ESPN Experts Pick Chet Holmgren to Win Rookie of the Year Over Victor Wembanyama

In a recent poll, ESPN experts narrowly chose Oklahoma City Thunder center Chet Holmgren to win the 2023-24 Rookie of the Year Award over top 2023 pick Victor Wembanyama.

Holmgren edged out Wembanyama by just three points, gathering 80 to the new Spur’s 77. Wembanyama however received 42.3% of first place votes to Holmgren’s 34.6%.

After missing out on his entire first season due to injury, Holmgren is now garnering the same type of hype he did last offseason.

Despite Wembanyama’s heralded status, there are a number of factors working in Holmgren’s favor for the award.

Typically, high picks that have lost their rookie seasons due to injury have come back strong. Be it some extra rest, a full year learning the ins-and-outs of the NBA or anything in between, there’s a decent track record of players to come off injury and wow.

Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons, both No. 1 picks in their respective drafts, missed their entire first seasons and bounced back to win Rookie of the Year in their second season. Similarly, Joel Embiid missed his first two seasons and managed to take second place in his own ROY race in 2016-17.

Holmgren will also have the advantage of playing for a team that’s likely to see more overall success due to the likes of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey, Jalen Williams and a host of other talented players. Team success hasn’t always played a role in

Despite that, beating the 7-foot-4 freshman out for the award certainly won’t be easy.

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