Rookie Leaders Through 2023-24 NBA Preseason
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The 2023-24 NBA preseason came and went. And with it, performances both good and bad from the league’s newest, shiniest players.
The 2023 NBA Draft class has been lauded as a special one, and they certainly made their stamp in quasi-NBA action.
Here’s a look at which rookies led the way in counting stats per game:
Points: Victor Wembanyama
In holding up to his No. 1 title, Victor Wembanyama led the way in points per game among rookies, scoring 19.3 in four contests. He edged out Denver’s Julian Strawther, who scored 17.8, and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren with 16.3.
Wembanyama did take the most shots of any rookie per game, but still shot an extremely respectable 51 percent overall.
Assists: Vasilije Micic
A 29-year-old NBA rookie who was a draft-and-stash from 2014, Vasilije Micic is the most experienced newcomer in the NBA. And it showed as he averaged 6.0 assists in just 18.5 minutes per game for the Thunder.
Trail Blazers point guard Scoot Henderson trailed at 5.8, albeit with a preseason-most 3.5 per game, and Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski was third with 5.5.
Rebounds: Ausar Thompson
The 2023 class didn’t get off to a great start cleaning the glass, but Detroit’s Ausar Thompson put up great numbers in nabbing 9.3 per game.
The next closest was Heat forward Jaime Jaquez Jr., who grabbed seven in his lone game, and Pelicans rookie Trey Jamison who grabbed 6.8.
Stocks (steals + blocks): Victor Wembanyama
Again, Wembanyama showed why he was the No. 1 pick, utilizing his two-way prowess to lead all rookies to play more than one game in stocks, sending 2.8 blocks and nabbing one steal per game.
His French counterpart and former teammate Bilal Coulibaly was in tow, averaging 2.8 steals and 0.8 blocks in four games.
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