Taking A Look At The Rookie Of The Year Race
Photo credit: Sports Illustrated
Detroit. MI (PSF)- While mostly everyone will have the french sensation and #1 overall pick of the San Antonio Spurs Victor Wembanyama as the clear front runner for the rookie of the year award in the NBA this season, basketball still needs to be played and this rookie class has a few names that could potentially challenge Wembanyama for the award. We are going to take a look at the upcoming rookie of the year race in the NBA and some of those names to keep an eye on this season as threats to steal the award from the #1 pick. (Odds via MGM Sports)
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs (-135) - Most everyone including odds makers acknowledge that this award will be Victor Wembanyama’s award to lose. He is considered the biggest prospect in the NBA since LeBron James and due to his size and athletic ability some even consider him the most hyped prospect of all time. Still, Wembanyama will have to produce on the floor when it comes time to lace them up and put together a healthy season like anyone else that is a hopeful to win this award. As far as his situation is concerned, the Spurs organization was and is looked at as a perfect landing spot for the french sensation. He will no doubt be given ample opportunity this season to win rookie of the year. Now the NBA and its fans sit back and root for a healthy season and career so we can all see what Wembanyama’s enormous potential turns into.
Photo Credit: Alex Goodlett - Getty Images
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder (+350) - Chet Holmgren was selected in the 2022 NBA draft by the Oklahoma City Thunder with the #2 overall pick. After missing the entire 2022-2023 season due to a right foot injury that he has been rehabbing and forced him to receive multiple surgeries. This is a scary beginning to any rookies career, but Holmgren is joining a team in the Oklahoma City Thunder that since they drafted him have taken a big leap forward in terms of competitiveness. Now with the addition of Holmgren, the Thunder hope to take another leap this season and moving forward. He should immediately add a rim protecting presence, and an elite pick and roll threat to a good young team. If he is able to reliably knock down the three ball, he should be a very tough cover in the NBA. Given that the Thunder are a solid team, I have Holmgren as potentially the biggest threat to steal the award away from Wembanyama as I could see him having a similar impact on a better overall team this season.
Scoot Henderson, Portland Trailblazers (+450) - The #3 pick in this years draft from G-League Ignite, Scoot Henderson is one of the top challengers for the rookie of the year award. Assuming that Damian Lillard is traded out of Portland prior to the start of the season, Henderson will be handed the keys to the franchise in Portland. Henderson will have a prominent role in the offense from day one, making him arguably the biggest threat to steal the rookie of the year award away from Victor Wembanyama. Henderson should be the featured piece on the Blazers offense from here on out, and he is an exciting player on the floor. For sure one of the top young names in the NBA to keep an eye on this upcoming season.
Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets (+1300) - Brandon Miller was the #2 overall pick out of Alabama and will now pair up next to LaMelo Ball in Charlotte for the Hornets to form what they hope to be one of the top young duos in the NBA moving forward. Miller is an excellent scorer, and can hold his own with the ball in his hand as a willing passer as well. The combination of Miller and Ball is fascinating, and if Ball can remain healthy and Miller turns out to be the scorer in the NBA that he was in College I think that Charlotte will be happy with their pick here. Miller, can fill up the stat sheet with points as good or better than any other rookie in his class, so there is plenty of reason to believe that Miller could insert his name into the rookie of the year conversation and compete for the award at the end of the year.
Photo credit: The New York Times
Amen Thompson, Houston Rockets (+2500) - Amen Thompson was selected as the #4 overall pick by the Houston Rockets in this past year. Setting up for his twin brother Asuar to be drafted one pick later by Detroit. Focusing on Amen though, he is a very good athlete that operated as a ball handler while playing with overtime elite. He is very athletic and has shown he has playmaking capabilities and a strong motor on defense. Thompson will join a young Houston Rockets team that is looking to begin the emerge out of the other side of a rebuild that the team has been facing since moving on from James Harden years ago now. I feel it would be a stretch to say that Thompson will win the rookie of the year award, but I do believe in the talent that both Amen and Asuar Thompson have and think they will both provide to be solid players in the NBA. If all goes right and he’s given the run way from day one, Thompson could find himself in the running for the award.
Asuar Thompson, Detroit Pistons (+3500) - Asuar Thompson was the #5 overall pick of the 2023 draft by the Detroit Pistons, and like his twin brother Amen he features an elite athletic ability that helped to propel him to the top of the draft along side his brother. Thompson makes his stamp defensively, while he has shown that he is a fine and willing passer with the ball in his hands and is best offensively when heading toward the basket with a head of steam. Like his brother, Thompson also joins a young team in Detroit that is looking to being emerging from a long rebuild. The team features the likes of Cade Cunningham, Jaden Ivey and Jalen Duren so Thompson fits right in with this young squad and looks to make an impact defensively from day one on a team that desperately needs to improve upon its defensive effort from last season.
