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NBA Rookie of the Year 2023-24: Victor Wembanyama stretches lead into April
By Andrew Buller-Russ,
2023-12-28
Looking back, the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year race had several first-year hoopers showing they belong at the pro level. While we didn’t see Chet Holmgren make an impact after the skilled big suffered a Lisfranc injury in Summer League, plenty of others, such as No. 1 pick Paolo Banchero, gave basketball fans a new star to talk about.
Now as we monitor the 2023-24 season, we have a brand new list of candidates leading the way. Victor Wembanyama is a frontrunner. That’s no spoiler, but who else is sneaking up on the competition this year?
Banchero may have taken the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year award last season, but who’s our in-house leader to win the Wilt Chamberlain Trophy in 2024? Here’s our list so far.
Prior to his season-ending injury due to blood clots, Thompson had been on the receiving end of several alley-oops, showing his impressive athleticism, but he had also been a strong defensive presence, ranking fourth among rookies in rebounds per game despite being just 6-foot-7. He may not be the NBA’s ROTY frontrunner, but the Pistons have found yet another key part of their young, talented core. Eventually, they will learn how to win.
While the 19-year-old slipped to the 20th pick on draft day, Cam Whitmore is showing why he deserved to be selected higher. On a tear since the start of the year (13.4 PPG), Whitmore is too far behind to compete for the NBA Rookie of the Year award, and now a knee sprain will keep him out for the remainder of the regular season.
We’re seeing why the Mavericks were eager to plug the 12th overall pick in their starting lineup. Lively is staying in his lane, playing within his skillset, leading to his sky-high field goal percentage. But Lively’s real claim to fame is being a nuisance on defense, including a beastly seven-block night against the Thunder. Lively is an outside candidate to win Rookie of the Year, but surpassing the Wembanyamas and Holmgrens of the world won’t happen.
Even though he’s not the point guard teams had their eye on at the top of the 2023 NBA Draft, George is making a name for himself in Utah. He ranks second among rookies in assists per game, and while his shooting splits could improve, averaging over ten points per game is a nice plus this early in the 20-year-old’s career. Breaking out for 33 points against the Warriors was just a hint of what he can offer in the future, and now George has a featured role on a rising Jazz team that should be able to compete for a playoff spot next season.
The 19th overall pick in the 2023 NBA Draft, Podziemski’s role continues to develop with the Warriors. Yet, when you can make 37% of your 3-point attempts while also being active on the glass and in passing lanes, you deserve more playing time. Podziemski has done everything he can to ensure Steve Kerr can’t take him off the floor, and now he’s on the Rookie of the Year radar for good. Scoring 25 points, while being a perfect 5-for-5 from 3 against the Clippers is just a glimpse of what ‘Podz’ can offer in the future.
The 18th overall pick out of UCLA, Jaquez has quickly developed into one of the best shooters on the Miami Heat. Jaquez doesn’t hesitate to fire up shots from distance, which is exactly what the Heat need to complement the likes of Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo. The one they call ‘Juan Wick’ has rapidly risen up NBA Rookie of the Year rankings. But a recent groin injury and the addition of Terry Rozier slowed down his momentum.
Somehow falling to the third pick, Henderson likely would have been in the running to be a top pick in many other draft classes. The former G-League star got off to a cold start, averaging just 8.3 PPG while shooting 33% from the floor and 19% from distance between Oct. and Nov. Then Henderson woke up a bit in December, where he’s since averaged 14.2 PPG, while shooting 38% from the floor and 33% from distance. Still just 20, he has plenty of time to figure the NBA out, but the improvement mid-season is encouraging.
By deciding to go with Brandon Miller over Scoot Henderson, the Hornets added a high-upside talent who could become the team’s top scorer in time. Miller has some deficiencies to work through, but he’s already tied for second place among rookie scorers, which includes a 35-point outburst against the Pacers. With just eight games scoring in single digits this season, it’s only a matter of time before he has a signature moment in the NBA.
Holmgren’s been a sniper from deep while ranking second in the NBA in blocks. If it weren’t for Wembanyama’s special season, Holmgren would be a runaway candidate to win Rookie of the Year. While he’s not winning the race right now, Holmgren has been much more efficient as a scorer than his lanky cohort. Plus, it’s not like Holmgren hasn’t been superb defensively, either, where he ranks sixth in the NBA in defensive win shares (3.9).
Defensively, Wembanyama is a problem for any opponent he faces. Yet offensively, could still improve his efficiency, as he’s been having to take 16.2 shots per game just to average 20 points per contest. That’s not ideal, but this is far from his final form. Wemby already shines the glass with the best of them, ranking fourth in the NBA in defensive rebounding rate at a ridiculous 30.8%, and he now leads the league in blocks per game too. Thanks to his recent stretch of dominant play, Wemby is back to being our favorite to win NBA Rookie of the Year and we don’t see that changing any time soon, if ever.
After averaging 20 PPG and leading all first-year players, Paolo Banchero of the Orlando Magic won the 2023 NBA Rookie of the Year award. He was the first No. 1 pick to win ROTY since 2018. Can Victor Wembanyama make it a trend?
Both Wilt Chamberlain and Wes Unseld have won MVP and Rookie of the Year in the NBA in the same season. A total of 16 players have won both throughout their careers. But doing so in the same year hasn’t been done since Unseld in 1969.
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