2026届NBA乐透秀前两周表现评分：状元AJ·迪班萨领衔，这届新秀开局惊艳

Darius Acuff Jr., Yaxel Lendeborg, Cameron Boozer and Caleb Wilson are just some of the names who have looked great so far

Nov 2, 2026 at 2:03 pm ET • 9 min read

If there's one takeaway from the first two weeks of the 2026-27 NBA season (other than the fact that there are way too many injuries), it might be this: this rookie class has the potential to be the best in league history. Maybe that's an overreaction and a case of recency bias, but the stats and film don't lie.

This group of players was heralded as one of the best freshmen classes in college basketball history. Not only did those players meet expectations, but they also went beyond them. It's hard to see a collection of talent hitting college basketball again like that for a long time.

Wizards forward AJ Dybantsa was late to the party, but the No. 1 overall pick finally made his debut last week against the Cavaliers after missing the first four games due to an ankle injury. Dybantsa scored 19 points in his first game while being on a minutes restriction.

The biggest surprise in the NBA is the Memphis Grizzlies, the only team in the association that hasn't suffered a loss. Cameron Boozer, who has seemingly won at every place he's played — whether in high school, Team USA, Duke and now the NBA — remains the favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year over Kings guard Darius Acuff Jr. and Bulls forward Caleb Wilson.

With the first two weeks of the season in the books, it's time to assess the play of every lottery pick from the 2026 NBA Draft by handing out some early grades. Let's dive in, starting with Dybantsa.

AJ Dybantsa, Wizards: A-

It took exactly 16 seconds to showcase one of Dybantsa's elite skills: drawing contact at the rim. In 35 games last season at BYU, Dybantsa attempted 296 free throws, which ranked No. 1 among all college players. That's going to be a huge part of his game throughout his career because of how good he is at getting into the lane and drawing fouls. He has already attempted nine free throws in his first two games. Dybantsa is still on a minutes restriction. 

Once that restriction gets lifted, he will play even more than the 57 minutes he played during the first two games combined. The Wizards have a chance to be a sleeper play-in team in a loaded Eastern Conference this season.

Darryn Peterson, Utah Jazz: B

Peterson's role with Utah is still being established. Something that stood out to me was Jazz coach Will Hardy benching Peterson for the final stretch against the Spurs last week, even though the game went to overtime and the team was already without Jaren Jackson Jr. and Lauri Markkanen. There were a handful of plays in the fourth quarter where Peterson didn't make the right read on the defensive end, but the decision to bench the young rookie and only play him 26 minutes might've cost Utah a chance to steal a game at home. 

Despite Peterson still trying to find a clear-cut role, he ranks fifth in his rookie class among field goals attempted (78) this season. Peterson thrives on-ball but is also very capable off the ball. That's why I really liked him as a fit with the Jazz. Peterson is going to figure it out. 

Cameron Boozer, Memphis Grizzlies: A

Boozer is the ultimate winner. Since high school, Boozer has a 155-17 record across games in high school, at Duke and in the NBA. It should come as no surprise that he's contributing to winning at the highest level. Boozer had his first career triple-double (18/12/12) and followed it up with a career-high 27 points against Sacramento. Even when Boozer isn't playing well, he can still impact winning with his passing. 

He is an elite processor of the game and it's only going to get better throughout his career. The one concern I do have about Boozer is the rim finishing. Per Synergy, he is shooting 42.4% at the rim. Aside from that, Boozer has been awesome. If the Grizzlies keep winning, Boozer should be the favorite to win Rookie of the Year.

Caleb Wilson, Chicago Bulls: A

The Bulls are off to a slow start, but Wilson is not. The way he can impact both ends of the floor remains one of his strengths. Wilson is also fearless and won't back down from anybody. Two of my favorite plays so far from the NBA season came in Bulls vs. Celtics games. On the defensive end, Wilson recovered while Jayson Tatum was driving middle and rejected him at the rim with his off hand. In a game against Boston days before, Wilson had the ball at the top of the key against Paul George, jab-stepped left and dunked it while taking contact. 

He is averaging 3.2 stocks (steals and blocks) per game. Another note: He is taking 7.8 (!) 3-pointers per game after taking 27 total attempts at North Carolina last season. The efficiency (29.8%) isn't there yet, but if Wilson's shooting ticks up, it changes his entire ceiling.

Keaton Wagler, Los Angeles Clippers: B+

Wagler has been playing in a sixth man role during the first two weeks. The Clippers are trying to bring him along slowly. I'll say this: It's time to start Wagler. He has looked very comfortable even dating back to his first minutes against Sacramento. Wagler is shooting better from 3 (31.3%) than 2 (24%), but I'm not super worried about the efficiency for him or any rookie guard on the list for one reason: Rookie guards are historically inefficient. 

Again, it's understandable why the Clippers want to wait to start Wagler, but it's time to put him in the starting lineup and play him even more. Wagler has shown he's capable of taking on that responsibility while running the second unit.

Mikel Brown Jr., Brooklyn Nets: B

Similar to Wagler, Brown is coming off the bench to begin his career. He has played over 25 minutes just once this season due to the team placing him on a minutes restriction. Brown also didn't play against Indiana last weekend due to back injury management. In the game (against Boston), where Brown played over 25 minutes, he was electric in the fourth quarter. Brown scored 13 of his 17 points in the final frame, including a corner 3-pointer to send the game to overtime. Brown made a rookie mistake in overtime, attempting a layup with less than five seconds remaining, with his team up by one and the shot clock off. 

After that miss, Tatum knocked down a game-winner. Brown had NBA range during his time at Louisville, and that was on display against the Celtics. It's just a matter of time before Brooklyn lifts the minutes restriction and throws him into the starting lineup.

Darius Acuff Jr., Sacramento Kings: A

Acuff has become the most polarizing rookie to talk about. The Kings are bad. Like, potentially the worst team in the league. However, Acuff has been the bright spot. His shotmaking is second-to-none in his class. When Acuff is hot, he can score at will. Acuff joined exclusive company earlier this week when he finished with 34 points and 14 assists against the Pelicans. The only other teenager in NBA history to post at least 30 points and 12 assists in a game, per CBS Sports research? LeBron James. 

Acuff has the ultimate green light in Sacramento. It's going to stay that way throughout his rookie season. It feels more like a matter of when, not if, Acuff scores 45+ points in a game. It might even come before the calendar flips to 2027

Kingston Flemings, Atlanta Hawks: B

Flemings' best game came last week against Miami, when he finished with 23 points, five assists, five rebounds and a block/steal. Flemings' role with the Hawks this season was always going to be off the bench, so it shouldn't come as a surprise that he has scored 27 points combined in the other six games he has played in. 

Flemings doesn't have to score to make an impact on the game. He was heralded as one of the best two-way players in the class, which was on display in his last game against New Orlenos when he recorded four steals. Flemings uses his speed to his advantage to get to the rim, create his own shot and change the pace. Despite taking six field goal attempts per game, Flemings has been very efficient (47.6%). 

Morez Johnson Jr., Dallas Mavericks: B-

Johnson has come off the bench in his first six games under his former college coach, Dusty May. Although his numbers don't necessarily pop, Johnson is going to be a very impactful player, especially on the defensive end of the floor. He's capable of guarding 1-5, which is super valuable when/if the Mavs decide to switch everything on defense.

Brayden Burries, Milwaukee Bucks: B

Burries is coming off the bench for the Bucks, which somewhat surprises me. He was awesome in summer league and should be playing more than 16 minutes per game. 

Burries did have one of the highlights of the season so far with a poster dunk over Tristan Enaruna. That game was also the highest-scoring (14 points) game of his so far.

Yaxel Lendeborg, Golden State Warriors: A+

Lendeborg is one of the most entertaining players to watch. You either love him or hate him, but you're still going to watch. It should come as no surprise that it took him exactly one game to talk trash to the opponent, which nearly backfired when Luka Dončić went on to drop 37 points less than 10 days after the season opener. 

The highs of Lendeborg's rookie season so far have been fantastic. Even though he had his worst statistical game against the Lakers, he finished with at least 25 points in three consecutive games, including a 31-point, 12-rebound outburst against the Nuggets. Yes, Lendeborg may be the oldest rookie from the first round of the draft, but it's clear to see why the Warriors drafted him. He is already Golden State's second-best player behind Steph Curry, which shouldn't even be that hot of a take. Lendeborg was awesome in a win over the Clippers and scored a career-high 37 points. He should be the co-favorite with Boozer for ROTY. 

Aday Mara, Oklahoma City Thunder: B+

It's going to be sink-or-swim for Mara, with Chet Holmgren becoming the latest Thunder player to suffer an injury that will sideline him for multiple weeks. Mara logged 28 minutes against the Rockets and finished with seven points, nine rebounds and four blocks. Mara was one of the most efficient scorers at the rim and also one of the top shot blockers in college basketball because of his long 7-foot-3 frame. Mara has a chance to contribute in a larger role with Holmgren out. He's going to be just fine. 

Nate Ament, Milwaukee Bucks: B

Ament was a DNP-CD in Ament's first two games before making his first appearance against the 76ers. Ament has skill and potential but is one of the rawest players drafted in the lottery. The Bucks are bringing him on slowly, which should do wonders for his development. He shot under 40% from the field last season at Tennessee but has been solid in that department (45.8% from the field, 44.4% from 3) in four games. The sample size isn't large enough to give a definitive grade, but Ament has shown signs of improvement since his college days. He has also been solid on the defensive end of the floor. 

Hannes Steinbach, Charlotte Hornets: INC

Steinbach has played in just two games this season, both of which came in garbage time. He played 12 minutes in a 121-81 loss to the Hawks and two minutes against the Wizards last week. Coming into the season, I expected Steinbach to play a larger role. That could still happen later in the season, but the sample size so far isn't large enough to hand out a letter grade.