How Kings rookies compare statistically to NBA’s other first-year players
The Kings have begun their youth movement, with four of the team’s five rookies seeing playing time.
De’Aaron Fox, the fifth overall pick in June, and Justin Jackson, who was drafted 15th by Portland then traded to Sacramento, have played in all eight games this season. Bogdan Bogdanovic, a 2014 draft pick who came to the NBA this season from the EuroLeague, and Frank Mason III, a second-round selection in this year’s draft, have also logged minutes.
The Kings also have Harry Giles, but the 20th overall pick who was part of the Portland trade won’t play until at least January.
Sacramento is 1-7 through eight games, with its next contest coming Saturday in Detroit. Here’s a quick look at how the rookies compare statistically to the NBA’s other first-year players:
Scoring – Fox is sixth with a 12.5 scoring average. Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons leads all rookies at 18.5 points per game in eight contests.
Rebounding – Fox is ninth at 4.1 a contest. Simmons leads, averaging 9.6.
Assists – Fox is tied for third with Dallas’ Dennis Smith Jr. at 5.1 per game. Simmons again leads the way with a 7.9 average.
Field-goal percentage – Jackson is shooting 50.7 percent from the field, good for eighth among rookies. Golden State’s Jordan Bell is shooting 88.9 percent (16 for 18) in six games.
3-point percentage – Jackson is sixth at 37.5 percent. San Antonio’s Brandon Paul has made 7 of 11 attempts (63.6 percent).
Steals – Bogdanovic is third at 1.4 per game in five contests. New York’s Frank Ntilikina averages two per (10 steals in five games).
Blocks – Bogdanovic averages half a block per contest, tying him for ninth with Bell and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell. Orlando’s Jonathan Isaac averages 1.14 blocks to lead all rookies.
Minutes – Fox’s 27 minutes per contest puts him seventh. Simmons’ 34.9 a night is tops.
All stats are through Wednesday’s games.
This story was originally published November 3, 2017 at 3:55 AM with the headline "How Kings rookies compare statistically to NBA’s other first-year players."