With only about a week left in the regular season, the favorites for most awards are cemented. The MVP race is between Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic. Draymond Green is making a late push for Defensive Player of the Year. The Sixth Man of the Year race is a battle for the ages between a few different candidates. However, nothing’s decided until the season ends and there is still time for campaigns to be made for deserving players. Here are three rookies who haven’t received much All-Rookie buzz but should absolutely be considered by anyone making awards picks this April.
Jamal Shead
Jamal Shead was a great college player. He acquired a ton of hardware during his five-year career at Houston. As a senior, he was a consensus All-American. He also won two conference Defensive Player of the Year awards and was a Wooden Award finalist once. However, his age, height, and (slightly) subpar jumper beat out his clear winning value in the minds of NBA scouts, and he fell to the 45th overall pick in the 2024 draft. Shead’s performance as a rookie has proven that sometimes, the right intangibles can make up for concerning flaws and that it’s not about the size of the dog in the fight, but the fight in the dog.
Shead has found success on an NBA floor for two main reasons. He’s super heady and he plays hard. The Texas native can execute pick-and-rolls masterfully. He makes sharp reads and snappy passes consistently. It’s really tough for rookie point guards to come in and run a professional offense effectively from the jump, but Shead’s doing it. Defensively, he employs his ability to read the floor to muck things up and get steals. If a lazy pass is thrown, Shead will fly through and pick it off. He’s not afraid to apply tight ball pressure, either. On top of all that, the little guard is shooting a decent 33% from deep on the season, and he’s not afraid to let it fly. If that percentage increases in the future, he’ll become the ideal backup point guard.
Shead has dished out the second most assists by a Raptors rookie ever this season, trailing only 1996 Rookie of the Year Damon Stoudamire. He’s fourth amongst all 2025 rookies in total assists, third in assists per game, fourth in total steals, and seventh in games played. Jamal Shead may not be flashy as Stephon Castle or Alex Sarr, but he gets it done.
Kyshawn George
As a prospect, Kyshawn George’s intrigue stemmed from his smooth ball handling and shooting. Big wings with the ability to dribble, pass, and shoot are at a premium in the modern NBA. However, it’s been the other end of the floor where George has shone the most so far as a pro. The 24th overall pick has been a destructive force as a defender with his length, instincts, and fluid movement. He’s already among the league’s best shot blockers at his position, and he also helps the Wizards win the possession battle with his ability to accumulate steals. The Swiss sensation has proven he can impact the game without scoring while continuing to get more and more comfortable from the NBA three-point line as the season’s gone on. He’s a jack-of-all-trades with the potential to become a master of multiple skills.
George is eighth amongst all rookies in total blocks and second when you narrow it down to non-bigs. He’s fifth in three-pointers made, 12th in total points, and second in total steals (tied with Isaiah Collier). Alex Sarr and Bub Carrington have received most of the buzz, but Washington has a clear third All-Rookie candidate in Kyshawn George.
Karlo Matkovic
Few rookies have displayed rotation-quality play, especially among non-lottery picks, more often than Karlo Matkovic this season. A 2022 stash pick, the Bosian big took a couple years to iron out his game before transitioning to the NBA and it paid off. He’s established a baseline for himself as a reliable backup who can soak up minutes and be productive, and has room to grow too at just 24 years young.
Matkovic does a ton of useful things on both ends of the floor. He’s a utility big in both a traditional and a modern sense. Matkovic sets good screens, eats on the glass, scraps for easy shots inside, and protects the rim. He’s also a capable handoff orchestrator with intriguing passing chops. Empowering big men to be offensive hubs is trendy in today’s NBA, and Matkovic being able to play that role will make him a coveted piece as long as the demand for dimers is still high. He’s also pretty comfortable letting it fly from outside, and has been especially effective shooting from the corner where he’s been successful over 40% of the time on the year.
Among 2025 rookies with 20+ games played, Matkovic is seventh in rebounds per game and seventh in blocks per game. He’s 15th in total offensive rebounds amongst freshmen and 28th in minutes played. New Orleans’ unfortunate season has put them in the blind spot of many fans, but Matkovic is deserving of recognition for the way he’s produced.
The Bench Mob Blog 