NBA 2019-20: Rookie of the Year Power Rankings Week 7
Zion Williamson has missed the first six weeks of the NBA season with a knee injury, and the teenage sensation has still yet to resume on-court work with the New Orleans Pelicans. It appears increasingly unlikely that the 19-year-old will feature before Christmas, and his prospects of winning Rookie of the Year are quickly fading.
Ahead of the season, the award was considered Williamson's to lose, although it now appears that the Rookie of the Year title will go somewhere other than New Orleans. With six weeks of the season now in the books, plenty of young players around the league have impressed, and here we will take a look at the latest Rookie of the Year power rankings.
#5 Rui Hachimura - Washington Wizards
Rui Hachimura made a promising start to the season with the Washington Wizards, although the Gonzaga product has been largely quiet over the past month. Nevertheless, Hachimura ended November by scoring 16 points in just 26 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers, before enjoying a breakout performance against the LA Clippers two days later as he recorded a career-high 30 points. Hachimura reached 30 points on 13-23 shooting from the field, and he also picked up 9 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.
It was the kind of performance that many believed Hachimura to be capable of when he was drafted 9th overall by the Wizards, and through 18 games, the forward is now averaging 13.3 points, 5.6 rebounds, and 1.6 assists per contest. He is shooting an impressive 48 percent from the field, although his shooting from three-point range still needs work (23%). Ultimately, Hachimura's season looks set for lift-off after a muted start and he could be well within the Rookie of the Year debate by the end of December.