NBA Rookie of the Year 2023 Odds: Paolo Banchero Favored After Chet Holmgren Injury
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero is the favorite to win the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year Award.
The Detroit Pistons' Jaden Ivey, Sacramento Kings' Keegan Murray and Houston Rockets' Jabari Smith Jr. are the other top contenders in the latest odds from FanDuel Sportsbook after Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren suffered a season-ending foot injury:
Holmgren was a popular ROY pick before the injury, which was suffered Saturday in a Pro-Am game, because of his standout performances at the NBA Summer League in Las Vegas.
The 20-year-old Gonzaga product averaged 12 points, 7.7 rebounds, 2.3 assists, 2.3 steals and 2.0 blocks across three Summer League appearances. He shot 46.4 percent from the field, including 42.9 percent from three-point range.
His all-around skill set is a perfect fit for a big in the modern NBA, but now he'll have to wait another year to make his official debut.
Meanwhile, Banchero had already emerged as the early Rookie of the Year favorite after being selected by the Magic with the first overall pick in the 2022 draft.
The Duke product earned First Team All-ACC honors during his only college season after averaging 17.2 points, 7.8 rebounds, 3.2 assists and 1.1 steals in 39 games.
"I feel like I am the best player in the draft, and I feel like I showed that throughout the year," Banchero told reporters before the June event. "I feel like I showed everything with my skill sets and my intangibles."
He's not alone in generating a lot of hype heading into his debut campaign, however, as Ivey has attracted significant attention since going No. 5 overall to Detroit.
Former NBA guard Jalen Rose, a Detroit native who works as an ESPN basketball analyst, called the tandem of Ivey and Cade Cunningham an "All-Star backcourt" and described the Purdue product as a "blur," per Omari Sankofa II of the Detroit Free Press
"Now for [Cunningham] to have somebody that's going to make the game easier for him, because Ivey's a blur, he's been knocking down shots in practice, working really hard," Rose said. "I'm really excited about the potential of our team. I'm excited about the culture that they're building."
All told, there are still no shortage of Rookie of the Year contenders despite Holmgren's injury, and the OKC rising star should return to the ROY discussion next year against the 2023 class.
