Winning the Rookie of the Year award is not a guarantee for future stardom. Just look at Michael Carter-Williams in 2013-2014. Or Malcolm Brogdon winning the award in 2016-2017. However, this doesn’t seem to be one of those years for the Rookie of the Year award.
Victor Wembanyama (Wemby) and Chet Holmgren have entered the chat.
Both are considered generational and unique talents at the center position. Due to an unfortunate ACL injury in the summer before his rookie season, Holmgren is taking part in his rookie season a year later. This has created a fun conversation around the award, with sites like Doc’s Sports showcasing different favorites, highlighting the intrigue and variability in betting perspectives. Even though these two are the clear favorites, there are still a couple of other rookies who could end up with a top-three voting finish.
The Favorites
Chet Holmgren (Oklahoma City Thunder)
At the time of writing, Holmgren is averaging 17.8 points, 7.3 rebounds and 2.7 blocks a game. He’s shooting 40% from three-point on four attempts a game and is a starter on the second-best team in the Western Conference.
Holmgren stands at 7’1 but plays more like a guard. His dribbling skills and ability to shoot the ball stand out as skills someone his size usually doesn’t have. He plays a smooth style that makes him a threat on the pick-and-roll. He can pop out for a three or roll to the basket and be an alley-oop threat. Another thing he can do on the roll is stop and free-throw line and either take a floater or a jumper.
When Chet catches the ball at the three-point line this is where he is the most dangerous. He shoots 45 percent on catch-and-shoot threes. With his legit handle and big frame he can take one and a half steps and be at the rim.
On defense, Chet is elite too. He anchors a top-five defense in the league. He’s top five in the NBA in blocks per game. Rookies do not usually come into the league and make a big impact on defense. He recently had a nine-block game against defending champions Denver Nuggets. Chet’s ability to also switch to smaller guys and not seem out of place is a testament to him making the most of his athleticism.
Victor Wembanyama (San Antonio Spurs)
Wemby is averaging 19.3 points, 10.1 rebounds, and 3.3 blocks a game. Wemby is shooting 29.5 percent from three on five attempts. His team is currently last in the Western Conference at 5-30.
Wemby might be from another universe. The Frenchman stands at 7’4 and is hard to miss when on the court. He makes impossible plays that have never been seen on an NBA court.
On offense, Wemby is still finding his footing. Due to his teammates seemingly ignoring him on certain plays, he hasn’t reached his full offensive potential. Unfortunately, a point guard experiment has cost him even more opportunities. Wemby is still able to catch lobs and clean up the glass for easy points. His shot form looks good too, so his shooting percentage should only increase as he gets more comfortable playing in the NBA.
Despite the offensive shortcomings of the team around Wemby, he still leads all rookies in scoring.
Wemby is the most fun to watch on defense. Opposing players don’t even look at the rim when he is protecting the paint. His 3.3 blocks a game lead the NBA. His block on Giannis recently is one of my favorites. Wemby’s volleyball background makes sense when you see him spike shots out of the air.
Battle For Third Place
Jaime Jaquez Jr (Miami Heat)
Jaime Jaquez Jr was drafted to the NBA champion runner-ups. He has started 13 games and averages 30 minutes a game. His 13.3 points a game for a finals team a year ago is insane. He is fifth on the team in scoring.
Jaquez Jr had his breakout game on Christmas. He dropped 31 points and 10 rebounds in a win over the 76ers.
Jaquez has a direct style of play on offense. You can tell by watching him that he played four years in college. He is a smart player who can get points off of cuts and sprinting the lane on the fastbreak. Jaquez is also solid on defense, he wouldn’t be earning minutes on the Heat if he wasn’t.
Brandon Miller (Charlotte Hornets)
Brandon Miller was the second pick in the most recent NBA draft. It came as some surprise as many had thought Scoot Henderson would be the pick at number two. Miller has had a solid rookie campaign so far averaging 14.4 points and shooting 37.9 from three a game.
Miller has a fluid style of play. He reminds me of Paul George in the way he plays. Miller is 6’9 and can handle the ball and run pick and roll. He has a variety of moves to score, so I expect his average to only increase throughout his career.
Despite his assortment of offensive moves, Miller is a third option on the Hornets. LaMelo Ball and Miles Bridges are both ahead of him in the offensive pecking order. This could impact his offensive output and thus his Rookie of the Year candidacy.
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