The chances of Victor Wembanyama winning the Rookie of the Year are getting stronger after every game. The 20-year-old has been constantly putting up great numbers in his rookie season, which has impressed fans and experts. On the recent episode of Podcast P with Paul George, PG declared that he’d pick Wemby over his strongest competition Chet Holmgren for the title.
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Claiming that it has been a toss-up between Chet and Wemby for the ROY title PG13 mentioned the gap year in Chet’s career. He said, “It is tough. People always bring up like is Chet worthy. Because he is not technically a rookie.”
After being drafted in the league by the Oklahoma City Thunder in 2022, the 21-year-old ended up missing the entire season due to injury. He played his first game in the league in the same season as Wemby did so technically, this would be considered his rookie season.
Despite a legitimate challenge for the title from Chet, PG believes that Wemby is leading that race now and the trophy seems to be going his way. He praised the rookie for the way he is leading the Spurs, who have not had a good season apart from Wemby’s accomplishments.
He said, “I’m gonna give it to Wemby. Like, Chet is on a winning team. He’s got a great group of young guys around him. So, not much pressure is solely on him. The expectation from Wemby is extremely high. He’s playing on a young team as well but they’re not as successful.”
The Frenchman is scoring 20.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game, compared to Holmgren’s 16.9 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game(per ESPN). Although Wembayana is not on a team with a great record this season, his individual performance has left many in awe.
Notably, the 2023 #1 pick is also being considered for Defensive Player of the Year. However, many believe a Spurs player winning the DPOY this season will not sit well as the team’s defensive rating is 28th in the league with 117.3.
Stephen A. Smith vouches for Victor Wembanyama
Wemby for the ROY title is a popular opinion in the NBA world at this point. Everyone seems to be in awe of the Spurs rookie and there is not much competition against him. Stephen A. Smith was also asked about his pick for the coveted title on ESPN’s First Take show. The media veteran said, “The Rookie of the Year situation is over. Wembanyama is going to win Rookie of the Year and he is going to deserve it.”
Although he picked Wemby in a heartbeat, Stephen A. didn’t deny Chet’s talent. He said that he thinks the OKC rookie has a lot to offer and is at par with the other youngsters in the league. Just for the ROY title, this won’t be his year, but apart from that, he’s going to do good in the league.
