There is always a group of NBA rookies who immediately go under the microscope.

Expectations are tempered for most newcomers, but these first-year players may feel they have to prove something right away.

The added pressure could be from media hype, franchise desperation or even an unusually large personal fanbase. There was also team in the draft that traded a handful of assets to acquire one of the following rookies.

For these players, underachieving could cause earlier panic than is warranted.

Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans

The hype machine has pumped out more pressure for Zion Williamson than any prospect in recent memory. It's created unimaginable expectations for the New Orleans Pelicans rookie. Before the draft, scouts predicted Williamson's best season would result in an MVP award, and he's only added fuel by putting up absurd preseason numbers (23.3 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 2.3 apg). 

Peaking as a regular All-Star won't seem like enough for fans or media, though Williamson hasn't seemed like the type to care about validating comparisons and projections. 

Still, he's tasked with the job of replacing Anthony Davis' impact in New Orleans—while Davis likely competes for titles in the Los Angeles. There will be pressure on Williamson to match AD's brand and marketability, but also on his ability to revive a franchise whose previous face asked to leave.

RJ Barrett, New York Knicks

New York Knick fans had an All-Star in Kristaps Porzingis. Then they had none and were led to believe new ones were signing. They didn't, and anyone who roots for the Knicks has turned to RJ Barrett for hope. 

He is the franchise's highest draft pick since Patrick Ewing went No. 1 overall in 1985, which only adds to the pressure the team's six-year playoff drought has created.

Barrett's resume and trophy case has pointed to a future star since high school: MVP of the 2017 World Cup, Gatorade National Player of the Year, Geico champion at Montverde Academy, Nike Hoop Summit MVP. Before Zion, scouts predicted Barrett would go No. 1 in 2019. 

Even though he fell behind Williamson and Ja Morant in the draft, Barrett's bar remains high, particularly after he became the only NCAA freshman since at least 1992 to average at least 22 points, seven rebounds and four assists per game.

But the front office and fanbase also have a ton riding on Barrett's development. 

New York has lost its edge in free agency. Porzingis is a Dallas Maverick, Frank Ntilikina has disappointed and Kevin Knox's ceiling looks noticeably lower than it did last October. Julius Randle and Marcus Morris help restore some short-term credibility—just not promising long-term success. 

Barrett, along with Mitchell Robinson, a 2018 second-round pick who entered the league without expectations, represent the franchise's best chance at rebuilding. 

Playing in New York, and during a time when there isn't much else to be excited about, Barrett will have his every move magnified.

De'Andre Hunter, Atlanta Hawks

The Atlanta Hawks moved up to No. 4 in the draft for De'Andre Hunter a few months after he scored 27 points in Virginia's national-title game victory. 

Making the trade worth it for Atlanta will be challenging, since the Hawks gave up No. 8 overall, No. 17, No. 35 and a future protected pick. Those three 2019 selections became Jaxson Hayes, Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Marcos Louzada-Silva. 

Hayes is 19 and averaged 16.3 points per game on 62.8 percent shooting in summer league. Alexander-Walker's play has emerged as one of the talking points of the preseason, as he averaged 15.0 points and 4.8 assists per game on 42.3 percent shooting from three. Louzada just scored 29 points on eight triples in his second game as a pro in Australia's NBL.

Atlanta gave up a significant amount for the combo forward and first player taken after the draft's Big Three of Williamson, Morant and Barrett, and that haul has the potential to make this deal look bad.

Still, head coach Lloyd Pierce has been talking Hunter up, saying: "We're going to love DeAndre. That's all I can say," per the Hawks' Kevin Chouinard.

Also, Atlanta is starting to look like a breakout team behind Trae Young and John Collins. Hunter was a higher pick than both, and with an expected heavy workload right away, the rookie faces pressure to emerge as a key contributor to the franchise's attempted rise.

Rui Hachimura, Washington Wizards

After drafting Rui Hachimura, the Washington Wizards will suddenly have another country tuned into their games.

The rookie will have the pressure of turning Japanese citizens into NBA fans after he became the nation's first native taken in the first round. And he'll have more visibility in Washington than he did at Gonzaga.

The Wizards even hired a Japanese digital correspondent to "increase the team's global presence with a specific focus in Japan" and contribute to its new Japanese-language website, podcast and player video series.

This is all for Hachimura, a reserve through two years at Gonzaga before he broke out in 2018-19. He created more hope in the offseason by averaging 19.3 points per game in summer league and 13.3 points at the FIBA World Cup. 

With John Wall's post-Achilles-injury performance and recovery timetable in question, the Wizards will bank on their rookie panning out as a top-10 pick. It would be a major blow to the team's rebuild if he underachieves.    

Cam Reddish, Atlanta Hawks

Despite going in the lottery at No. 10, Cam Reddish has seen his stock slip. His reputation has taken a hit since high school, when he was viewed as a potential top pick and compared to players such as Tracy McGrady. 

For every year he continues to struggle to make good decisions or consistently hit shots, his perceived ceiling will fall another story. 

There is pressure on Reddish to prove that last year's 35.6 field-goal percentage and 96 turnovers against 70 assists were fluky, and that his inefficiency was tied to both a role adjustment and poor spacing at Duke. 

He landed in a fitting situation in Atlanta, where he'll have minutes but not too heavy of a workload while playing to his strengths as a shooter and occasional secondary wing ball-handler. 

Still, between Hunter and Kevin Huerter—plus Evan Turner, Allen Crabbe and DeAndre Bembry in contract years—there will be competition in Atlanta's rotation. And Reddish won't want to fall behind after questions have already started to pop up about his game and value.