Jared McCain, Dalton Knecht Lead Rookie Ladder

Philadelphia 76ers guard Jared McCain and Lakers forward Dalton Knecht lead NBA Draft on SI’s rookie ladder.

Nov 27, 2024; San Antonio, Texas, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) dunks in the second half against the San Antonio Spurs at Frost Bank Center. Mandatory Credit: Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images / Daniel Dunn-Imagn Images

Most teams are around 20 games into the 2024-25 NBA regular season, meaning it’s high time we put out our first rookie ladder of the season.

Much was made about the “down” draft class of 2024, but there’s been some real high-level contributors, despite a small lack of real star-power.

Here is the first iteration of the rankings:

1. Jared McCain, 76ers

McCain is an easy choice as the Rookie of the Year leader right now, having averaged over 25 points for an eight-game stretch in early to late November.

He’s cooled off some in recent games, but still leads in most of the scoring categories, along with some of his patented savvy passing and defense.

It will take a decent effort from others to dethrone him, at this point in the season.

2. Dalton Knecht, Lakers

If there’s a gap between McCain and the field, there’s one for Knecht and others, too. He’s potentially been the most positively impactful frosh in the class.

For the Lakers, he’s averaged over 12 points on 50% shooting, most importantly spacing the floor for LeBron James and Anthony Davis with 44% 3-point shooting.

If he continues on his current upwards trajectory in the starting lineup, he could be cruising towards some hardware.

3. Stephon Castle, Spurs

The draft’s No. 4 pick has gotten off to hotter start than most anticipated, averaging in double-digit scoring with a solid 3.8 assists and decent defense.

He’s helped the Spurs to be better than anticipated, too, and so far seems to be extremely complimentary long-term next to Victor Wembanyama.

4. Jaylen Wells, Grizzlies

Wells has been far-and-away the biggest surprise of the season in terms of rookies so far. Having been drafted at No. 38, there were zero expectations for him, so 12.2 points on 46% shooting in starting lots of games for the Grizzlies has been earth-shattering.

Even better for Well’s case, the Grizzlies have garnered the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference.

5. Zaccharie Risacher, Hawks

The league’s top pick, Risacher was a more project-y selection that most thought, meaning his 11.6 points on over 40% shooting from the field is enough to land him in the top handful of draftees.

He’s been an important piece for the Hawks so far, and seems to be carrying the weight of No. 1 well, all things considered.

6. Yves Missi, Pelicans

7. Alex Sarr, Wizards

8. Zach Edey, Grizzlies

9. Bub Carrington, Wizards

10. Kyle Filipowski, Jazz

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