Quick, who is the most valuable rookie in the NBA this season, by 538’s RAPTOR WARP (wins above replacement player)? If you read the headline, you probably guessed it’s Jae’Sean Tate. But by how much? That might surprise you.
Tate is rated currently at 3.5 WARP. That’s a lot. When looking at rookies, Tate is a FULL WIN better than Lamelo Ball. While Ball undoubtedly is projected for a brighter future, Tate is a good, valuable, NBA player right now. He’s no Nikola Jokic, but situated around 3.5WAR is where you will find players like D’Aaron Fox, Khris Middleton, Marcus Smart and Michael Porter Jr.