Evaluating the NBA Rookie of the Year race

Both Wemby and Chet deserve the inaugural Rookie of the Month award.

In the recent discourse around the NBA rookie scene, there has been a noteworthy shift in favor of Chet Holmgren over Victor Wembanyama as the standout rookie of the season. Vegas odds slightly favor Chet for the year-long Rookie of the Year award. However, the imminent announcement of the first NBA Rookie of the Month award, including October and November, adds another layer of intrigue to this debate.

Paul Garcia’s tweet provides a good comparison between these two promising rookies. The argument against Wembanyama is straightforward: his lower shooting efficiency and his team’s struggles in winning games. Nevertheless, it’s crucial to consider the contrasting environments of their respective teams. Oklahoma City Thunder ranks 6th in offensive rating, led by the emergence of Canadian talent Shai Gilgeous-Alexander at the helm.

Conversely, the San Antonio Spurs are presently in an experimental phase, notably initiating the Jeremy Sohan point guard experiment. This has often placed considerable responsibility on the young Frenchman to generate his scoring opportunities. It’s an intentional strategy by Coach Popovich, emphasizing the importance of exposing the rookie to challenging situations to identify his strengths and areas needing improvement. Rookie inefficiency in shooting at 44% from the field, as Wembanyama demonstrates, is acceptable given this context.

This tweet highlights the Spurs’ concerted efforts to refine various aspects of Wembanyama’s game. Recently, there’s been a noticeable emphasis on his low post skills. While winning the Rookie of the Month might not hold immense significance in the grand scheme, as a big supporter of Wembanyama, it would be a testament to his deserving performance.

On a lighter note, for both basketball enthusiasts and burger lovers in San Antonio, Chris Madrid’s has concocted the Wemby Burger – a towering three-patty delight garnished with their renowned cheddar. Completing the Wemby Burger challenge earns you a spot on the Wemby Burger Wall of Fame!

Gilbert Arenas rightly emphasizes the age gap between Victor and Holmgren. Considering this gap, could we envision Wembanyama averaging 25-10-5 by the time he’s 21?

The San Antonio Spurs have now plummeted to the bottom in overall net rating. Not a surprise given their current run of form.

My favorite quote from last week: Denver Nuggets rookie Julian Strawther recaps what it’s like having a 7’4” unicorn-like attempting to dunk over you from the free-throw line.