All 12 S3 Base Set Rookie Moments Released So Far, Ranked.
Series 3 of NBA Top Shot is now well underway, and despite some unfounded complaints about oversupply (as well as a few behind-the-scenes errors that are well on their way to being fixed), things are going quite smoothly and according to the plan laid out in the S3 roadmap!
Within the first two drops of the S3 Base Set have been some rookies. Special three-badge rookies to be exact, which are limited to a 4000 mint count and feature plays from players in their very first NBA games. These are the crown jewels of the Base Set and are the envy of every collector, big or small.
Each of the first two drops have featured 6 new rookies, for a total of 12 on the platform so far: Dalano Banton (Toronto), Josh Christopher (Houston), Ayo Dosunmo (Chicago), Chris Duarte (Indiana), Josh Giddey (Oklahoma City), Jalen Johnson (Atlanta), Corey Kispert (Washington), Davion Mitchell (Sacramento), Evan Mobley (Cleveland), Moses Moody (Golden State), Jalen Suggs (Orlando), and Ziaire Williams (Memphis).
You’ll notice that there’s a solid mix here of top prospects picked in the top 5 or 10 in the draft (Mobley, Suggs, Giddey, Moody, Mitchell, Williams), a couple hometown hero 2nd round picks (Banton, Dosunmo), and some mid-to-late 1st rounders who have had varying degrees of success and playing time so far (Duarte, Christopher, Johnson, Kispert).
I think the way that Top Shot has handled the release of these rookies is balanced and brilliant, staggering the top guys over the course of the season to keep interest in the Base Set drops high, as the likelihood of pulling a star rookie’s Moment will be steady throughout the year.
But, no two Moments are created equal, of course. So, I’m going to rank the 12 three-badge rookie Moments that have been released thus far from worst to best, based on a completely objective and inarguable mix of qualities such as player ability and potential, play quality and context, and value for the current low ask price. Feel free to disagree with my rankings if you must, but arguing with reality is futile, so I recommend against it.
Also, keep in mind that this list can and will change with the release of more rookies, like when Scottie Barnes makes his much-anticipated debut in Drop 3 this week. Perhaps this can be a bi-weekly or monthly piece going forward, or at least something similar to this sort of piece. We shall see.
Disclaimer: Just for full transparency, I own three of these Moments, which are Jalen Suggs, Josh Christopher, and Ziaire Williams. Low ask values were valid as of the early morning hours of 11/20/21.
Here we go!
12) Jalen Johnson, Atlanta Hawks
No disrespect intended to Jalen here; he’s a long, talented wing who could blossom into the prototypical modern-day 4. But, there’s just nothing all that special about his performance so far this season, nor his debut Moment.
Regarding the former, he’s made just 6 appearances for the Hawks this year, averaging just 3 minutes per game. He’s made the most of his time out there, putting up 10 shots in the 18 minutes of game-time he’s had thus far and hitting half of them, including this wide open three in his debut.
Low ask: $39
11) Corey Kispert, Washington Wizards
Kispert had a monster of a career at Gonzaga, scoring over 1500 points in his 4 years on campus, and co-leading the Bulldogs to a nearly-perfect season last year alongside Jalen Suggs and future NBA 2nd-round pick Drew Timme. And in his short time with the Wizards, he’s shown flashes of being a steady NBA regular down the line, though his ceiling probably isn’t much higher than that.
In his debut Moment, he receives a pass, makes a quick ball fake to throw off his defender, and then drives and finishes at the rim with NBA All-Star Domantas Sabonis chasing right behind him. It’s a nice play, and good enough to get him out of the basement here on this list.
Low ask: $33
10) Ziaire Williams*, Memphis Grizzlies
One of the top-ranked recruits coming out of high school a couple years ago (and LeBron James Jr’s former teammate), Williams struggled quite a bit in his one year at Stanford, but still showcased enough of his enormous potential to go #10 in this year’s draft.
Memphis is giving him plenty of playing time at nearly 18 minutes per game despite some major struggles with efficiency, and you can really see why the Grizzlies are betting big on him with a shot that looks as pretty as this one.
Low ask: $41
9) Josh Christopher*, Houston Rockets
Another highly ranked high school prospect who struggled a bit in his one year in college, Arizona State product Josh Christopher fell to a great developmental situation in Houston at the 24th pick where he can freely make mistakes without worrying about costing the team meaningful wins.
He hasn’t gotten a ton of time for the Rockets so far, but this lethal behind-the-back step-back move that leads to a corner three really shows off his immense offensive potential.
Low ask: $39
8) Moses Moody, Golden State Warriors
One of the best-named players to get drafted in quite some time, Moody isn’t getting a ton of time for the Warriors yet, averaging just 6 minutes or so per game with Golden State fully engaged in win-now mode.
This Moment is absolutely gold, though. Something about Lakers vs Warriors just looks good on video, and Moody having the balls to pump-fake and drive on AD makes for one hell of a first Moment.
Low ask: $65
7) Ayo Dosunmo, Chicago Bulls
The first of our two hometown heroes, Chi-town born and raised Ayo Dosunmo has made a really solid impact for the Bulls so far after being taken in the 2nd round of this year’s draft. Averaging 5.5 points in just over 15 minutes per game, Dosunmo looks to be a mainstay in the new-look Bulls rotation going forward.
This play itself may be one of my favorite sequences on Top Shot as well. Not one, but two transition layups in the same Moment? Incredible. Definitely on the short-list to be added to the Otis Top Shot rookie vault.
Low ask: $55
6) Dalano Banton, Toronto Raptors
Our second hometown hero, Dalano Banton, wasn’t just born in Toronto, but became the first Canadian-born player ever drafted by the Raptors when they took him in the 2nd round this year. This alone would be enough to make him a Canadian legend, but the fact that he’s cracked the rotation and is playing quite well just adds to his quickly growing legacy.
Oh, and he hit a half-court buzzer beater in his first NBA game. No big deal.
Low ask: $70
5) Chris Duarte, Indiana Pacers
Chris Duarte is a really, really unique rookie. Absolutely ancient by rookie standards at 24 years-old, teams were still practically tripping over themselves to take the three-point sniper at the end of the lottery, with the Pacers ultimately winding up victorious.
While he may not have super high long-term upside given his age, the Pacers drafted a day-one, plug-and-play starter who is shooting 40% from three, and got the rights to him for well under what market-value would be if he was a free agent. Big brain move. The buzzer-beater Moment is pretty damn nice, too.
Low ask: $70
4) Josh Giddey, Oklahoma City Thunder
Giddey was one of the more polarizing prospects entering the draft; I saw projections as high as #5 or so and as low as #15 in mocks leading up to draft day. What was clear was his insanely high basketball IQ and brilliant passing ability. What wasn’t clear was, well, mostly everything else.
So far, Giddey is making the Thunder look really smart by taking the risk on him at #6. His playmaking abilities perfectly suit SGA’s lead scoring ability in the Thunder backcourt, his rebounding ability has been a very pleasant surprise, and his shooting, while inefficient, looks like it will iron out long-term. His playmaking ability is on full-display in his debut Moment.
Low ask: $126
3) Evan Mobley, Cleveland Cavaliers
If the season ended today, Mobley would probably have the best case for Rookie of the Year so far. The Cavs new big man has played exceptionally well, and is arguably the biggest reason for their hotter than expected start. High-level, versatile defending has complemented his three-level scoring ability, and he’s shown flashes of absolute superstar ability.
His debut Moment is a really nice finish at the rim against tough defense, too. The only thing that knocks him down a bit here for me is the price aspect. For $350ish, I’d much rather buy three or four other rookie debut Moments than just one Mobley. As more supply hits and hype inevitably fades…purchase now at your own peril.
Low ask: $348
2) Davion Mitchell, Sacramento Kings
I really, really like Davion Mitchell. So much so that I argued with Kings fans in favor of him after he was drafted 9th overall in this year’s draft. He’s an absolute monster as an on-ball defender, competes constantly on both ends of the floor, and rarely turns the ball over.
I don’t know what kind of ceiling he ultimately has, but he’s a good bet to last for a long time in the league, and his debut Moment features his burgeoning offensive skillset as he crosses up and then rises over CJ McCollum for a nice jumper.
Low ask: $89
1) Jalen Suggs*, Orlando Magic
The best player, as a freshman, on a team that nearly had an argument for being the greatest college basketball team in recent memory, Suggs fell to #5 in this year’s super-stacked NBA Draft to the delight of the Orlando Magic. After a rough start, it seems like he’s starting to find his rhythm, and the rest of the league should be put on notice.
Ultimately, I think that Suggs winds up having one of the best two or three careers out of anyone in this draft class, and if I’m right on that, then his debut Moment is an absolute steal right now. But don’t take my word for it, take Mo Wagner’s.
Low ask: $130
