Draft Digest Rookies of the Week: Non-Lottery Players Break Out

Who were the most impressive rookies across the NBA over the past week?

Each week, the Draft Digest team picks an NBA rookie from each conference as the best player of the week.

It's one thing to put up solid statistics, but it's another to really impact winning or run an offense. When rookies are able to do either of these things, it starts to draw attention to what they're doing.

As we get to the one month mark of the season, more and more rookies continue to emerge as key pieces of their respective rosters. Due to this, it becomes even more difficult to identify who the top rookie performers are. 

Who brought home the hardware this week?

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Eastern Conference 

Jaime Jaquez Jr. (Miami Heat)

© Jordan Godfree-USA TODAY Sports

Stats Since Last Week: 4 GP | 14.5 PPG| 4.5 RPG | 3.3 APG | 35.3% 3PT

As the Miami Heat start to hit a stride in the 2023-24 campaign, a key piece of their success has come from the contributions of Jaquez. He's continued to make even more of an impact as the season goes on, playing significant minutes for a contender in year one. 

In the past week specifically, Jaquez played nearly 35 minutes per contest, providing energy and effort that goes beyond the box score. Any rookie that has a direct impact on winning, especially on a contender, deserves recognition. 

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Western Conference 

Keyonte George (Utah Jazz)

Petre Thomas-USA TODAY Sports

Stats Since Last Week: 2 GP | 11.0 PPG | 9.0 APG | 3.5 RPG | 100% FT

As a rookie, it's difficult to be a lead guard and adjust to the pace of play. Not only is the game faster, but defenses are significantly better than anything first year players are used to. That hasn't been a problem for George. 

To this point in his rookie season, the Jazz guard has earned a 76 FGS according to Cerebro Sports, which speaks to George's ability to operate as a floor general. 

He nearly averaged a double-double with points and assists over the past week, really starting to flash his passing upside. He's been the clear best point guard in this class through the first few weeks of the season, but more importantly has also taken care of the ball. 

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