We at ATS have you covered from every betting angle of the 2023-2024 NBA season. We have posted a preview on each Division and Conference already. Additionally, we are also looking at the odds for the award winners for this season. This piece will focus on the NBA Rookie Of The Year, who is awarded the Eddie Gottlieb trophy each season. The odds to earn that award are listed below.
NBA Rookie of the Year Odds
Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Entering this season, Victor Wembanyama was the favorite to win the NBA ROY award. Wembanyama’s physical gifts are undeniable, as he has the height, length, and athleticism to make an impact in the NBA right away. While Wembanyama certainly has some mass to tack on, he will be a productive player starting with this rookie campaign. This year, Wembanyama is a virtual lock to sew up the NBA ROY award.
Wembanyama averaged a double-double this season, putting up 21 points and 10 rebounds per game on the year. While he is on one of the worst teams in the NBA, Wemby’s individual performance in a rookie year where he was far from a finished product physically is an encouraging sign for the rest of his career. And with the rest of the rookie class failing to live up to Wemby’s high standards, it would take a miracle for the top overall pick in last year’s draft to fail to take home this trophy.
Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Second to Wembanyama as the favorite to win Rookie of the Year in the NBA in the 2023-24 season is Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder. Holmgren was drafted two drafts ago, but this is his first season on the court after last year was derailed by a pre-season Lisfranc injury. This year, Holmgren has been excellent for a Thunder team that earned the top seed in the Western Conference thanks in large part to his versatility. Holmgren’s ability to score at all three levels and rebound the basketball has been huge for OKC and he could be recognized for that with this award.
With that said, there are serious questions about whether or not players should be able to try a second time to win this award if they miss their rookie season due to injury. Holmgren got to spend a full year around the Thunder organization, learning the ropes in the league, even if he wasn’t on the court. That makes what he’s done this year less impressive than what Wembanyama has done, at least in our opinion.
Other NBA ROY Contenders
There are no serious contenders outside of Wembanyama to win this award this season. But there are a couple of other players who deserve credit for the seasons they have had. Brandon Podziemski has been very helpful to a Warriors team that has lacked depth from their veteran players for most of this year. Meanwhile, Jaime Jaquez Jr. has been a great find for a Heat team that is trying to exceed expectations in the Eastern Conference for a third year in a row.
2024 NBA Rookie of the Year Prediction
Right now, it would be hard to justify taking anyone else but Wembanyama to win the Rookie of the Year award. His numbers are simply better than those of Holmgren, despite the difference in quality between the teams they play for. There may not be any value on Wembanyama at his current price, if those odds are even on the board still, but he is the right choice for the award.
