NBA Rookie of The Year (ROY) Rankings 2024-25: Top 5 candidates after Week 19 ft. Isaiah Collier

The NBA Rookie of the Year race (ROY) continues to heat up with a month left in the regular season. While Stephon Castle and Jaylen Wells have held the top two spots over the last two months, another contender could break the monotony. Zaccharie Risacher looks to keep piling up outstanding performances to challenge for the top rookie honor.

An injury can easily complicate the standings as there is no overwhelming favorite to bag the ROY. Kel’el Ware has played well, but a nagging knee injury has caused him to miss a few games and limit his production. Another rookie who has been raring to break into the top five rankings could sneak past him in the latest edition of the ROY race.

Here’s how the top rookies fared after Week 19 of the NBA Rookie of the Year rankings:

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2024-25 NBA Rookie of the Year Power Rankings

#5. Isaiah Collier

Isaiah Collier was on the brink of entering the top five of the NBA Rookie of the Year last week. He finally breaks through following Kel’el Ware’s injury woes. The Utah Jazz point guard is averaging 7.5 points, 6.2 assists and 3.1 rebounds for the season. Since February, he has been putting up 11.4 PPG, 7.8 APG and 3.7 RPG.

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#4. Zach Edey

Zach Edey drops a spot back after ranking No. 3 last week. Last week, he averaged 9.3 PPG, 7.0 RPG and 1.3 BPG. Memphis went 3-1 during that stretch. Edey has helped lessen the impact of Jaren Jackson Jr.'s injury, particularly on the defensive end.

The 7-foot-4 center must continue impacting the Grizzlies as Isaiah Collier could challenge him for the No. 4 spot in the NBA Rookie of the Year ladder.

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#3. Zaccharie Risacher

Three weeks ago, Zaccharie Risacher was outside the top five. The No. 1 pick in the 2024 NBA draft has a string of impressive games to steadily climb the NBA Rookie of the Year rankings. No. 3 is the highest spot Risacher has reached this season.

Last week, he averaged 11.8 PPG, 4.3 RPG and 1.0 APG, helping the Atlanta Hawks to a 4-0 record. The Frenchman has helped Trae Young carry a hobbled team, which looked lost heading into March.

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#2. Jaylen Wells

Jaylen Wells played five games last week and helped Memphis to a 4-1 record. The second-rounder averaged 5.4 RPG, 4.4 PPG and 1.6 APG. What does not show on the box score is the small forward’s defense and hustle that have been crucial in the Grizzlies’ winning run.

Grizzlies coach Taylor Jenkins has relied more on Wells to contribute on the defensive end following Jaren Jackson’s injury. Wells needs to step up to hold off Risacher from taking over the No. 2 spot in the NBA Rookie of the Year rankings.

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#1. Stephon Castle

Stephon Castle continues to enjoy a surge in March, particularly with a bigger role on offense following Victor Wembanyama’s season-ending condition. The No. 4 pick in this year’s draft averaged 16.8 PPG, 4.0 RPG and 3.5 APG.

The San Antonio Spurs went 1-4 during that stretch but Castle received high praise from Jason Kidd. The Dallas Mavericks coach said after back-to-back games against the Spurs:

"I think when you talk about Castle, his athleticism (and) understanding how to play the game (stand out).”

The former UConn star continues to hold pole position in the NBA Rookie of the Year race.