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ESPN Senior Writer- Co-author, Pro Basketball Prospectus series
- Formerly a consultant with the Indiana Pacers
- Developed WARP rating and SCHOENE system
This year's rookie class hasn't had an easy transition to the NBA. A year ago, most of them were shut down, having seen the NCAA tournament canceled and the NBA put on hold. They faced an uncertain future as they declared for the draft -- a draft that ended up being held virtually -- and went through a pre-draft process that was completely different from anything that had come before. Then, after they were drafted, they had to jump almost immediately into training camp, with their rookie seasons tipping off just a month later.
With all that in mind, evaluating this year's rookies based on what they've done in four brief months of action has been more difficult than usual. Still, some have already demonstrated how their games will -- or in other cases won't -- translate to the NBA, and we know more about their potential for long-term success.
Taking into account what we've seen so far this season, we ranked this season's rookies by long-term outlook, starting with a player who wasn't the No. 1 pick, but who quickly established himself as the No. 1 talent among this year's rookies.
Note: Find each writer's top-10 rankings at the bottom of this article.
