NBA Rookie power rankings: New name and Ausar Thompson drops
NBA Rookie power rankings: Ausar Thompson takes a slight dip
#4: Brandon Miller
Miller dropped a spot after a mediocre week which saw his numbers slide to 13.2 points and 4.5 rebounds per game. Like most rookies on bad teams, Miller is struggling with efficiency, hitting just 30 percent of his 3-point shots. This is where you could make a case for a player like Cason Wallace or Marcus Sasser to be on the list, as they are playing fewer minutes and lesser roles than Miller, but doing it efficiently and in Wallace’s case, on a winning team. This is the oldest argument in the Rookie of the Year race, as the top guys almost all go to bad teams, so should they be punished for being forced into huge roles right away? I say no.
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#3: Ausar Thompson
Thompson had a very good week, so his drop is more about the other players than him, as he is currently 5th in points per game, 1st in rebounding, 2nd in assists, 3rd in blocks, 1st in steals and 3rd in efficiency among rookies.
You could make a strong argument that he has been an All-Defensive player through the first eight games of the season and the only thing holding him back from being atop this list is that he is still shooting just 40 percent from the field (though that number is going up) and 17 percent from long range.