While the NBA Summer League Las Vegas games have just got off to a start, the NBA rookie rankings have been released based on action in Utah and Orlando. Among the players making the top five so far this summer are the Boston Celtics' No. 3 pick Jayson Tatum, as well as the Philadelphia Sixers' No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz. Unfortunately, one of those two players won't be able to add any more statistics for the summer session. There are also several names missing from the rankings, so far. Here's the latest on the top five rookies right now and what to expect going forward.
Tatum tops list
So far, no rookie has been more impressive in the Summer League games than Jayson Tatum. The former Duke University star has been coming up big for the Boston Celtics' summer squad. Most recently, he recorded a double-double in Boston's win over the L.A. Lakers on Saturday night. That game included a just-past-halfcourt buzzer-beater from downtown to end a quarter.
As NBA.com notes, Jayson Tatum also nailed the game-winner in his first summer league game against Markelle Fultz and the Philadelphia Sixers. He's certainly shown his ability to shoot and rebound, making Danny Ainge look even wiser for trading down to the No. 3 spot to draft him. Tatum seems ready to fit into the lineup and win already.
Who else made the list?
At No. 2 is the Miami Heat's big man Bam Adebayo. In the Orlando Summer League, he put up 17.5 points and 8.3 rebounds to go along with 2.3 blocks per contest. Could Adebayo become the heir to Hassan Whiteside's starting job in the future in Miami? It's still too soon to tell, but Adebayo's start certainly looks promising.
The Detroit Pistons' Luke Kennard also ranked highly on the early rookie list, coming in third overall. Kennard, another product of Duke University was able to 17.2 Points Per Game and 46.5 percent field goal shooting. He also hit 47.8 percent of his shots from downtown, giving the Pistons reason to be hopeful of the future with this young star.
The No. 1 overall pick Markelle Fultz also looked good during NBA Summer League games in Utah. He ranked second overall in scoring average in Utah with 20 points per game, as he achieved 17 points against Boston in the opener, and 20 in the next game. Unfortunately for Fultz, he suffered an injury in his first game in Las Vegas on Saturday night and will be sidelined the remainder of the Vegas games.
Rounding out the list at the fifth spot was Donovan Mitchell of the Utah Jazz. He scored 15.3 points per game, and looks like he could become a starter for the Jazz now that Gordon Hayward has signed with the Celtics.
For those wondering about some of the other big name rookies, the list was compiled on Saturday before many of the rookies in Vegas had a chance to put up some numbers. So far, it's looking like several other top five picks including the Lakers' Lonzo Ball, Kings' De'Aaron Fox, and Suns' Josh Jackson will be climbing their way up into the top 10 list.