Victor Wembanyama and Chet Holmgren have lived up to all the expectations and have solidified their position as the two frontrunners to win the Rookie of the Year award. Making an appearance on the Knuckleheads Podcast, Jamal Crawford made quite the interesting prediction regarding the honor.
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A majority of analysts and basketball enthusiasts have been backing Victor Wembanyama to win Rookie of the Year. However, Jamal Crawford told Quentin Richardson and Darius Miles that he believed Chet Holmgren would take the trophy home. That said, the talent displayed by Wemby so far will get him sufficient votes to play in Indiana for the upcoming All-Star Game as a starter.
“I got Chet, I got Chet winning the Rookie of the Year. I got Wemby actually being an All-Star starter, I can see him get enough votes to be an All-Star starter. But I think Chet wins Rookie of the Year,” Crawford declared.
Getting an All-Star nod is extremely difficult. Yet, Jamal Crawford is positive that Wemby will make it to the prestigious exhibition game. If he were to get selected, the teenager would be the first rookie to play the All-Star Game since Blake Griffin in 2011.
However, despite Crawford’s optimism, getting selected as an All-Star starter might be a difficult task for the San Antonio Spurs rookie. With the format shifting back to the traditional West vs East format, it seems impossible for the 7ft 4” youngster to take the floor over the likes of LeBron James, Kevin Durant, and Nikola Jokic.
Anthony Davis backs Victor Wembanyama to be named the 2024 Rookie of the Year
While Victor Wembanyama has been receiving a lot of criticism from detractors, a lot of the personalities from the basketball community have been praising the 19-year-old religiously. Among the many, Anthony Davis has expressed his confidence in the European sensation.
Earlier this month, the San Antonio Spurs hosted the Los Angeles Lakers for consecutive matchups. Playing with LeBron James, Anthony Davis led the Purple & Gold to a 122-119 victory. However, Wembanyama was sensational.
Going up against AD, the teenager stuffed the stat sheet. Apart from lodging a 30-point, 13-rebound double-double, the unicorn recorded 3 steals and 6 blocks. Such an impressive performance was deserving of high praise. AD didn’t mince his words as he showed love to the #1 pick of the 2023 Draft.
“The team is struggling, but, um, he’s playing extremely well, and he’s able to, um, keep them in games. They’re playing really good basketball… He[Wemby] showed why he’s the number one pick and leading candidate for Rookie of the Year tonight,” Davis claimed.
So far, Wembanyama is averaging 18.5 points and 10.7 rebounds per game. Currently, he’s one of the top Western Conference frontcourts. While not a starter, it won’t be very surprising to see the rookie suit up for the All-Star Game.
