Four of the Most Impactful NBA Rookies So Far

Let's take a look at which NBA rookies have stood out so far.

Oct 26, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Carlton Carrington (8) defends against Cleveland Cavaliers guard Darius Garland (10) during the first quarter at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images / Reggie Hildred-Imagn Images

It's been a little over a week from when the NBA season began and teams have played only a handful of games. However, we're already seeing some players from the 2024 NBA Draft class receive minutes and make impacts on their respective teams.

Below we look at four of the most impactful rookies so far this season.

Carlton Carrington, Washington Wizards (No. 14 Overall Pick)

Oct 30, 2024; Washington, District of Columbia, USA; Washington Wizards guard Carlton Carrington (8) shoots the ball as Atlanta Hawks guard Garrison Mathews (24) defends in the second half at Capital One Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images / Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Wizards rookie is a 6-foot-5 guard who played one season at Pittsburgh before being drafted with the 14th pick in the 2024 NBA Draft. In four games so far (with three starts), the 19 year old rookie is averaging 10.5 points, 3.5 assists (17.8 assist percentage), 3.5 rebounds, 0.8 stocks (2.3 stock percentage), and 1.8 turnovers per game (17.6 turnover percentage). Additionally, he's shooting 44.4% from the field (27 attempts), 50% from three (12 attempts), and 92.3% from the free throw line (13 attempts). Carrington is averaging 26.3 minutes per game so far this season and doesn't turn 20 years old until July of 2025.

Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns (No. 28 Overall)

Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Phoenix Suns forward Ryan Dunn (0) reacts after a play during the first quarter against the Los Angeles Lakers at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Best known for his defense, Dunn is a 6-foot-8, 215 pound wing who's played in all five games for the Suns this season -- starting two of those five games and averaging 18.6 minutes per game. He's recording 9.4 points, 0.6 assists, 2.2 rebounds, 0.8 stocks (stock percentage of three), and 0.2 turnovers per game. Dunn is converting 51.4% of his attempts from the field (35 attempts) and a notable 44% from three (25 attempts) -- the latter an area most assumed was a weakness that would limit his impact as a prospect. Lastly, Dunn is recording an impressive +22.4 Net Plus/Minus per 100 possessions.

Dalton Knecht, Los Angeles Lakers (No. 17 Overall)

Oct 28, 2024; Phoenix, Arizona, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard Dalton Knecht (4) against the Phoenix Suns at Footprint Center. Mandatory Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images / Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Knecht is a 6-foot-6 guard/wing who's played in all five games with the Lakers so far this season, averaging 16.6 mintues per game. He's averaging 8.2 points, 1.2 assists and 1.2 rebounds while shooting 45.2% from the field (31 attempts) and 35% from three (20 attempts; 11.5 three point attempts per 100 possessions). Additionally, Knecht is recording a +11.9 Net Plus/Minus per 100 possessions so far this season and has provided both floor spacing and offense off the bench.

Jaylen Wells, Memphis Grizzlies (No. 39 Overall Pick)

Oct 30, 2024; Memphis, Tennessee, USA; Memphis Grizzlies forward Jaylen Wells (0) shoots for three during the second half against the Brooklyn Nets at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images / Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The 6-foot-8, 205 pound wing has made an impact for the Grizzlies so far this season. Wells is a former Division II basketball player that converted 42% of his threes at Washington State last season. He's played in all six of the Grizzlies' games so far this season, logging one start and playing 23 minutes per game. Wells is averaging 9.5 points, 1.7 assists, 3.3 rebounds, 0.5 stocks, and one turnover per game while shooting 37% from three (27 attempts). While his efficiency inside the arc can improve (37% on all two pointers), Wells has been impactful as a floor spacer so far.

Read More: Interview with Jaylen Wells

Read More: Jaylen Wells Scouting Report

Honorable Mentions

Both Alex Sarr (Wizards) and Yves Missi (Pelicans) have been statistically impactful as bigs so far this season, especially defensively. Sarr is recording a 11.8 stock percentage while Missi is recording a 9.8 stock percentage. On the other hand, Edey has been impactful offensively for the Grizzlies so far by utilizing both his screen setting and offensive rebounding (13.1 offensive rebounding percentage) to make an impact.

Since this season is just getting started, this is a preliminary look at which players have been impactful so far. We only have a small sample size of a few games, so it will be interesting to see which how the impact of different rookies will fluctuate throughout the season.

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