Top Five Most Impactful Rookies Heading Into 2022-23 NBA Season

The NBA's newest crop is set to make their official debuts soon. Who will make the biggest impact?

With the season tipping off in just minutes, I thought it best to produce a list of which rookies are not only set to make an impact for their squads, but which will do so immediately and with aplomb.

This list won’t be about who’s going to be the best five years from now, but rather who in just a few short weeks will really start affecting their teams win column.

Here are a few of who should be some impactful 2022-23 rookies.

1. Paolo Banchero, Magic

The easiest selection on this list, Banchero is set to be the only rookie who should be the best player on his team, or at least will be treated as such.

At 6-foot-10 with the ability to handle the rock and put the ball on the floor, Banchero should flow seamlessly into the NBA.

And after a little while, he’ll start to look like the cornerstone Orlando drafted him to be.

2. Bennedict Mathurin, Pacers

Already looking like a bonafide star for Indiana, Mathurin will likely anchor what could eventually be a pretty barebones roster this season.

If the Pacers choose to offload some pieces in order to truly contest for 7-foot-4 Victor Wembanyama, Mathurin could be tasked with shouldering quite the offensive, and even defensive, load.

Luckily for Indiana, they’ve drafted a player that I think will be more than willing and capable to do so.

3. Keegan Murray, Kings

The connector piece of all connector pieces, Murray is set to help Sacramento to the promised land this year.

While they’ve got plenty of nice pieces in Domantas Sabonis, De’Aaron Fox and newly acquired role players Malik Monk and Kevin Huerter, Murray will be the glue to mold them together.

A lengthy forward who can score and defend all over the court, there’s no multiverses timeline where Murray isn’t a successful NBA-er.

4. Jalen Williams, Thunder

At 6-foot-6 with a 7-foot wingspan, Williams has gone on record saying he’s modeled his game after now teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander. And it’s showed.

Averaging 14.4 points and leading all rookies in assists in preseason, it’s clear that Williams will have a fairly large role with Oklahoma City this season.

How he impacts the wins and losses of the Thunder is another story, but he’s certainly set to be a net positive overall for OKC.

5. Tari Eason, Rockets

Potentially not the Rocket you thought you’d see here, Eason is in line for a bulk of minutes with Houston this season.

Likely in the same role he played for LSU, Eason will function as a sixth-man with a green light, scoring with his innate ability and defending at a high-level.

That’s not to say third overall pick Jabari Smith Jr. won’t be a better player in even a year’s time, but Eason, at 21-years-old, will do plenty for Houston as soon as this year.

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