NBA Rooks Betting: Which Player Has Big Chances to Win ROTY?

Zach Edey is entering this year’s rookie race as the top pick to win the award. Edey has had a strong showing in his preseason games and in the first few games for the Grizzlies. It cannot be denied that the big man is expected to come up with some impressive performances in the game as he is slated to start the five with the Memphis Grizzlies, who are slated to come up with at least 47 wins on various predictions. Considering the fact that he also had a dominant year in Purdue, one can say that Edey is also likely to come up with an impressive performance in his games with Memphis this season.

Based on the annual NBA GM survey, Reed Sheppard is the most likely pick by general managers to win the Rookie of the Year, getting at least 43% of the votes. So far, his Summer League and Preseason performances seem to be quite promising, and it cannot be denied that there are a lot of hopeful analysts who are seeking to see more from him. Houston already has a stacked roster, but one can say that Sheppard will be given enough minutes to breeze through the roster and hopefully emerge as a reliable player off the bench as their sixth man.

Selected first overall by the Atlanta Hawks, there are indeed a lot of surprises as to why the team didn’t just trade its pick to other teams. However, with the trade for Dejounte Murray, it seems that Risacher might just get the spotlight he needs to come up with impressive performances in the game, and this is why there are indeed high expectations for the rookie to complement his play style with Trae Young. On top of that, expect Risacher to come up with some strong games of his own to lead the way for the Hawks as we may see some games where Young would be sitting out, leaving Risacher to take the wheel for Atlanta and help them come up with winning chances.

At this point, one can say that Stephon Castle is one of the underrated rookies on this list who has a great chance to build his case for the ROTY. The Spurs have him as their backup guard behind Chris Paul, who can definitely teach him a lot about playing at an efficient level while coming up with many quality plays. Then there’s Victor Wembanyama, who is going to be more on the receiving end for Castle’s playmaking while he also generates his own offense at the same time. It cannot be denied that Castle will be on the third-string scoring role, but he may be given a chance to step up given how head coach Gregg Popovich frequently rests Wembanyama or even Paul.

The first of two honorable mentions for this list, Dillon Jones can be seen as an explosive player who will be taking up a lot of quality minutes for the Oklahoma City Thunder. He was selected 26th overall, and is being considered to be one of the biggest steals in the draft considering how well the Weber State product has been performing at a high level despite only playing limited minutes with the Thunder, which should give him a bigger chance to win the Rookie of the Year. His chances will all depend on how OKC manages to give him minutes that will see him be a productive contributor on the squad.

Has everyone forgotten about the big man who kept Zach Edey in check in the NCAA Final? UConn’s Donovan Clingan comes into the season as a quiet big man who arguably has what it takes to be a massive defensive anchor in his own right. A center with impressive frame and strength, it is expected that Clingan will be likely a bigger defensive presence for the Blazers while also sharing massive minutes with Deandre Ayton in the season. Depending on how well he improves his offense, Clingan may well be an easy surprise candidate for the ROTY this season.