Expectations For The 2023-24 NBA Rookie Class

The NBA season officially begins today and we get to see the highly anticipated and hyped up rookie class make their NBA debuts. What should we expect from them this season?

The NBA season is finally upon us and we are set to have one of the most exciting seasons in NBA history. This year’s rookie class has a chance to be one of the best rookie classes in NBA history. It’s quite rare having a prospect like Victor Wembanyama come across, plus there is a plethora of other elite prospects in the last NBA draft. Let’s dive into what we should expect from the top rookies in the NBA.

Victor Wembanyama | San Antonio Spurs

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Victor Wembanyama is considered by some as the best prospect in NBA history and the hype around his name is certainly warranted. He’s a 7-foot-4 unicorn that can do so many different things on the court. We should expect Wembanyama to be the focal point offensively for the Spurs and will likely average over 20 points per game due to how much of a mismatch problem he is and with him being the first option on the team. What makes the number one pick so unique is that he has a chance to be defensive player of the year at some point in his career. He will obviously have his struggles, but we could see an all-star caliber season out of the French prospect.

Brandon Miller | Charlotte Hornets

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Brandon Miller had a rough preseason as he struggled to be efficient from the floor as the jumper wasn’t falling consistently in the games he played. It was encouraging to see some really good flashes as a finisher and ball-handler out of the pick and roll. Although Miller was the top college prospect and number two pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, it will be some time before he fully adjusts to the NBA game. His game is very perimeter-oriented which typically leads to inefficiency with young players as they still are trying to figure out the game. The flashes we will see out of Miller for the Hornets should be very promising.

Scoot Henderson | Portland Trail Blazers

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With Damian Lillard now on the Milwaukee Bucks after spending his entire career with the Trail Blazers, Scoot Henderson will be given the keys to the team. He was the number three pick out of G League Ignite after spending two seasons with them. Henderson is an uber athletic lead guard that has the potential to be one of the best point guards in the NBA at some point. With Henderson being in a NBA environment for two years in the G League, he should be much more NBA-ready than the rest of the rookie class. The highlights will be super fun to watch as he will be given the ultimate green light for this squad.

Amen Thompson | Houston Rockets

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Amen Thompson was the fourth pick in the 2023 NBA Draft and will likely be coming off the bench to start his rookie year after the Rockets signed Fred VanVleet and Dillon Brooks as mentors to help this young rebuilding Houston roster. Thompson is a generational athlete that has an incredible feel for the game. He was arguably the best playmaker in the entire draft and that goes well for his size at 6-foot-7 as he has the ability to see over defenders and find his teammates. The shooting is a big question and the shooting woes will certainly be there during his rookie campaign but the flashes we will see out of Thompson could be ridiculously good.

Chet Holmgren | Oklahoma City Thunder

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Chet Holmgren missed all of last season with a foot injury so now we will finally get the rookie season we have been eagerly waiting for two years now. His impact will be felt immediately due to his two-way ability. Holmgren is an elite rim protector that could eventually lead the league in blocks per game due to his length, great defensive awareness and high IQ. The 7-foot-1 big man can be a game changer defensively but it will be interesting to see how handles the physicality of the NBA. Offensively he does a lot of things that should really help complement the Thunder’s star player, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.

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