With two-thirds of the season remaining, Victor Wembanyama (right) and Chet Holmgren remain rookies in 2023-24.
It might seem silly, with two-thirds of the regular season remaining, to declare the 2024 Kia Rookie of the Year race a two-man battle. So let’s go with this: Someone completely unexpected will have to do something extraordinary to eclipse the performances of Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren in San Antonio and Oklahoma City, respectively.
As fervently as fans follow each of the other top newcomers on the Ladder, what will happen over the next four months boils down to this: If you had to bet on the barstool, would I take Wemby-Chet as the ROY entry or the field? Ah, I thought so.
Weekly recap
• Chet Holmgren was a one man swat team, blocking 18 shots this week with 15 in about 48 hours in wins over Denver and Memphis. The last rookie to block at least seven in consecutive games? Tim Duncan 25 years ago. “It seems like Chet blocks everything,” Thunder teammate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander said. And he takes it anyway.
Holmgren’s take: “Being in the right place at the right time.” He added: “When I play harder, I guess it just happens naturally.”
• Wembanyama sat out the Spurs’ only visit to Milwaukee on Tuesday with right ankle soreness. However, he retains the lead after averaging 20 points, 13.7 rebounds, 3.7 assists and 4.0 blocks in his three appearances this week. He even has the edge over Holmgren in blocks (3.0 to 2.8) and shares (4.3 to 3.6).
• Portland’s Scoot Henderson, No. 3, continues to play catch-up after an early-season injury. But he has given the Blazers 14.8 points and 4.8 assists this week, despite a shutout (9 points, 5 rebounds) on Tuesday against Phoenix. “I’m getting better every day,” Blazers coach Chauncey Billups said, attributing Henderson to too much effort.
• So many losses can seem dangerous to the development of young men, so what the Spurs, Wizards and Pistons are doing is not ideal. But here’s some context: The worst team in NBA history, the 1972-73 Philadelphia 76ers who went 9-73, played and often started the No. 5 pick in the 1972 draft. And the loss didn’t get him down. In fact, point guard Freddie Boyd had the best of his six NBA seasons, earning All-Rookie status by averaging 28.7 minutes, 10.5 points and 3.7 assists. The problem was, the Sixers probably should have drafted Julius Erving, Paul Westphal, or a half-dozen other top NBA players in that draft.
Script to watch
Newbies at Christmas. Some NBA rookies they have used Christmas toys For their parties, look out for Jaime Jaquez Jr. of Miami, Golden State’s Brandin Podziemski, Denver’s Julian Strawther and Dallas’ Dereck Lively II in Monday’s action.
Among the all-time leading rookies: LeBron James (34 points in 2003), Patrick Ewing (32 points, 11 rebounds in 1985), Adrian Dudley (30, 1976), Walt Bellamy (35-11, 1961) and Oscar Robertson ( 32-15-16 for a triple double yuletide in 1960). Never forget the man for whom the Rookie of the Year Award was named, because Wilt Chamberlain dropped 45 points and 36 rebounds at Syracuse on December 25, 1959.
Last ranking
(All stats up to Tuesday 19 December)
1. Victor Wembanyama, San Antonio Spurs
Season Stats: 19.0 ppg, 11.0 rpg, 3.0 bpg
Last Stair: No. 1
Short selection: No. 1
Apparently only one “freak” allowed on the floor at a time is a new rule or something, with Webby losing his test against Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo. “Probably one of the players I’ve studied the most,” Wembanyama had said before the scuttled matchup. Still, he dutifully sat out San Antonio’s 22nd loss, rocking some orange occurs most often at Lambeau Field.
2. Chet Holmgren, Oklahoma City Thunder
Season Stats: 16.9 ppg, 8.0 rpg, 2.8 bpg
Last Stair: Number 2
Short selection: No. 2 (2022)
Analysis from OKC coach Mark Daigneault: “The game is definitely slowing down for him. We talk all the time about growing through experiences and he’s a classic example of a man who – good, bad or up and coming experiences – grows and continues to grow through them all.” Daigneault had more to say about the rookie as well.
3. Jaime Jaquez Jr., Miami Heat
Season Stats: 13.0 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 2.7 ppg
Last Stair: Number 4
Short selection: No. 18
Just as Jaquez was closing in on Dwyane Wade’s 15-game streak with double-digit scoring, he only scored 8 against Minnesota. Meanwhile, there it was a JJJ comparison to a different Marquette product.
4. Brandon Miller, Charlotte Hornets
Season Stats: 14.8 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.2 apg
Last Stair: No. 3
Short selection: #2 overall
Tough 0-4 week for the Hornets and Miller, but in the game there are opportunities. His 32.2 minutes per game leads all rookies. His 0-for-5 night in Toronto on Monday snapped a 35-or-75 (46.7%) stretch from the arc.
5. Ausar Thompson, Detroit Pistons
Season Stats: 10.0 ppg, 8.1 rpg, 2.4 ppg
Last Stair: Number 6
Short selection: Number 5
The Pistons have cut his minutes (22.4 this month vs. 28.9 in October and November) but are still losing. The rookie got to touch on his recent past when Detroit trained at the Overtime Elite facility in Atlanta. He and his twin brother Amen (Houston Rockets, No. 4 pick last June) honed their craft in this program in 2022-23.
The next 5
6. Derek Lively II, Dallas Mavericks
Season Stats: 8.9 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 1.6 bpg
Last Stair: No. 7
Short selection: No. 12
Walking boot > crutches as big man (73.4% FG) rehabs left ankle.
7. Keyonte George, Utah Jazz
Season Stats: 10.9 ppg, 3.0 rpg, 5.0 ppg
Last Stair: Number 5
Short selection: No. 16
Hoping to get back (left leg) on the Jazz’s five-game road trip over Christmas.
8. Bilal Koulibaly, Washington Wizards
Season Stats: 9.4 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 1.7 ppg
Last Stair: No. 8
Short selection: No. 7
The baby raised in the mostly lukewarm bath water of the Wizards.
9. Brandin Ponziemski, Golden State Warriors
Season Stats: 8.3 ppg, 5.0 rpg, 2.6 ppg
Last Stair: No. 9
Short selection: No. 19
The back strain against the Celtics became a Wisconsin kid in cheerleading Tuesday.
10. Toumani Camara, Portland Trail Blazers
Season Stats: 7.3 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 1.0 apg
Last Stair: No. 10
Short selection: No. 52
The most impactful of the Blazers’ six rookies, though Scoot Henderson is making waves.
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Steve Aschburner has written about the NBA since 1980. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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