Sports

NBA Rookie Ladder Vol. 5: Jaylen Wells Continues To Shine

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Jaylen Wells

It’s time for another edition of the NBA rookie ladder (here’s our last one). With the All-Star Break nearing, we now have more than half a season of data on our crop of first-year pros. 

As usual, the tier placement indicates more than exact orders. We’re only including rookies who play over 15 minutes per game and have appeared in at least 20 games, or about half of their team’s games this season. And with a larger sample size, we’ll give out placements in the top “Impact Rotation Player” tier more strictly.

*Currently injured

**On G League assignment

Jared McCain Memorial Tier One 

Jared McCain

Impact Rotation Player

  1. Jaylen Wells
  2. Kel’el Ware
  3. Zach Edey
  4. Stephon Castle
  5. Ajay Mitchell*
  6. Alex Sarr

Positive Play By Rookie Standards

  1. Yves Missi
  2. Ron Holland II
  3. Ryan Dunn
  4. Tristan Da Silva
  5. Donovan Clingan
  6. Zaccharie Risacher*
  7. Carlton Carrington
  8. Kyle Filipowski
  9. Dalton Knecht

Flashes/Inconsistent Play

  1. Kyshawn George
  2. Ja’Kobe Walter
  3. Oso Ighodaro
  4. Isaiah Collier
  5. Jonathan Mogbo**
  6. Tidjane Salaun**
  7. Jamal Shead
  8. Cody Williams*

Jaylen Wells

The Memphis Grizzlies continue to entrust Jaylen Wells with more offensive responsibility as the season progresses. More than his impressive on-ball defense and 3-point shooting, Wells’ creation on drives vaults him to the top spot of this rookie ladder edition. Memphis ranks last in the NBA in pick-and-roll and handoff frequency and toward the bottom in off-screen frequency. 

These play types often boost young wings whose comfort zone includes secondary, off-ball actions. Wells doesn’t receive the same help, creating against set defenses more than most rookie wings. And he’s maintained positive efficiency (58.2 percent true shooting) despite this usage, posting the third-highest true shooting mark of any perimeter rookie on the ladder.

Wells is a 39.1 percent 3-point shooter on high volume and often defends the opposing team’s best perimeter player, whether that’s face-guarding Anthony Edwards off of the ball or checking LeBron James on drives. He leads all healthy rookies in points per game (11.9), marking the most well-rounded profile of any rookie this season.

Kel’el Ware

Ware finally crossed the 15-minute per-game threshold, nabbing a formal slot on the rookie ladder. He’s playing phenomenal basketball in January, averaging 13.1 points, 6.9 rebounds and 1.5 blocks per game with a 63.7 percent true shooting clip. Earning Miami Heat head coach Erik Spoelstra’s trust, Ware’s logging 23.1 minutes a night during that 14-game stretch.

His sample isn’t as large as most other top-tier rookies, but he’s arguably the best scorer of the bunch. He leads all rookies on the ladder in points per 75 possessions (19.1) by a mile — the distance between Ware and second-place Stephon Castle (16.9) is about the same as the gap between Castle and ninth-place Ajay Mitchell. 

Interior scoring comes easily to Miami’s graceful 7-footer, but his 3-point shooting vaults him above most young centers. He’s drained 38 percent of his 5.4 threes per 100 possessions, providing a genuine spacing element for his team’s offense. That shooting threat lets him slot seamlessly next to Bam Adebayo; Miami’s small sample of minutes with Adebayo and Ware together has been dominant.

Ware’s snagged the top spot in Las Vegas’ Rookie of the Year odds and has a strong case as the current most impactful rookie. I slightly preferred Jaylen Wells’ season-long consistency, but it might not take much more impressive two-way play for Ware to claim our ladder’s top spot.

Ron Holland II

Holland is hitting his stride for an improving Detroit Pistons team, boosting his January efficiency to a solid 57.2 percent true shooting mark. His always-confident 3-point shooting is beginning to bear fruit; he’s made 33 percent of his threes in January, compared to 21.7 percent before the new year. Despite a minute share decrease over the last few weeks, Holland’s making the most of his time on the court.

For a Pistons team lacking in secondary creation, Holland’s constant aggression provides them a genuine spark. He’s converted 60 percent of his 2-point attempts this season, the third-best mark of all non-centers on the rookie ladder. Especially with Jaden Ivey out, Holland’s explosive driving off of the catch, scoring in transition and cutting provide a much-needed offensive outlet. 

His energy and intensity always pop on the defensive end, where he’s defending the ball and rotating hard to close gaps. Holland still has a ways to go before he’s a consistently impactful NBA player, especially on offense, but his utility for a competent Detroit team deserves recognition.

Devin Carter

After returning from a left shoulder injury in early January, Devin Carter has fallen out of the Sacramento King’s regular rotation as of late. His play earlier in the month still deserves mention, as he began to carve a niche as a 3-and-D rotation guard for the surging Kings. He’s flashed excellent lateral quickness and strength defending the ball, paired with a constantly churning motor. 

Carter’s confidence in big moments early in his career is encouraging, notably his 11-point performance in Sacramento’s Jan.11 win over the Boston Celtics. He’s made just six of his 21 3-point attempts so far, but will pull from well beyond the line and attack off of that gravity. He’s a confident ball mover, driver off of the catch and off-ball player, even if the shots aren’t falling yet.

He’s played just over 100 minutes and hasn’t seen double-digit minutes since Jan. 14, but Carter has flashed traits of a valuable complementary guard. When his shooting stabilizes, he could find himself contributing to winning in Sacramento sooner rather than later. 

All stats are accurate before games played on Jan. 27.