The rookie of the year battle has become a tight one. With a few standouts, the group has shrunk dramatically to only about four genuine contenders. This might be one of the closest Rookie of the Year races in a decade, with such an even class of players!
Castle has been one of the most fun rookies this year. Playing next to Victor Wembanyama, the 6’6 guard out of UConn, has been great. He's been electric coming off the bench for most of the year. Now playing with De’Aaron Fox too, Castle is slotting in nicely as a versatile two-way player.
He currently leads the betting lines for Rookie of the Year odds at +140. He's only strengthened his position after some great performances over the last two weeks. However, we still have another 30+ games to go in the season. With Fox here, will that eat into Castle’s time? Hard to say, but there are some reasons to believe Castle might start to lose a few minutes here and there. If that begins to happen, it might impact his rookie-of-the-year chances.
Regardless, Castle is still the betting favorite for a reason. He can come off the bench for 30 while doing all the other little things. The’s been fantastic for a 20-year-old coming off a college national championship. Expect to see Castle’s name in NBA headlines for years to come!
Wells was the surprise of this year’s draft. Coming out of the second round, he’s already gained a starting spot on the Grizzlies. The 21-year-old out of Washington State has been a tremendous addition playing the small forward spot. He’s become a steady hand on a team with loads of talent. His number might not get called a ton on offense, but he’s managed to remain efficient with limited attempts. He's been solid by shooting 44% from the field and 38% from three.
He’s currently sitting at +850 on DraftKings for Rookie of the Year. Considering he’s playing actual minutes on a team currently second in the West is wildly impressive. His stats might not jump off the page like some of the other players, but considering his early contributions, he is already a top player in his class. At +850, he’s a dark horse, but if the voting community sees how important he already is, he could garner some late attention this season.
The number one overall pick has had an interesting rookie year. Atlanta had one of the most fun and plucky rosters around. They had this energy, especially defensively, that was infectious. However, Risacher has been somewhat limited playing behind Jalen Johnson and De’Andre Hunter. The situation in Atlanta has changed drastically recently, though. Johnson is out for the year with injury, Hunter is now on the Cavalries, and Risacher suddenly has a clear path ahead of him.
Now, losing all those players to injury and trades has weakened Atlanta, so don’t expect to see much out of them. It does give Risacher a much easier path to putting up some stats. We’ve already seen a jump in his February numbers, going to 14 points, shooting 55% from the field and 40% from three. He could make a late-season push if he can increase his rebounding and assist. Overall, we just need to see more of everything out of him. If he can embrace a more significant role and begin filling the void Johnson left, he’ll have a slight chance to sneak the award away!
Ware has been one of the bright spots of the Heat season. Drafted 15th, no one expects Ware to get much time this year with Bam ahead of him at center. However, with Bam playing well below expectations and Ware being better than anyone expected changed that. Now, Bam and Ware share the frontcourt, with Bam playing the PF next to Ware at center. This change has elevated Ware’s odds tremendously. Now he is sitting just below Castle in the Rookie of the Year odds at +240.
This might be the best line out of all of them, considering Ware’s position. He’s on a stable team with low expectations, playing next to established veterans, and fits his role perfectly. He will likely remain in the starting lineup for the rest of the season while putting up respectable numbers. In some games, he gets himself into foul trouble, or the shot isn’t falling, but in terms of betting odds, Ware is the best.
Ware should be at the top of your list if you’re looking to put some money on the Rookie of the Year. Even with Castle doing great in San Antonio, he could easily see his role shrink if they push for the playoffs. Expect to see Ware be the most stable out of all the top rookies for the remainder of the season!