The 2026 rookie class is already historic: Boozer vs. Lendeborg vs. Acuff

(Stats through 11/04/2026)               There have only been six players in the history of the NBA that have put up 100 points, 40 rebounds, and 20 assists in their first five games, according to the Elias Sports Bureau. Five of them did it before 1972: Elgin Baylor, Oscar Robertson, Connie Hawkins, Maurice Stokes, and Sidney Wicks. The sixth is a 24-year-old out of Michigan who worked in a warehouse after high school and was the 11th pick in June.

            Yaxel Lendeborg might not even be the Rookie of the Year favorite. Two weeks into the 2026-27 season, this draft class is so deep that three different rookies have a real case – and each one is winning a different argument.  

Yaxel Lendeborg

  Lendeborg is averaging 21.5 points and 7.0 rebounds per game on 50/40 shooting, and the Warriors have won five straight after a rough 0-3 start to the season. Yaxel was hot scoring a career-high 37 against the Clippers on Nov. 1, with amazing splits – 13-of-19 from the field and 6-of-11 from three. The last three rookies that have averaged 20 and 7 were Victor Wembanyama, Luka Dončić and Joel Embiid. Lendeborg would be the Warriors’ first ROY since Chris Webber in 1994.  

Cameron Boozer

            Another rookie shaking things up is Cam Boozer. Before the Pacers game, Boozer and Giannis Antetokounmpo were the only players averaging at least 17 points, 10 rebounds, and 5 assists (the Pacers game dropped him below this line). He’s averaging 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 5.4 assists, and his 18-12-12 triple-double against Portland made him the youngest forward in NBA history to record one, passing LeBron James. Boozer currently leads all rookies in double-doubles and is sitting at a +/- of +5.1 per game. No rookie in NBA history has ever averaged 15-10-5 over the course of a full season, and the Memphis rookie is currently right on the edge of doing it. There are concerns, though. Per Synergy, he’s shooting 42.4% at the rim, and 36.4% overall. Boozer’s efficiency on the offensive end has been questionable, but he has a lot of room to grow.   

Darius Acuff Jr.

            Darius Acuff Jr. is the youngest player in Kings history with back-to-back 30-point games, passing Oscar Robertson. Acuff is currently No. 1 on RotoWire’s index (80.66) and leads all rookies with 36.6 minutes per game. Acuff scored a class-high 38 points with nine threes (14 attempts) vs. Memphis, tying the rookie record, and he leads all rookies at 26.1 points per game. One issue with Acuff is Sacramento’s performance this season. The Kings are sitting at 1-7 and Acuff shot just 8 of 24 against the Lakers. Acuff still has a real shot at the award, but for voters to take him seriously, the Kings need to start winning.  

So who wins it?

            Cameron Boozer is currently the betting favorite for Rookie of the Year sitting at +200; Lendeborg’s odds have shortened from +1000 to +210–320, according to Squawka. In the preseason, GMs gave Boozer 50% of the ROY vote; for best player in five years, Chicago’s Caleb Wilson and Washington’s AJ Dybantsa tied at 33% (ClutchPoints).

Right now, it depends on what you value. If you reward winning, it’s Boozer, a 19-year-old doing a little bit of everything for a Memphis team nobody expected to be this good. If you reward production, it’s Acuff, who is scoring like a veteran on a team that can’t buy a win. If you reward efficiency, it’s Lendeborg, the 11th pick who has already put his name next to Oscar Robertson’s.

It’s two weeks into a six-month season, and three rookies already have a real claim. That’s not a race that’s going to settle quietly.