Coming into the 2023-24 NBA regular season, there were two rookies that were going to grab everyone’s attention, with Chet Holmgren of the Oklahoma City Thunder finally getting to start his professional career and San Antonio Spurs superstar Victor Wembanyama being the most hyped rookie since LeBron James in 2003.
With the NBA regular season in it’s final stretch and only about 25 games left for the majority of the teams in the league, some individual awards are starting to get wrapped up, with the NBA Rookie of the Year being one of those awards.
It’s been a two-man race throughout the regular season so far, but most would argue that Wembanyama will win the distinction as this year’s best rookie in a landslide.
Holmgren is putting up solid numbers on a second-place Thunder squad, with 17.1 points, 7.7 rebounds, and 2.6 blocks per game, but Wembanyama is playing at another level for the Spurs.
The French import is averaging a double-double with 20.7 points, 10.1 rebounds, and a league-leading 3.3 blocks per game, which is incredible for a first-year player in the NBA.
ESPN’s Shannon Sharpe believes that Wembanyama has already won the award, as he said in ESPN’s First Take.
.@ShannonSharpe believes Wemby is a lock for Rookie of the Year 🔐 pic.twitter.com/1VemYwMfWm
— First Take (@FirstTake) February 26, 2024
Even though the Spurs are one of the worst teams in the league this season, with San Antonio currently sporting a record of 11-47, Wembanyama has shown a lot of promise as the new face of the franchise moving forward.
As long as the Spurs can find the right pieces to put around him, San Antonio won’t be down for long, as they definitely have the real deal with Wembanyama.
NEXT: Lebron James Reveals His Thoughts On Victor Wembanyama