Maxime Raynaud explodes for a career-high 32 points, catapulting him into the top-5 rookie rankings after a historic night.
Sacramento Kings rookie center Maxime Raynaud has made the most of his increased role over the past few weeks, cementing himself as one of the top players in the rookie class.
Raynaud is averaging 11.4 points, 7.3 rebounds on 56.6-percent shooting from the field. He currently ranks second in total rebounds, sixth in total blocks and seventh in total points among rookies this season.
His 15 double-doubles rank first among the class, trailing only Victor Wembanyama (45) and Chet Holmgren (23) for the most double-doubles by a rookie over the past three seasons.
However, over the past nine games, Raynaud has really caught his stride. In the month of March, Raynaud has increased his averages to 17.7 points and 9.1 rebounds, while shooting at a 61.4-percent clip.
Thanks to this outburst, Raynaud cracked NBA.com's Rookie Ladder, slotting in as one of the top-five candidates for Rookie of the Year.
Tuesday, against his longtime friend Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs, Raynaud caught fire for a career-high 32 points, adding nine rebounds and knocking down two 3-pointers.
Following the game, Raynaud talked about how special it was to play against his fellow Frenchman.
"We're great friends. I've known him for a while, played against him in France, played with him in France," Raynaud said. "Our families are pretty close as well. He's just an amazing human being."
However, Raynaud also expressed the importance of putting on a good performance against Wembanyama, who has established himself as one of the top players in the NBA.
"Obviously, personally, when you play against one of your friends, you always want to trash talk a little bit and give an extra effort," Raynaud said. "Yeah, it kind of went my way today individually, but clearly I have to find ways to impact the game a little bit more."
Raynaud fed off Kings point guard Russell Westbrook's ten assists Tuesday night, converting on multiple short shot attempts at the rim off of Westbrook's pocket passes.
He was also a part of NBA history, as Westbrook's third assist of the game, a tight-fit bounce pass in the lane, hit Raynaud right in the hands for an easy score. This assist moved Westbrook into fifth place on the NBA All-Time Assist List.
Following the game, Raynaud shared his appreciation for the impact Westbrook has had on his rookie season.
"Given how good of a scorer and a rebounder he is as well, for his position, its unbelievable that he's still able to pass at that level," Raynaud said. "And I've said it multiple times, but he's someone I really look up to. He's an amazing human being, one of the best vets I could ever hope for and really, he's earned everything he's got.
Raynaud's surge as of late has been extremely encouraging for a Kings' team without All-Star center Domantas Sabonis for the rest of the season.
Continuing at this pace should present Raynaud with a real opportunity to make the All-Rookie First Team and carve out a significant role for himself going forward.
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