Oddsmakers see the 2023-24 NBA rookie class as the year of the big men as San Antonio’s Victor Wembanyama and Oklahoma City’s Chet Holmgren are the top favourites to win Rookie of the Year.

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Victor Wembanyama

The 7-foot-4 Wembanyama, the first overall pick in June’s draft, is one of the most hyped NBA prospects ever and listed at -145 to win Rookie of the Year as of the first day of the regular season. To put it in perspective, before their respective rookie campaigns, LeBron James was +150 to win Rookie of the Year, Luka Doncic was +250 and Paolo Banchero, last year’s winner, was +200.

Wembanyama won MVP and Defensive Player of the Year in France’s top league last season (Pro A), averaging 21.6 points, 10.5 rebounds and 3.1 blocks per game. In four pre-season NBA games, the 19-year-old averaged 19.3 points on 50.8 per cent shooting while averaging just 21 minutes a night.

With elite level talent and a massive size advantage, Wembanyama is a clear favourite to win Rookie of the Year.

Chet Holmgren

Standing at 7-foot-1, Holmgren was the second overall selection in the 2022 draft, but remains eligible for Rookie of the Year because he missed all of last season with a Lisfranc injury in his right foot. It was a tough break for Holmgren and OKC, especially considering how good the 21-year-old looked in the NBA Summer League. In Holmgren’s 2022 Summer League debut, he put up 23 points, seven rebounds, four assists and six blocks, breaking the record for most blocks in a Summer League game.

Holmgren and Wembanyama actually faced off in the pre-season this year. Holmgren had 21 points and nine rebounds in 16 first-half minutes. Wembanyama countered with 20 points and five rebounds in 19 minutes. The Thunder came out on top 122-121. Through the entire pre-season, Holmgren averaged 16.3 points, 5.0 rebounds, 1.3 assists and 2.0 blocks. He shot nearly 60 per cent overall and a blistering 56 per cent from beyond the arc.

Other Contenders

Scoot Henderson

The 6-foot-3 Henderson doesn’t overwhelm with his size, but he’ll have a chance to be the new face of the Portland Trail Blazers with Damian Lillard shipped out of town. With Lillard gone, Henderson should see some of the heaviest minutes of any rookie as Portland’s starting point guard. Playing 30-plus minutes a night and bringing the ball up every possession will bloat Henderson’s stats this season.

Brandon Miller

Dark horse candidate Brandon Miller, the No. 2 overall draft pick behind Wembanyama, is coming off a great freshman season at Alabama last year. He’ll play alongside LaMelo Ball in Charlotte and his 6-foot-9 frame is particularly helpful with his long-range shooting ability and rebounding.

Vasilije Micic

Vasilije Micic is arguably the most interesting Rookie of the Year candidate as he’s nearly a decade older than most of the other contenders. The 29-year-old was drafted by the Philadelphia 76ers in 2014, but prior to this season he spent his entire career in Europe. A three-time All-EuroLeague selection, Micic led Anadolu Efes to EuroLeague titles in 2021 and 2022, also winning EuroLeague MVP in 2021.