Victor Wembanyama is one of the hottest topics this offseason and he hasn’t even started his NBA career. Wembanyama is a virtual lock to be the top overall pick in the NBA Draft and the odds on favorite to win the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year Award. But accomplishing that feat won’t be as straightforward as being drafted first. A lot of talented rookies stand in his way, including dark horse ROTY candidate Chet Holmgren. He missed all of last year with a Lisfranc injury, so where does Holmgren now stand in the NBA Rookie of the Year odds?
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2023-24 NBA Rookie of the Year Odds: Don’t Count Out Chet Holmgren
Odds via, DraftKings Sportsbook
Victor Wembanyama -225
Scoot Henderson +325
Chet Holmgren +450
Brandon Miller +950
Amen Thompson +1400
Cam Whitmore +2000
Ausar Thompson +2400
Jarace Walker +2500
Anthony Black +3000
Grady Dick +3500
Chet Holmgren won’t be selected in this year’s NBA Draft, but he’s still one of the top players on the NBA Rookie of the Year odds board. At this time last year Holmgren was entering the NBA after a successful college basketball season at Gonzaga. He was selected #2 to the Oklahoma City Thunder, just behind the eventual ROTY Award winner Paolo Banchero. Jabari Smith Jr. was the leading candidate to be selected number one, but ended up going third, right behind Holmgren.
Everything was primed for Holmgren to compete to be the top rookie in the league. However, things turned south quickly for the 7’1″ athlete after he injured his foot during a Pro-Am game. Thunder General Manager Sam Presti was quick to comment on the injury, which immediately appeared serious according to ESPN. The team quickly expressed disappointment, “especially given the excitement he had about getting on the floor with his teammates this season.”
Holmgren can now return to that excitement in the lead up to the next NBA season. Despite missing an entire year, he is one of the leading player’s in the NBA Rookie of the Year odds. Holmgren is currently +450 to win the hardware on DraftKings. The only player ahead of him not named Wembanyama is Scoot Henderson. Holmgren is significantly ahead of Brandon Miller who comes in at +950. Henderson and Miller are vying to be the second selection in this year’s NBA draft.
Although Holmgren looks like a serious contender for the award, his injury status brings a lot of variance to his chances. It remains to be seen how his foot will hold up for an entire NBA season. Likewise, the Thunder are likely to be careful with Holmgren’s playing time. He will certainly be rested frequently until he proves to be fully healthy. Nevertheless, Holmgren is an intriguing ROTY candidate, and while he doesn’t have NBA game experience, his year spent around the team could prove quite valuable to his success.
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