Draft Digest Rookies of the Week: Tari Eason and AJ Griffin Provide High Value

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.

While players in the lottery are almost always projected to have the best rookie seasons, the middle of the first round of the 2022 NBA Draft has been really solid. In fact, the players in this range have been some of the most impactful in this entire class for their respective teams.

Who brought home the hardware this week?

Eastern Conference 

AJ Griffin (Atlanta Hawks)

Dale Zanine-USA TODAY Sports

Stats Since Last Week: 3 GP | 7.0 PPG | 71.4% 3PT

Over the past week, Griffin knocked down five of his seven triples. While his stats weren’t the most remarkable, his impact goes well beyond the box score.

In the limited minutes he does get, Griffin makes the most of the time on the floor. He’s still proving to be a solid defender and has grown into a key piece of Atlanta’s rotation as the season goes on.

With each passing week, he's making the case that he should have been taken in the lottery. Griffin has the ultimate upside of a 3-and-D player for the Hawks.

Western Conference 

Tari Eason (Houston Rockets)

Erik Williams-USA TODAY Sports

Stats Since Last Week: 2 GP | 18.0 PPG| 11.5 RPG | 2.5 SPG

Eason has notched three consecutive double-doubles, continuously getting better as the season goes on. This week, he produced a 20-point performance against the Oklahoma City Thunder that included 12 offensive rebounds too.

The Rockets won both of their games this week, which was largely due to Eason stepping up with injuries to the roster. He notched five steals in two games this week. The defense has been impressive all season, which is why he’s got a high defensive ranking with an 84 DSI according to Cerebro Sports.

Eason’s high motor often changes the game, as his energy and impact on winning becomes very visible.

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