After a few struggles in the past month, Jaylen Wells has made his presence felt in the Rookie of the Year race considering how well he has been a pivotal piece for the Memphis Grizzlies as they continue a massive climb in the wild Western Conference this season. Now he’s getting a huge boost to win the ROTY now more than ever heading into the final stretch.

Everyone who has been tracking rookies this season knows that Jaylen Wells has been one of the highly dynamic talents in the game so far, and it cannot be denied that the Grizzlies have really benefitted well from his impressive game so far, which says a lot about how he has really made a strong case so far.

Memphis is moving in on the upper echelon of the Western Conference and is steering well to be in a promising position to be at least the second or third seed by the end of the season. Wells, who is just a rookie – is playing a massive role in their rise to dominance now more than ever with the hopes of making it to the NBA Playoffs as well.

Wells on the Rise

In the past few weeks, Wells has posted a massive stat line of 15.5 points per game on 54.2% shooting from the field – including a whopping 44.8% from deep. That has put him on a steady chase for the top spot of the Rookie of the Year race so far, which has been held by San Antonio Spurs guard Stephon Castle.

Selected with the 39th overall pick in the 2024 NBA Draft, Wells was not expected to be an elite performer for Memphis at the very least, and it cannot be understated that he’s been a valuable player for the squad, even coming up with the consistent numbers and discipline that has set him apart from many rookies.

“His discipline is the thing that has really stood out the most. He is having successful moments and growth moments, as well,” said Memphis head coach Taylor Jenkins about Wells’ massive growth in just a short span of time. “When he makes a mistake, he really corrects it pretty quickly.”

So far, this has been a landmark rise for Wells, one of the first round's low picks. His ascension to the ROTY race clearly delivers bigger heights for his potential now more than ever.

Odds in the Talks

Kel’El Ware surprisingly remains the hot pick among many sportsbooks to win the Rookie of the Year award, despite the Miami big having some marginal surge in his games so far with odds of +145. Stephon Castle ranks second in the odds with +325, while Jaylen Wells brings himself to the third spot with +450.

Jaylen Wells has shown some promise, but his chances of winning the Rookie of the Year award this season will depend on many variables, such as his performances and how he adapts to putting up strong numbers when it matters most.

So far, Wells is bringing himself close to the 50/40/90 shooting splits this season with 45.1% shooting, 38.2% from three, and 82.4% from the charity stripe. All of this will factor into his overall impact considering that he is playing heavy minutes in for Memphis at this point, which should help him combat Castle’s case, with the latter also slated for bigger exposure after Spurs star Victor Wembanyama has been ruled out for the rest of the season.