Desmond Bane (Memphis Grizzlies)
– Bane has been a sharpshooter from the 3-point line
shooting 45.1%. Even more impressive, that ranks 2
nd
all-time (with a minimum of 82 made 3-
point fields goals) in NBA history for a rookie.
Per StatMuse.com
o
Week 15 games
3/29/21- 17 points/ 4 rebounds / 3 assists
3/31/21- 7 points / 5 rebounds / 5 assists
4/2/21 -6 points / 7 rebounds / 1 assist
4/4/21- 14 points / 6 rebounds / 1 assist
Patrick Williams (Chicago Bulls)
– the 2
nd
youngest player in the league, Williams, aka the “The
Paw”, is perhaps the best defensive rookie this year. The rookie forward has had defensive
assigns against the top NBA stars like LeBron James, Kawhi Leonard, and Giannis Antetokounmpo
in which he has embraced. Once his offensive skills continue to develop, he could become one of
the best players 2 way players out of this draft class.
o
Week 15 games:
3/29/21- 14 points/ 6 rebounds / 4 assist / 1 steal / 1 block
3/31/21- 16 points/ 3 rebounds’/ 1 assist/ 1 steal / 1 block
4/2/21- 8 points / 3 rebounds/ 3 assists/ 2 steals
4/4/21- 11 points/ 3 rebounds/ 1 assist
Theo Maledon (Oklahoma City Thunder)
– The rookie out of France has quietly climbed up the
rookie hierarchy with a stretch of great games in March. In his last 5 games, Maledon averaged
17.4 points and 5.6 rebounds. Maledon also joined Russel Westbrook as the only rookies in
franchise history to score 30 plus points in a game by scoring a career-high 33 points.
o
Week 15 games:
3/29/21- 14 points / 6 rebounds / 1 assist
3/31/21- 11 points / 7 rebounds / 6 assists
4/2/21- 33 points / 5 rebounds / 3 assists
4/3/21- 7 points / 2 rebounds / 1 assist
Aleksej Pokusevski (Oklahoma City Thunder)
– Along with fellow rookie teammate Theo
Maledon, the pair became the first pair of teammates in NBA history under the age of 20 to
score at least 20 points in the same game.
o
Week 15 games
3/29/21- 21 points / 6 rebounds/ 2 assists
4/2/21- 20 points / 5 rebounds / 4 assists
4/3/21- 8 points / 2 rebounds / 4 assists
LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets)
– Despite getting injured mid-way through March, Ball still was
award NBA rookie of the Month, his 3
rd
consecutive of the year.
Under the radar rookies
Chuma Okeke (Orlando Magic) –
After missing all his first season due to injury, Okeke has
benefited recently with the trades the Magic made during the NBA trade deadline. Since then,
Okeke has made 6 starts averaging 16.2 points, 6.3 rebounds, and 3.5 assists in which he scored
a career-high 22 points in one of those games.
Malachi Flynn (Toronto Raptors) –
Flynn’s last two games: 16 points/5 rebounds/ 5 assists/ 2
steals and 16 points/6 rebounds/4 assists/4 steals/ 3 blocks. Fylnn has had limited playing time
for most of the season but if he continues to produce as he has the last 2 games then his name
should be called more in the rotation.
Young rising stars
Rui Hachimura (Washington Wizards) –
Behind Bradley Beal leading the NBA in scoring and
Russel Westbrooks continuing to put up triple-doubles, Hachimura has quietly been a scoring
option himself. In the last 10 games, the 2
nd
year player has averaged 18.3 points and 6.9
rebounds a game while playing 37.1 minutes a game which is 4
th
in the NBA during that span.
Nickeil Alexander-Walker (New Orleans Pelicans) –
In the 10 games Alexander-Walker has
started this season, the 2
nd
year guard is averaging 19 points, 5.4 rebounds, and 2.7 assists a
game. In one of his most recent starts on April 2
nd
, Alexander-Walker scored 31 points which was
his 2
nd
30-point performance of the season.
NBA Awards
Players of the Month
o
Eastern Conference – James Harden (Brooklyn Nets)
o
Western Conference –Nikola Jokic (Denver Nuggets)
o
Eastern Conference Rookie- LaMelo Ball (Charlotte Hornets)
o
Western Conference Rookie- Anthony Edwards (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Players of the Week
o
Eastern Conference – Jrue Holiday (Milwaukee Bucks)
o
Western Conference- – Luka Doncic (Dallas Mavericks)