Kia Rookie Ladder: Alex Sarr Holds Strong at No. 1 Ahead of Challenging Tournament

Movement on the Kia Rookie Ladder was relatively stagnant this week, with Stephon Castle moving up a spot, No. 1 pick Zaccharie Risacher slipping a couple positions, and Portland’s Donovan Clingan making a strong return with impressive rebounding performances.

Washington’s Alexandre

Sarr

hung onto the top spot for a second week with highlights at both ends.

The 7-footer from Bordeaux, France, ranks fourth in points, second in rebounds, fifth in assists, second in blocked shots and 10

th

in steals among rookies.

Here are updates on this season’s top newcomers:

Weekly recap

Storyline to

watch

A big, maybe-not-beautiful wall.

The Wizards’ rookie crew has already been feeling the effects of NBA scheduling, but it will get dialed up soon.

After facing Phoenix on Thursday, Washington hits the road for six games against the

West in 10 nights. The Wizards return home for a back-to-back, then head out again to open February with three more on the road. And Carrington already said: “

I’ve never played this

[many]

games, never played this [

many

] minutes as well.

So

it’s definitely taken a toll

.

”

Latest ranking

(All stats through

Tuesday

,

Jan.

14

)

1

. Alexandre

Sarr

, Washington Wizards

Season stats

: 11.7 ppg, 6.

6

rpg

, 1.6 b

pg

Last Ladder

:

No. 

1

Draft pick

: No. 2

Sarr’s

shooting and scoring have dipped from his East Rookie of the Month work in December, but his rebounds and assists are up. Against Minnesota, he contributed 13 points, hit 3-of-5 from the arc and had two steals and two blocks.

2

. Yves

Missi

, New Orleans Pelicans

Season stats

: 9

 ppg, 8.

2

rpg

, 1.

4

b

pg

Last Ladder

:

No. 

2

Draft pick

: No. 21

It didn’t happen when their teams met Friday — Joel Embiid missed yet another game — but the Sixers’ center had looked forward to facing his young fellow Cameroonian.

“I can’t wait to kick his ass, but I’m happy for him,” Embiid

told

Andscape

.

“He has a chance to be

really good

. Right now, he’s doing what he’s supposed to do. But I would also hope that he keeps working on his game because I think there’s way more to come

.”

3

. Jaylen Wells

, Memphis Grizzlies

Season stats

: 1

1.

7

ppg, 3.

4

rpg

, 1.

7

apg

Last Ladder

:

No.

3

Draft pick

: No. 39

Snapshots of Wells’ ability to pester opponents’ top scorers were on display in the Grizzlies’ 127-125 victory at Minnesota. The rookie’s 13-point performance on 4-of-13 shooting loomed large because he helped limit the Timberwolves’ Anthony Edwards to 15 points on, yes, 4-of-13 shooting that included five 3s without a make.

4

. Stephon Castle, San Antonio Spurs

Season stats

: 11 ppg, 2.4

rpg

, 3.6

apg

Last Ladder

: No. 5

Draft pick

: No. 4

Castle had a resurgent performance in San Antonio’s victory over the Lakers on Monday. He scored 23 points on 10-of-16 shooting in 36 minutes, with four rebounds and a pair of steals. “A

lot of people focus on what he can’t do instead of what he can,”

Spurs interim coach Mitch

Johnson said. “And what he can do is impact the game in so many ways.

…

Nights like this are just the beginning for him.”

5

. Zach

Edey

, Memphis Grizzlies

Season stats

:

9.9

ppg, 7.

5

rpg

, 1.1

bpg

Last Ladder

:

No. 

4

Draft pick

: No. 9

Houston’s Steven Adams, into whose shoes

Edey

has slipped, praised the younger, bigger man to The Commercial Appeal. “Really good potential. Obviously, limitless.

He’s just young. He

has to

learn this game of the NBA.”

The Next 5

6

. Tristan da Silva, Orlando Magic

Season stats

: 8.8 ppg, 4.1

rpg

, 1.7

apg

Last Ladder

: No. 7

Draft pick

: No. 18

The teammate he helped replace, Paolo

Banchero

, is back and said this of the rookie: “

He can kind of fit out there with anybody, any lineup

.

He finds his way on both sides of the ball.

”

7

. Bub Carrington, Washington Wizards

Season stats

: 8.9 ppg, 4.3

rpg

, 4.1

apg

Last Ladder

: No. 8

Draft pick

: No. 14

Tops all rookies in total minutes and assists, third in steals, fifth in shots and eighth in points.

8

. Za

ccharie

Risacher

, Atlanta Hawks

Season stats

: 10.

5

ppg, 3.

5

rpg

, 1.

2

apg

Last Ladder

:

No. 

6

Draft pick

: No. 1

Continues as a nominal starter, one reason Atlanta’s bench is among the league’s best. His replacements bring more aggressiveness.

9. Ryan Dunn, Phoenix Suns

Season stats

:

7.

2

ppg, 3.

2

rpg

, 0.9

apg

Last Ladder

:

No. 

9

Draft pick

: No. 28

Br

inging

a bit of

grit to the Suns’ slick starters, pending a possible Jimmy Butler trade. “W

ith me being in a starting lineup

and

getting a lot of minutes, I didn’t expect that for myself,” Dunn said

.

10.

Donovan

Clingan

, Portland Trail Blazers

Season stats

: 5.6 ppg, 6.5

rpg

, 1.5

bpg

Last Ladder

: Not ranked

Draft pick

: No. 7

Big week for the Blazers’

young big

man, averaging 7.7 points, 11.7 boards and 1.7 blocks. He took some lumps vs. Brooklyn on Tuesday with a blow to the face and a late-game ankle injury.

* * *

Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on X.

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