Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs provided a glimpse of things to come in a preseason matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, including a highlight reel against another top rookie in Chet Holmgreen.
The French beanpole is undoubtedly in a class of his own, all 7-foot-4 of him. Hence, it does not come as a surprise that based on an NBA GM Survey, Victor Wembanyama is a heavy favorite to win the 2024 NBA Rookie of the Year award.
Who will win the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year?
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio – 50%
2. Scoot Henderson, Portland – 27%
3. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City – 20%
4. Sasha Vezenkov, Sacramento – 3%
* Last year: Paolo Banchero – 79%
Wemby will be tough to guard, not only inside the paint but from beyond the arc. A glimpse of how hard that would be was shown when he made a basket where he practically bulldozed over Holmgreen in their 122-121 loss to the Thunder.
WEMBY FLEXED ON CHET HOLMGREN AFTER THE AND-1 💪 pic.twitter.com/HeYCV7aVVA
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 10, 2023
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Chet Holmgreen is no pushover
Denied to show what his hops last NBA season, Holmgreen is also another player to watch. Although he is ranked third, the 21-year-old remains a player to watch after missing the 2022-23 NBA season due to a Lisfranc injury, ESPN reported.
Scoot Henderson era
Also a player to look out for is Scoot Henderson, seen as the new guard at the helm following Damian Lillard's departure.
This early, the 19-year-old is drawing comparisons to another NBA great, Baron Davis, in the eyes of Mat Issa of SB Nation. Davis is best known for leading the Warriors in the 2007 NBA playoffs in an upset win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Sasha Vezenkov stardom hangs
Sasha Vezenkov of the Sacramento Kings may be the surprise name in the mix. Although he is already seasoned at 28 years old, the Greek player has a broad basketball resume. That includes being the 2023 Euroleague MVP, among others.
His chances of vying for the Rookie of the Year plum depend on his playing time. This early, Kings coach Mike Brown appears non-committal and is trying to figure out how to squeeze Vezenkov into the team's rotation, Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee reported.
These surveys are subject to change. But with a talented group that may still be overlooking other new freshmen, the 2023-24 NBA season should be something to look forward to.
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