NBA Rookie of The Year (ROY) Rankings 2024-25: Top 5 candidates after Week 16 ft. Kel’el Ware

The NBA Rookie of the Year race took a backseat following blockbuster trades that rocked the league. Still, performances from the best first-year pros did not go unnoticed. Two weeks ago, Stephon Castle returned to the top spot following a string of solid performances amid a drop in consistency and an injury to Alex Sarr.

Castle looks poised to retain the No. 1 spot after another impressive week, but a new name has entered the top five. Sarr’s injury further dropped him out of the list, allowing another big man to take over his place.

Here’s how the top freshmen fared in the latest edition of the NBA Rookie of the Year rankings.

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2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings

#5 Yves Missi

Yves Missi holds on to the No. 5 spot in the NBA Rookie of the Year rankings. This season, he is averaging 8.8 points, 8.0 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.4 blocks per game. The big man’s usage has dropped off following the return of superstar Zion Williamson from injury.

Missi played three games last week and averaged 8.7 PPG and 8.3 RPG. He had stretches where he held up well on defense against reigning MVP Nikola Jokic in back-to-back matchups.

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#4 Kel’el Ware

Kel’el Ware surged into No. 4 of the NBA Rookie of the Year race. Injuries and the Jimmy Butler standoff prompted Miami Heat coach Erik Spoelstra to experiment with a double-center lineup featuring Ware and Bam Adebayo. The No. 15 pick in this year’s draft has not looked back since.

Ware was named the Rookie of the Month in January after averaging 13.0 PPG, 6.9 RPG and 1.4 BPG. Overtaking him in the top five in the ROY race would be difficult if he continues to play the same way in February.

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#3 Zach Edey

Zach Edey takes a step up in the NBA Rookie of the Year ladder after Week 16. The No. 9 pick in this year’s draft is averaging 9.8 PPG, 7.6 RPG and 1.2 BPG. He only seems to be getting better as the season progresses.

Last week, he averaged 12.0 PPG, 10.5 PPG and 2.0 APG, helping the Memphis Grizzlies to a 4-0 record. Edey shone in his one-on-one matchup with San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama on Monday. The former Purdue star finished the game with 16 points, 14 rebounds, three steals and one block.

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#2 Jaylen Wells

Jaylen Wells did not have the same impressive numbers as Zach Edey, but he retained the No. 2 spot for his consistency throughout the season. Last week, he averaged 6.5 points, 2.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game. What did not show on the score sheet was his always solid defense, hustle and energy that Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins continues to rely on.

Wells had a chance to close the gap on Stephon Castle, but the Spurs rookie took his play to another level.

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#1 Stephon Castle

Stephon Castle was the NBA Rookie of the Month winner in January. He averaged 14.9 PPG, 3.6 APG and 3.1 RPG. In four games last week, he put up 15.5 PPG, 5.5 RPG and 5.0 APG. More importantly, he outplayed Jaylen Wells during long stretches of their one-on-one duel.

Castle’s best outing last week came against the Milwaukee Bucks on Friday. He tallied 20 points, eight rebounds and six assists. The combo guard and Victor Wembanyama were thorns in the Bucks’ side all game long.

Stephon Castle has firmly entrenched himself at the top of the NBA Rookie of the Year race.