2022-23 NBA Preseason Awards Media Poll: Rookie of the Year
A new NBA season is upon us and with it comes speculation about what will happen over the next few months.
Who will win this season's awards? Which teams will finish with the best and worst records? Who has the best chance to make the All-Star Game for the first time in their career?
Fastbreak on FanNation polled 21 different NBA media members, some who cover the league as a whole and some who cover an individual team, asking them these specific questions and gathering their results.
Below are the results from the voting that took place for the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year award:
Media Members Pick To Win Rookie of the Year:
Paolo Banchero - Orlando Magic
It should not be a surprise to anyone to see Paolo Banchero as the favorite to win the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year award. Expectations for a player drafted first overall are always sky-high and this is the case with Banchero heading into his first season in the league with the Orlando Magic.
Making just two postseason appearances in the last ten seasons, the Magic are looking for ways to build a strong, sustainable, long-term core and they absolutely have the blueprints to do so now with Banchero as the face of their franchise.
The first overall pick joins the likes of Franz Wagner, Markelle Fultz, Cole Anthony, Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr. and Chuma Okeke, all of which have been recent first-round picks, amongst others on Orlando’s roster.
Putting on a show in Summer League and now looking stronger in the preseason, Paolo Banchero’s path to winning the Rookie of the Year is laid out right in front of him, especially since Chet Holmgren, the second pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, will miss the entire 2022-23 NBA season due to Lisfranc injury to his right foot.
Banchero received 11 of the 21 total votes for Rookie of the Year entering the season, but keep an eye on Sacramento Kings rookie Keegan Murray, the fourth overall pick in this year’s draft. Murray has been nothing short of fantastic this offseason in both workouts and in the preseason, making him a very worthy candidate for this award.
The Kings have endured a lot of internal suffering over the years, as they have not made the playoffs in 16 seasons. Murray could absolutely help change this franchise’s fortunes and should they make the playoffs, or even the Play-In Tournament, it will be hard to overlook Keegan Murray’s impact.
Jaden Ivey, the fifth overall pick in this year’s draft by the Detroit Pistons, is a high-flying and athletic guard that will fit in perfectly next to last year’s first overall pick Cade Cunningham and the third overall pick by the Houston Rockets, Jabari Smith Jr., has the size and two-way play to be an instant high-impact type of player at virtually any position.
Ivey and Smith are both players to watch in regards to making the All-Rookie First Team this season, as is Bennedict Mathurin, the sixth overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft by the Indiana Pacers. Mathurin is a player the Pacers are very high on and with them searching for players to step up next to Tyrese Haliburton, the rookie wing could easily become the next sensation in Indianapolis.
It should not come as a shock to see these five names on the All-Rookie list by the end of the 2022-23 NBA season, which is why it is not surprising to see all of them receive votes this preseason for the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year award.
Complete voting results from 2022-23 NBA Preseason Media Poll:
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Most Valuable Player
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Rookie of the Year
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Most Improved Player
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Sixth-Man of the Year
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Coach of the Year
- 2022-23 NBA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year
- Who Will Finish With The Worst Regular Season Record?
- Who Will Finish With The Best Regular Season Record?
- Which Team Will Win The Eastern Conference?
- Which Team Will Win The Western Conference?
- Which Team Will Win The 2023 NBA Finals?
- Who Is Most Likely To Be A First-Time All-Star During The 2022-23 NBA Season?
