Draft Digest Rookies of the Week: Top Three Picks Starting to Heat Up
Each week, the Draft Digest team picks an NBA rookie from each conference as the best player of the week.
It has been an inconsistent start for many rookies around the league, which is expected. With that in mind, two of the top three picks from the 2023 NBA Draft have really started to emerge of late.
It takes time for any first-year player to hit their stride, but this is generally the time of year in which these rookies have played enough games to get comfortable. That's certainly been the case for the second and third picks in June's draft.
Who brought home the hardware this week?
Eastern Conference
Brandon Miller (Charlotte Hornets)
Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports
Stats Since Last Week: 2 GP | 17.5 PPG | 3.0 RPG | 2.0 APG | 47.4% 3PT
The Hornets haven't been all that competitive this season due to injuries, but Miller has still been a bright spot and a reason for optimism in Charlotte moving forward. Not only has he been solid defensively, but his jumper is really starting to come into form. In fact, Miller is now 39.6% from beyond the arc on the season, earning an 82 3PE from Cerebro Sports.
Upon the return of LaMelo Ball, it will be fascinating to watch this duo really work together to put up points in a hurry. In Ball's absence, Miller has gotten the opportunity to take more of a primary role which is great for his development.
Western Conference
Scoot Henderson (Portland Trail Blazers)
Rick Scuteri-USA TODAY Sports
Stats Since Last Week: 3 GP | 15.3 PPG | 8.0 APG | 5.0 RPG | 41.7% 3PT
Since returning from injury, Henderson has looked much more like the prospect that was the clear top guard in his draft class. Especially as a facilitator getting his teammates and making those around him better, the 19-year-old has been extremely impressive.
While the 3-point shot has fallen over the past week, Henderson is still converting on less than 30% of his triples on the season. The hope is that he is starting to figure it out from the perimeter, as that will be a swing skill in determining his ceiling as a player in the NBA.
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