That’s why so many rookies kind of hit a wall mid-season, as they’re completely exhausted. Or why others need one year or two before being able to make an actual impact on an NBA-caliber rotation.

But all things considered, some of the rookies are still expected to be productive right out of the gate. And today, we’re going to let you know about three first-year players who haven’t lived up to the expectations.

NBA News: 3 Rookies That Have Disappointed Thus Far

3. Nikola Jovic

Nikola Jovic was one of the most intriguing prospects in this class. He’s got a versatile and enticing skill set that could make him one of the best young players in the league, yet he’s barely played at all.

Of course, it’s hard to blame him as he was nursing an injury. But it seems likeErik Spoelstra and the Miami Heat don’t think he’s all the way there and will slowly work his way into the rotation.

2. Walker Kessler

Don’t get me wrong, Walker Kessler has actually been elite defensively on a limited sample size. But the fact that the Utah Jazz have refused to tank early in the season has prevented us from watching him playbig minutes.

While not much of an offensive factor, Kessler is a defensive anchor with the upside to lead the NBA in blocks per game, total blocks, and every single block-related stat. However, he has failed to take over Jarred Vanderbilt at the five.

1. Jabari Smith Jr

All things considered, Jabari Smith Jr. has been a major disappointment thus far. Considered by some the best prospect in his class, Smith has struggled to get his shot to fall, and has been shy and non-aggressive more often than not.

Perhaps the Houston Rockets just weren’t a good fit with two ball-dominant players in Kevin Porter Jr. and Jalen Green. But Smith has failed to make an impact offensively, and his impressive defense has been inconsistent thus far.

The main difference is, that Kessler did it in the South Eastern Conference, one of the hardest at NCAA level. So, if any team needs a huge improvement in the paint both defensively and offensively, Kessler should be their number one priority, according to the numbers.

As forthe facts, when Kessler was in high school,he averaged 18 points, 9rebounds and 5 blocks per game. It made hima four-star recruit according to multiple rankings. In addition, he got multiple awards such asThe Atlanta Journal-Constitution Player of the Year, Mr. Georgia Basketball and Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year.

How Walker Kessler plays?

Walker Kessleris a 20-year old7 feet and 1 inch tall player who weighs 245 pounds.In terms ofstrengths and weaknesses, Kessler has one dominant profile in the paint. In fact, among his class he has got the blocking and defensive ability that some experts compared to Anthony Davis.

His stats back his story up. Especially rebounds with 4.6 blocks and 1 steal per game in the last 2021-22 season. But that’s only one part of it, at the offensive end he is also pretty dominant. He averaged 11 points per game with 61% in Field-goal shots.

Which team is most likely to select Walker Kessler?

According to multiple reports and mock drafts, Kessler is not predicted to be one ofthe Top 10 picks overall. However, the current NBA Champions, theGolden State Warriors are predicted to be the team where Kessler lands in the 2022 NBA Draft.