standout seems to have all the tools to snag some hardware by the end of the season. Let’s take a closer look at why Banchero has quickly become the talk of the town.
Magic’s Paolo Banchero continues to lead the charge in the NBA’s Kia Rookie of the Year Award race with only five days left in the regular season. Despite a few Class of 2022 members such as the Pacers’ Bennedict Mathurin, the Thunder’s Jalen Williams, and the Jazz’s Walker Kessler making a run for second or third place and berths on the All-Rookie first team, the Ladder committee only accounts for one vote in the official awards campaign. The reality is that Banchero has maintained his grip on the top spot for almost the entire season, with East rookie honors in December, January, and February, thanks to his fast start of 22.7 points per game in his first 15 games. Other rookie hopefuls, such as Jalen Williams, who went to OKC as the No. 34 overall pick, and Utah Jazz’s Kessler, have also emerged, vying for the top spot or at least a second or third spot, but none has managed to surpass Banchero’s performance. ESPN.com’s Tim McMahon noted, “every rookie who has averaged at least 19 points, six rebounds and three assists since the ABA-NBA merger has won Rookie of the Year. Banchero will join Luka Doncic, Blake Griffin, Grant Hill, Larry Johnson, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, and Walter Davis in that club.”
As we come to the end of this article on the Kia Rookie Ladder, it’s clear that Paolo Banchero has made quite the impression on the league. With his dominant play and impressive stats, he’s quickly proving himself as a top rookie to watch this season. If he keeps up this level of performance, it wouldn’t be surprising to see him take home some hardware at the end of the year. With the season still in full swing, it will be exciting to continue following Banchero’s journey and see just how far he can go in his rookie year.
