A new season means it’s time for the first edition of our NBA Rookie Ladder, this time for a far more exciting and deeper class. The 2025 NBA Draft has produced a staggering amount of impact players, and we’ll rank and evaluate them as the season progresses.
I’ll assess rookies based on their current play, not their long-term projection for future impact. A player’s tier placement matters more than the individual ranking and the order is especially fluid early in the season.
As we established last season, rookies must average at least 10 minute per game to qualify for the rankings. That threshold will increase to 15 minutes per game as the season rolls on. Below the ladder, I’ll expand on a few rookies who’ve caught my eye lately.
Impact NBA Players
Dylan Harper
Cooper Flagg
Kon Knueppel
Cedric Coward
Ryan Kalkbrenner
Positive Play By Rookie Standards
Collin Murray-Boyles
Jeremiah Fears
Will Richard
Derik Queen
Walter Clayton Jr.
Javon Small
Hugo Gonzalez
Nique Clifford
Flashes/Inconsistent Play
Liam McNeeley
Ace Bailey
Egor Demin
Noah Penda
Tyrese Proctor
Asa Newell
Dylan Cardwell
Ben Saraf
Nolan Traore
Dylan Harper
Harper’s calf injury derailed the start of a stellar rookie campaign. If not for that injury, which will sideline him for a few weeks, I would have created a new tier just for him. He almost instantly commanded star usage for the San Antonio Spurs and looked the part; Harper is generating an absurd 9.7 rim attempts per 75 possessions, only trailing Giannis Antetokounmpo, Zion Williamson and Jalen Duren.
At Rutgers, Harper generated constant rim pressure through a strong first step, elite ball-handling, command of pace and craft at the basket. He’s already a driving maestro, comfortable playing from two feet and driving through traffic to create shots for himself and his teammates.
dylan harper's rim pressure powers translated immediately to the NBA, he currently ranks 11th in the NBA in rim attempts per game (6.2) and is 72nd percentile in fta/75 (4.5)
the burst, craft and strength all pop even as harper adjusts to scoring on NBA defenses pic.twitter.com/wnFFWFU0nd
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) November 3, 2025
His 32.4 percent on-ball rate puts him in the 97th percentile and he’s creating like an offensive star. Despite pacing the class in offensive load, he’s maintained above-average efficiency and produces like a star in his minutes; his 22.6 points (93rd percentile) and 6.2 assists (95th percentile) per 75 possessions place him in the upper echelon of NBA guards.
Before his NBA career, Harper’s teams rarely featured other load-bearing players to allow his off-ball skills to shine. That’s not the case in San Antonio, and he’s cutting, driving and spacing effectively off of Victor Wembanyama and Stephon Castle. He’s a useful defender with size, strength and lateral quickness to add value while he works through rookie mistakes.
Assuming Harper returns to full form and remains healthy, he’ll continue to rack up paint touches, create shots and mesh with his other star teammates. He’s everything San Antonio could have hoped for when it selected him second overall, betting on an elite talent instead of fishing for a high-end star via trade with the pick. For the moment, that bet is paying off.
Collin Murray-Boyles
The Toronto Raptors have thrown Collin Murray-Boyles at a murderer’s row of matchups from the very start of his career. According to NBA tracking data, five of his six most frequent matchups as an on-ball defender are Victor Wembanyama, Jaren Jackson Jr., Alperen Sengun, Evan Mobley and Kevin Durant. Against the Milwaukee Bucks on Tuesday, the Raptors tasked him with guarding a red-hot Giannis Antetokounmpo.
He hasn’t been perfect but Toronto’s trust in him as a primary on-ball defender speaks volumes. Murray-Boyles’s elite hands and anticipation immediately translated to the NBA — his 7.5 deflections per 100 possessions place him among the league’s top 25 and second among rookies (to Will Richard).
Collin Murray-Boyles had three steals and seven deflections against the Grizzlies on Sunday, both game highs.
His physicality, aggression and HANDS on defence are a problem for opposing offences. pic.twitter.com/N0CSq8Oatm
— Ian Finlayson (@ianfinlayson_) November 4, 2025
After carrying a heavy offensive load at South Carolina, he’s slotting in seamlessly as a connective piece in Toronto. He’s an excellent screener, advantage passer and has the ball-handling chops to beat some bigs off the dribble, though Murray-Boyles has struggled to score inside the arc.
Despite making only nine 3-pointers in two college seasons, he’s already made six threes in five games and is hitting a likely unsustainable 46.2 percent of them. A threatening outside shot combined with his stellar defensive versatility and playmaking might turn him into a star. Even if the shot regresses, the Raptors will be pleased with Murray-Boyles’s two-way impact.
Derik Queen
Queen was a misunderstood prospect, especially on defense, where poor pre-Draft testing cast doubt on his athletic potential. His motor waxed and waned at Maryland but his quick feet and hands popped out in spurts. Early in his NBA career, Queen’s defensive impact outweighs his trademark offense.
He ranks in the 75th percentile or better in blocks (1.9), deflections (5.2), stops (3.2) and offensive fouls drawn (0.9) per 100 possessions. While NBA athletes rise and shoot over the 6-foot-9 Queen, he’s attacking the basketball to force turnovers and create havoc.
derik queen's often maligned defense has been a bright spot for the pels so far, his quick hands and light feet force turnovers and let him switch out to guards
85th %tile deflections and 84th %tile blocks in his small sample start, phew! pic.twitter.com/5FZ0jlbDWR
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) November 5, 2025
He’s scoring a pedestrian 15.6 points per 75 possessions on minus-seven relative true shooting, struggling to space the floor and find space in the midrange against NBA length. Those struggles haven’t fully subdued his impact, as Queen thrives on the glass (10.3 rebounds per 75) and draws fouls (6.4 free throws per 100 possessions) effectively.Â
The New Orleans Pelicans are a mess and Queen, to no fault of his own, will always be tied to an aggressive Draft day trade. But he’s making good on their investment as best he can, finding ways to contribute and flashing the star offensive traits that built his prospect case. He and Jeremiah Fears (who deserves his own spotlight one day) are undeniable and necessary bright spots amidst a disastrous start to the season.
Hugo Gonzalez
To begin the season, the Boston Celtics are outplaying their defensive talent level and sit a surprising 12th in defensive rating without Jayson Tatum, Kristaps Porzingis, Jrue Holiday or Al Horford. Rangy wing defenders like Sam Hauser, Josh Minott and Hugo Gonzalez facilitate their uncharacteristically aggressive defense, ranking third in forced turnover rate (17.4 percent) after finishing among the bottom seven each of the last three seasons.
Boston has unleashed Gonzalez’s athleticism and playmaking; his 3.6 steals and 4.5 stops per 100 possessions are both top-20 marks league-wide (min. 80 total minutes). He has the green light to pounce on loose handles and errant passes as a gap defender, blowing up actions and limiting drives.
i'm enjoying sam hauser and hugo gonzalez defending in tandem on the perimeter — hauser is always cutting off handlers at the POA and gonzalez wants to dig off and pounce on loose handles
created a few turnovers this way against philly pic.twitter.com/PJ24xwfu4M
— ben pfeifer (@bjpf_) November 3, 2025
While Gonzalez doesn’t contribute much as a scorer (8.9 points per 75 on minus-12.7 percent relative true shooting), the ball doesn’t stick in his hands and his athleticism and energy help Boston win on the margins. As he settles in offensively and leans on his explosiveness as a slasher, Gonzalez projects to be a useful rotation piece, already a win for the 28th overall pick.
