The last week of the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year race is over. As all teams have now played their 82nd game of the season, all of the freshmen of the 2023 draft class have done all they can to claim the Wilt Chamberlain trophy. There are two rookies who have dominated the conversation for this award for the majority of the season. It is more than likely they will be the number one and two on the list when all is said and done.
Victor Wenbamyama came into the league with much fanfare, and would likely be the consensus no1 choice for this award, however, the San Antionio Spurs haven’t been great which may effect his chances. In fact, the Spurs finished with one of the worst records of the entire NBA. This could open the door for Chet Holmgren to claim the trophy.
With that said, let’s take a look at the top five contenders.
Jaime Jaquez Jr.
The Miami Heat failed to earn a playoff spot last week, but Jaime Jaquez Jr. came out of the week with his reputation enhanced. He was outstanding against the Toronto Rapors when he almost completed the double-double. He did all he could to ensure Miami made it to the postseason.
Brandin Podziemski
Similar to the Miami Heat, the Golden State Warriors were attempting to make a big push to move up the standings. The Warriors were desperate to avoid the play-in tournament but failed. However, it wasn’t for a lack of trying on Brandin Podziemski’s part. He had a team high of 9 rebounds among other notable stats from the game. Because of the difficulty of the schedule Golden State had compared to the Heat, he nudges just in front of Jaquez Jr. on this list.
Brandon Miller
Brandon Miller continued to impress down the stretch. When you are the no.2 pick in the draft, which he was in 2023, that comes with instant pressure to perform instantly. He has certainly validated that lofty draft position with his play this year. He has won three Rookie of the Month awards and the Charlotte Hornets fans should get excited about what he can produce in the years ahead.
Chet Holmgren
Chet Holmgren helped the OKC Thunder to the top position in the Western Conference. He is the only rookie to play every game, all 82 of them, completing this feat against the Dallas Mavericks. There were all sorts of question marks over his durability in the NBA before the season began but he has more than answered those questions.
Victor Wembanyama
As we mentioned above, ‘Wemby’ was already a household name before the season got underway. He may have sealed the Rookie of the Year award with a sensational display against the Denver Nuggets. He and the Spurs completed an amazing 23-point comeback against Nikola Jokic and Co. I feel he deserves this award because the expectations put on him were utterly ridiculous. When people are saying you could be considered the GOAT before you’ve ever played an NBA game, that is mentally tough. He has passed his first year audition with flying colors.
