Draft Digest Rookies of the Week: Triple-Double and Bench Scoring Spark

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.

This is truly a special rookie class. When looking at the numbers some of these first-year players are putting up, it's hard to believe just how many contributors there are in this class.

As such, choosing just one player as the best from each conference is becoming extremely difficult each week. This is especially true in the Western Conference, with several franchise cornerstones settling into place. 

With that in mind, who brought home the hardware this week?

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Eastern Conference

Nick Smith Jr. (Charlotte Hornets)

Sam Sharpe-USA TODAY Sports

Stats Since Last Week: 3 GP | 12.0 PPG | 3.0 RPG | 1.3 APG | 43.8% 3PT

Being an impactful player in the NBA goes beyond the box score. Admittedly, Smith Jr. didn’t put up ridiculous numbers this week, but his confidence and ability to be an offensive catalyst has been clear. He has notched three consecutive games with double-digit points and he continues to carve out a role on a team that needs help in the absence of LaMelo Ball. 

Smith’s 3-point shooting has been something he’s leaned on all season, converting on almost 48% of his attempts. This has earned him a remarkable 83 rating via Cerebro Sports’ 3PE metric. This week specifically, the rookie from Arkansas has shot it well from the perimeter even with significantly increased volume. He has attempted 16 triples in his last three games alone.

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Western Conference 

Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)

Rick Osentoski-USA TODAY Sports

Stats Since Last Week: 2 GP | 20.0 PPG | 11.0 RPG | 6.5 APG | 87.5% FT

While the Western Conference is loaded with rookies who have played great recently, none have accomplished what Wembanyama has. On Wednesday night, he notched an absurd triple-double in just 21 minutes of play. At 7-foot-4, he does things that shouldn’t be possible for someone his size.

As we continue to see more from Wembanyama in each game, he proves to be even more of an alpha. There’s no question he has what it takes not only to be the face of the Spurs, but also the face of the NBA at some point.

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