By: Jay Yeomans

Published: December 5, 2024

We are just one-quarter of the way through the NBA season so to consider this list as far too early would be an understatement. But fans of NBA teams who were hoping for early contributions from this year’s crop of draft picks are already looking to see if their favorite teams made mistakes with their selections.

With that in mind, I thought I would dig into the numbers and see who is having the best rookie season to this point and redraft the first round based on that production. It is important to understand that a project like this is a no-win proposition for me. After all, this list will undoubtedly be different 20 games from now and even more different by the end of year one. Especially when you consider that this class has gotten off to a horribly slow start with only seven players having seen the floor for more than 500 minutes and seven who are scoring in double figures.

30. Jamal Shead

Originally the 45th overall pick, Shead sneaks into the first round with two double-figure scoring games and five games with five or more assists. not exactly world-beating numbers but enough to land at No. 30.

29. Keaton Wallace

After going undrafted, Wallace got rotation minutes early in the season for an injury-depleted Hawks roster. In all, he saw double-figure minutes in nine games and produced at least five points on six different occasions.

28. Dillon Jones

The former Weber State product has struggled to find minutes – and his jump shot – while suiting up for one of the league’s top teams, the Oklahoma City Thunder. Despite his shooting woes, Jones is averaging more than 7.0 points, and 4.0 rebounds in games where he plays more than 15 minutes.

27. Jaylon Tyson

Tyson hasn’t played much for the Cavaliers, with just three games of more than 10 minutes on the floor, but what he did in his one game of significant action was impressive. In a 28-point win over the New Orleans Pelicans, he registered his first career double-double with 16 points and 11 rebounds while also handing out seven assists in 37 minutes of work.

26. Antonio Reeves

Reeves only plays in games where the Pelicans are getting crushed but on one such night, flashed the potential of being a big-time scorer. In a 28-point loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers, He dropped 34 points on 14 for 25 shooting from the field while snatching five boards and handing out three helpers in his lone appearance of more than 20 minutes.

25. Rob Dillingham

Dillingham doesn’t see the floor much for the veteran Timberwolves but has been productive on the offensive end when he has found minutes. His best outing – and his only game where he played more than 20 minutes – came in a six-point loss to the Rockets when he recorded 12 points, seven assists, and five rebounds.

24. Ron Holland

It’s difficult to be productive when you shoot 14.9 percent from three but still shoot nearly 40 percent of your shots from that distance. Even with that dreadful shooting, Holland has managed to score in double figures in four games for the Detroit Pistons including a career-high 14 against the Grizzlies.

23. Kyshawn George

George has had plenty of opportunities to show what he can do for the Wizards and has had some productive moments. He has scored in double figures seven times and dished out at least five assists three times.

22. Tidjane Salaun

Salaun came off the board with the No. 6 pick by the Hornets and is starting to show why he was so highly thought of. He had put up double-figure scoring games in the last two weeks including a 17-point outburst against the Miami hit where he connected on 3 of 7 shots from beyond the arc followed by a 14-point outing just two nights later where he also collected eight rebounds.

21. Isaac Jones

Jones barely saw the floor through the Kings first 18 games but has been fantastic since he was inserted into the rotation two weeks ago. Since then, he has shot 20 for 28 from the floor while averaging 9.0 points a game.

20. Ryan Dunn

Not to be confused with the main character in the movie, Summer Catch, this Ryan Dunn already got his pro contract and has shown flashes of being a productive 3-and-D wing. He has connected on multiple 3-point shots in seven games, including a 4 of 9 shooting night on his way to a career-high 16 points in a win over the Clippers.

19. Reed Sheppard

Sheppard shot up draft boards and ultimately went No. 3 to the Houston Rockets thanks to a sweet shooting stroke. Unfortunately for Rockets fans, his outside shot hasn’t been falling like it did when he played for the Kentucky Wildcats. He has had some nice outings though in limited action, including a 12-point game against the Chicago Bulls where he hit 4 of 5 from deep and also blocked three shots.

18. Ajay Mitchell

Mitchell has shot the ball extremely well from beyond the arc for the Thunder so far this season while proving to be an efficient scorer off the bench. He has already scored in double figures on five occasions even though he has played more than 25 minutes just once.

17. Jamison Battle

Battle, a well-traveled college player, has been one of the few bright spots for the struggling Raptors so far this season. He has hit multiple threes in a game seven different times including a 6 for 8 performance on his way to a career-high 24 points in a big win over the New Orleans Pelicans.

16. Pelle Larsson

Like many of the second round picks or undrafted players who cracked our early-season top 30, Larsson has shot the ball at a very good clip to start the year. In fact, he has been 50 percent or better from the floor in 10 of 15 games so far, including five games at 75 percent or better.

15. Oso Ighodaro

Ighodaro has been seeing big minutes as of late and has been very productive for the Phoenix Suns on both ends of the floor. He has had five games with at least 6 rebounds and seven games with at least half a dozen points.

14. Jonathan Mogbo

Mogbo finds ways to contribute whenever he gets on the floor. He is an efficient shooter who has proven to be a dynamic offensive rebounder and a solid defender. He has scored in double figures just three times, but has collected at least five boards in 10 games and grabbed multiple offensive rebounds 15 times.

13. Matas Buzelis

Buzelis has played more than 20 minutes four times. In those games, he has scored in double figures three times, including a 20-point night against the Brooklyn Nets when he connected 4-of-5 shots from three-point range. In those games, he is averaging 13.5 points while shooting 52.6 percent from three.

12. Tristan Da Silva

Da Silva played exactly 5:21 in the first five games of the season before he was thrust into the Magic lineup after the loss of star forward Paolo Banchero. Since then, he has played at least 15 minutes in every game and produced five games scoring in double figures.

11. Kyle Filipowski

Even though he was the third selection by the Jazz in this draft, Filipowski has been the most productive of the three by a large margin. He has grabbed at least five rebounds in 10 games and scored in double figures on five different occasions. The best of those games came in a tight loss to the Phoenix Suns when he registered 18 points, six boards, and two blocks.

10. Carlton Carrington

Despite playing for one of the worst teams in the league, Carrington has been a bright spot for the Wizards thanks to his versatility. He Has scored in double figures 10 times, collected at least five rebounds five times and handed out at least five assists on seven occasions. One of his best overall showings came in a loss to Memphis when he recorded 10 points, 10 rebounds, eight assists, and four steals.

9. Zach Edey

Edey was really finding his groove before a sprained ankle forced him out of the lineup. He scored in double figures in eight of his last 10 games, including a 25-point night against the Nets where he missed just one shot. He has also been a big presence on the backboards where he is averaging just shy of seven boards a game despite playing only 20 minutes. He would definitely be higher on my list if he hadn’t been bitten by the injury bug.

8. Donovan Clingan

Even though I loved his game while at UConn, I thought the selection of Clingan by Portland was an odd one. Not based on his ability but rather the fact that the Trail Blazers already had some talented players at the 5 spot. But when you see him play games like he did against the Timberwolves you can see why Portland couldn’t pass him up. On that night, he put up 18 points, grabbed 12 rebounds and swatted away eight shots. Even on nights where he isn’t scoring the ball he can be a force like his most recent outing when he collected 19 rebounds and blocked three shots in 25 minutes.

7. Alex Sarr

There is plenty to like about Sarr’s game so far, but there are a couple things he has lacked in his young career; to consistently hit outside shots or help the Wizards win games. Despite those setbacks, he is averaging respectable numbers of 10.5 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.1 assists, and 1.8 blocks.

6. Yves Missi

Missi has been a monster on the glass and an effective finisher around the rim for the underwhelming Pelicans. He has scored in double figures 10 times, including his last six games. He has also gathered double-digit rebounds seven times and registered five double-doubles. Where he is most impressive is on the offensive glass where he is sixth in the league with 3.5 boards a night.

5. Jaylen Wells

Wells was thrust into the starting lineup six games into the season and has been just fantastic ever since. He has scored 13 points or more 11 times and knocked down multiple threes 14 times while hitting at a 38.9 percent clip from that distance.

4. Stephon Castle

Castle really hasn’t found his stroke yet, but still consistently find ways to make the Spurs better every night. He has scored in double figures in 13 of the last 15 games, including five games of 18 or more. He has also done a nice job as a distributor with 10 games of at least five assists.

3. Zaccharie Risacher

Like most every other rookie in the class, it has been an adjustment for Risacher to shot the ball from the three-point line, but he is starting to find the range. He has shot better than 40 percent from distance on just six occasions this year, but four have come in the last five games. Not shockingly, he has scored in double figures in all of those games while helping the Hawks secure five straight wins.

2. Dalton Knecht

Knect has been the best shooter in the class and a steal for the Lakers. He has been an elite fit next to LeBron and Anthony Davis because of his ability to space the floor and knock down tough shots. He has scored at least 20 points four different times, including a 37-point performance against the Utah Jazz where he hit 9 of 12 threes.

1. Jared McCain

McCain has been on a role for the last month and has become the 76ers go-to scorer without Paul George and Joel Embiid. He has scored 18 points or more 11 times, including a stretch where he did it nine games in a row. His best showing came in a tough loss to the Cleveland Cavaliers where he put up a huge double-double with 34 points and 10 assists.