The 2023/24 NBA season is in full swing, with the newest collection of rookies all looking to make their mark on the league as soon and as quickly as possible.
Those who make the jump from college basketball to the professional game can often find it takes time to be able to successfully transition, with many often finding it can take a few years to reach their potential.
Unfortunately, there are many who are unable to achieve the things that many expect from them when they are seen in the college game. However, there are some who are able to excel and become the next generation of stars to play the sport.
It is always interesting to see who makes the leap, as it is not always the players that are first thought of. Sometimes, there are many that go under the radar, while there are others that are on everybody’s radar, like this year with Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren. Both of these athletes have been impressive at the amateur level, and many expect them to be able to go on to do impressive things throughout a likely successful career.
Is Victor Wembenyama likely to be the NBA 2023/24 Rookie of the Year?
The race for the 2023/24 NBA Rookie of the Year award is already underway, with fans already starting to speculate and make predictions of who they believe will be crowned this season’s winner.
There has been a lot of talk regarding Wembanyama, and it is unsurprising. The No. 1 draft pick for the San Antonio Spurs player was hyped up as soon as he was made eligible for the draft, and many expectations were made of him as soon as physically possible. He has also been positively described by some of the biggest basketball icons ever, with LeBron James also providing his seal of approval about the center’s abilities.
He has already started in good form, which is perhaps why sportsbooks are also speculating that he will be the man most likely to win the award this year. According to the site that offers some of the best odds NBA markets have available, he is the top choice with a price of -200 to win. He is the overwhelming favorite by some distance, and if he continues, it will be hard for anyone to catch him.
Could Chet Holmgren be named the NBA Rookie of the Year?
The latest odds also suggest that Chet Holmgren is also in the running to win the 2023/24 NBA Rookie of the Year award, but with a price of +125, he will have to continue to put in some impressive performances on the court. In addition to doing his own hard work, he will have to hope that Wembanyama’s performances drop off or he becomes injured and is unable to participate for much of the season.
He was the No. 2 pick in the 2022 NBA Draft for the Oklahoma City Thunder. However, as he missed the entire season through injury, he remains eligible as this is the first year in which he is competing. The Center has gone on to make an instant impact with his organization, putting up very good averages through the first part of the season, hence why he is in the conversation to be the rookie of the year.
Is it a two-horse race for the 2023/24 NBA Rookie of the Year award?
At the moment, it does appear that it will either be Wambenyama or Holmgren that will be crowned the next Rookie of the Year winner. However, there are some that need to be observed closely, as a late surge could propel them into contention, especially if the two main contenders struggle to play as effectively as they are throughout the entire season.
Although Ausar Thompson (+3000) and Brandon Miller (+8000) have extremely long odds at the moment, they are both performing well and look like very good prospects. If they continue to play at the level they are, they could become a part of the conversation for those who vote on the winner of the award.
It is important to remember that the NBA season is extremely long and anything can happen in each game that is played. While the race for the 2023/24 NBA Rookie of the Year looks to be Wambenyama’s to lose at the moment, it might be worth just keeping an open eye on events over the course of the next few months.