NBA Rookie of the Year race: Paolo Banchero leads as season nears midway mark; who rounds out top five?
By this time next week all teams will have played in their 42nd game, marking the midway point in the NBA schedule. With that in mind, it's a perfect time to step back and take a look at the Rookie of the Year race and see what we've learned about some of the top players from the 2022 draft class. Right off the bat the first thing that stands out about this draft class is the depth of talent we've seen so far, from future All-Stars to impactful role players. We've already seen rookies on playoff contending teams hit multiple game-winning shots, and there's one guys in particular who is not only in the running for Rookie of the Year but Sixth Man of the Year as well (more on that below). While there can only be one winner for the best rookie from this class, it's clear that going forward there's at least 15-20 guys who have the potential to have lengthy careers in this league. Now let...