NBA Rookie Power Rankings: Trae Young stays ahead of Luka Doncic, but can he get ROY votes?

Young has been on a tear, but it might be too little too late when it comes to Rookie of the Year voting

By Colin Ward-Henninger

Mar 8, 2019 at 9:49 am ET • 5 min read

It's been a long time since we thought Luka Doncic would have anything resembling competition for Rookie of the Year, but Trae Young is sure doing his best to get into voters' minds. Young put on an absolute show last week and it carried into one of the most memorable games between two teams more than 20 games under .500 in recent memory.

Young's historic night propelled him to the top of this week's rankings, and has some people clamoring for ROY consideration. Doncic will almost assuredly still win, but it's nice to see a late push from Young, who was traded for Doncic on draft night in June -- oh, the drama!

The Clippers' pair of backcourt rookies also made this week's list after leading their team to a firm grip on the eighth spot in the Western Conference playoff standings with three straight wins. Also joining this week's rankings is Kings forward Harry Giles, who has become a reliable backup for one of the most exciting teams in the NBA.

Here are this week's NBA Rookie Power Rankings.

*Reminder: The rankings are based on the past week's performance, not the entire season

This week's NBA Rookie Power Rankings

1	Trae Young Atlanta Hawks PG
Last week: 1 Stats this week: 25.8 points, 8.3 assists, 4.8 rebounds Young has cooled off a bit in recent games (it was bound to happen), but he earns the top spot this week largely due to a jaw-dropping 49-point, 16 assist performance in last Friday's quadruple-overtime loss to the Bulls. Young showed all the moxie and bravado we've come to expect, nailing a cold-blooded 3-pointer that would have won the game in regulation were it not for an ill-advised foul on the ensuing possession. He's only 1-for-11 from the 3-point line in his last two games, but Young has the fans in Atlanta buzzing and hopeful for the Hawks' future.
2	Luka Doncic Dallas Mavericks SF
Last week: 2 Stats this week: 23.0 points, 7.0 rebounds, 3.3 assists The Mavericks have turned into a losing machine, and Doncic's production has suffered -- his assist totals dwindled this week and his 3-point shooting dipped (6-for-23). He was much more aggressive looking for his own shot in Wednesday's loss to the Wizards, putting up a career-high 26 field-goal attempts and getting to the free throw line nine times. It's not in Doncic's nature to be a shoot-first player, but he may have to go into that mode more often than not during Dallas' stretch run.
3	Deandre Ayton Phoenix Suns C
Last week: 4 Stats this week: 17.8 points, 9.0 rebounds, 1.3 steals, 1.0 blocks The Phoenix Suns miraculously went 3-1 this week, including wins over the Bucks and a desperate Lakers team, and Ayton was a huge reason why. The big man put up 26 points against the Lakers, the most he's scored in over two months. Even more impressive? He shot 14 free throws in that game, nearly doubling his previous career high of eight attempts. Ayton has occasionally had extremely quiet offensive games this season, and getting to the line more often will go a long way to remedy that.
4	Allonzo Trier New York Knicks SG
Last week: 7 Stats this week: 19.0 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists Trier has developed into one of the Knicks' most consistent scorers of late, and exploded for 29 points and eight rebounds in Monday's loss to the Kings. He's been excellent at getting to the rim this season, but he's also been a knock-down shooter in spot-up situations, netting 1.157 points per possession according to Synergy Sports Tech. Given the way he explodes to the rim, Trier's game will go to a whole new level if he becomes a consistent catch-and-shoot guy from 3-point range.
5	Landry Shamet Los Angeles Clippers PG
Last week: Unranked Stats this week: 17.7 points, 3.0 rebounds, 1.7 assists Shamet's tenure with the Clippers got off to a bit of a slow start, but he ramped things up with two monster games to begin the month of March. He shot a combined 12-for-21 from beyond the arc in wins over the Kings and Knicks, then followed that up by going 3-for-7 against the Lakers to finish the week at a scorching 54 percent from deep. The Clippers clearly love the floor spacing Shamet provides, and he'll only become a bigger and bigger part of their offense for the rest of the season.
6	Shai Gilgeous-Alexander Los Angeles Clippers PG
Last week: Unranked Stats this week: 14.7 points, 3.3 rebounds, 3.0 assists After scoring just seven total points in a three-game stretch, SGA has bounced back with four straight games in double-figures, and was on fire this week from the field (55 percent) and the 3-point line (6-for-8). Gilgeous-Alexander contributes much more than the box score indicates with his defense and intangibles, so when he's shooting with confidence the Clippers are a very dangerous team -- as evidenced by their 3-0 record this week.
7	Mitchell Robinson New York Knicks C
Last week: 6 Stats this week: 9.3 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.3 blocks Well, he didn't average four blocks per game like he did last week, but he got close. Robinson continues to project as a future NBA blocks leader after another week of added minutes due to the absence of DeAndre Jordan, who returned to action on Wednesday. Robinson proved himself to be a double-double threat every night and the Knicks are tanking, so even with Jordan back he should continue to see minutes in the mid-to-high 20s ... if he can stay out of foul trouble. A wild stat: There's only been one game this season in which Robinson has played more than 10 minutes and failed to record at least one block.
8	Harry Giles Sacramento Kings PF
Last week: Unranked Stats this week: 12.7 points, 5.3 rebounds, 2.0 assists Giles hasn't received as big of a bump in playing time as some expected following the injury to Marvin Bagley, but he's been productive nonetheless. He scored 15 points in 17 minutes in a loss to the Clippers, and followed that up with 17 points in 22 minutes in a win over the Knicks. Giles uses his quickness to beat big men down the court and finish at the rim, but he's also been adept maneuvering as a roll man, either capitalizing on switches or popping out for a solid mid-range game. Giles has already established himself as an important part of the bright Kings future.
9	Frank Jackson New Orleans Pelicans PG
Last week: Unranked Stats this week: 10.5 points, 4.5 rebounds, 1.0 steals The surprising Pels had a 3-1 week amid the strange and frustrating Anthony Davis situation, and Jackson played a key role. He shot 55 percent from the field and hit a ridiculous 8-of-11 3-pointers coming off the bench, always providing energy and hustle when he checks in. He's a good rebounder for his size, and should get some extended run with Jrue Holiday sidelined for at least the next week with an abdominal strain.
10	Collin Sexton Cleveland Cavaliers PG
Last week: 8 Stats this week: 15.0 points, 2.3 assists, 2.0 rebounds Sexton shot uncharacteristically poorly from the 3-point line this week (2-for-10), which led to a horrendous overall shooting percentage of 35 percent. The rookie is still having problems facilitating, but he did notch five assists in Wednesday's loss to Brooklyn, and perhaps a healthy Kevin Love will provide the opportunity for some productive two-man game.