NBA Rookie Discussion Thread 2023-24

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[Wolfgang630]

If this guy isn’t unanimous RoTY someone needs their vote taken away

[NoDopeOnSundays]

His rebounding is probably the thing that surprised me the most, usually these super tall guys don't rebound well, but he's been averaging almost 11rpg since they moved him to center. He'll probably lead the league in rebounds per game once he gets a little stronger.

[Slim Charlez]

If this guy isn’t unanimous RoTY someone needs their vote taken away

Not a chance. At least one voter will use the "Chet starts for a playoff team" argument.

[MMyhre]

Assume his brother is the same…haven’t see him enough to say, but Amen moves unlike anyone I’ve seen before. It’s like he’s gliding, hovercraft style, even laterally. He jumps without seeming to flex much, just lifts. It’s weird, but impressive. I’ve seen a ton of amazing athletes and I am not necessarily saying he’s a better athlete than like a Vince Carter or w/e, just…different. Like another species, or a movie effect.

Yes. This was my observation as well, usually when someone jumps high they will create force by both different arm swing techniques, and coming into the jump with the proper horizontal/running/timed steps into different plants technique, so they create vertical force from horizontal force, but Amen just decides he can fly out of nothing/ almost zero momentum, lol. If he increases his ability to handle force both through jumping and sprinting, but also increasing his relative strength/increasing relevant muscle strength/some mobility/coordination ++ he can be a 50 + inch vertical guy.

[UcanUwill]

His rebounding is probably the thing that surprised me the most, usually these super tall guys don't rebound well, but he's been averaging almost 11rpg since they moved him to center. He'll probably lead the league in rebounds per game once he gets a little stronger.

Rebounding has to be skill, that translates from Europe to NBA the best. So, I was not worried about his rebounding, his rebounding in Europe was good, but also not elite, I think. So yes, I kind off agree, his rebounding numbers only improving.

Already in 9th. place in NBA in rebounds per minute. And 9th. maybe does not sound THAT high, I mean it is very high, but NBA seem to always have random role guys with less minutes, who just rebound the crap out of the ball in limited time. In todays NBA, those players are Drummond (1st. place) and Day'Ron Sharpe (3rd.). Victor is sandwiched between Sabonis and Jokic, so that is pretty damn good company.

His offensive rebound numbers are not as high, which makes sense, since he spend a lot of time at perimeter, offensively, and offensive rebounding do require more ''wrestling'' skills more so. If we only look at defensive rebounding, he is 6th per minute.

And maybe I am wrong, can't look it up, but I think his rebounding pre all star was not as good, it improved over the period of the season, maybe a big reason was finally putting him at clear center spot.

[CptCrunch]

If this guy isn’t unanimous RoTY someone needs their vote taken away

Anyone who thought Chet was better at any point in the season should have their votes taken away

[XTC]

Kid has GOAT potential.

It's like getting Giannis(but making him 7-3 and an even longer wingspan), giving him a guards coordination and ball handling, giving him KD's shot creation, then giving him Olajuwons shot blocking (but better...),and giving him Westbrooks motor... as a rookie.

The scary part is he's getting better game by game, he's grown so much as a passer lately, he's getting more comfortable putting the ball on the floor his shot blocking has become GOAT-like, his jumper becoming more consistent. The kid is the greatest prospect in NBA history, he has turned into must watch TV.

[CptCrunch]

Kid has GOAT potential.

It's like getting Giannis(but making him 7-3 and an even longer wingspan), giving him a guards coordination and ball handling, giving him KD's shot creation, then giving him Olajuwons shot blocking (but better...),and giving him Westbrooks motor... as a rookie.

Wemby is the greatest prospect in NBA history.

Giannis developed in that top 1% tail region. This kid is top 5% in terms of skills among rookies ignoring his physical attributes.

[BigGargamel]

Obviously Wembanyama is in a stratosphere of his own, but this has just been a really really good rookie class.

Victor Wembanyama
Chet Holmgren
Brandon Miller
Jaime Jaquez
GG Jackson
Scoot Henderson
Amen Thompson
Ausar Thompson
Brandon Podziemski
Cam Whitmore
Dereck Lively
Jordan Hawkins
Gradey Dick
Anthony Black
Scoot Henderson
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Keyonte George
Marcus Sasser
Bilal Coulibaly
Cason Wallace
Toumani Camara
Taylor Hendricks

All look like long term contributors.

I wouldn't write off Jarace Walker quite yet. He just got stuck behind guys on a team that is gunning for the playoffs. Jett Howard looks like the only real lottery miss.

[Knightro]

Sure, Wembanyama has been great, but are we not going to talk about the highlight moment of this year's rookie class?

[BigGargamel]

Sure, Wembanyama has been great, but are we not going to talk about the highlight moment of this year's rookie class?

There's literally an entire thread about it my dude You know RealGM isn't going to ignore something so monumental.

[_jin]

Obviously Wembanyama is in a stratosphere of his own, but this has just been a really really good rookie class.

Victor Wembanyama
Chet Holmgren
Brandon Miller
Jaime Jaquez
GG Jackson
Scoot Henderson
Amen Thompson
Ausar Thompson
Brandon Podziemski
Cam Whitmore
Dereck Lively
Jordan Hawkins
Gradey Dick
Anthony Black
Scoot Henderson
Trayce Jackson-Davis
Keyonte George
Marcus Sasser
Bilal Coulibaly
Cason Wallace
Toumani Camara
Taylor Hendricks

All look like long term contributors.

I wouldn't write off Jarace Walker quite yet. He just got stuck behind guys on a team that is gunning for the playoffs. Jett Howard looks like the only real lottery miss.

Yea one of the deepest classes. As someone who prioritizes watching rookies during the regular season, this season has been a blast.

You also have guys like Ben Sheppard or Andre Jackson Jr., who are a bit like Black and Coulibaly, very raw offensively but showing outstanding defensive potential. Also those who have gotten very little playing time but showed flashes, like Julian Strawther, Kris Murray, Olivier Maxence Prosper or Rayan Rupert. And there's those who are stashed in the G-League but their teams are high on them, like Kobe Bufkin or Sidy Cissoko. And you also have the old rookies, like Duop Reath or Vasilije Micić. All in all, such an amazing rookie class.

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[cupcakesnake]

If this guy isn’t unanimous RoTY someone needs their vote taken away

Anyone who thought Chet was better at any point in the season should have their votes taken away

Nah. Chet was better over the first third of the season. Then Wemby put it together and reached a whole other level.

First 20 games, Weby was shooting 43%fg, 27% from 3, and turning the ball over a ton. Chet was playing his role perfectly on a very good team while Wemby was thrown into a bigger fire and took a minute to fireproof himself.

Since then? Wemby figured it out and has been stretching our imaginations in terms of what we thought was possible on a basketball court. He figured it out 20 games into his career and now we just get to see how far he can take this.

[The Master]

If this guy isn’t unanimous RoTY someone needs their vote taken away

Anyone who thought Chet was better at any point in the season should have their votes taken away

Nah. Chet was better over the first third of the season. Then Wemby put it together and reached a whole other level.

First 20 games, Weby was shooting 43%fg, 27% from 3, and turning the ball over a ton. Chet was playing his role perfectly on a very good team while Wemby was thrown into a bigger fire and took a minute to fireproof himself.

Since then? Wemby figured it out and has been stretching our imaginations in terms of what we thought was possible on a basketball court. He figured it out 20 games into his career and now we just get to see how far he can take this.

Wemby started this season as a power forward with Sochan as a point guard in his first 20 games, that's why we got this slow start, he was misused on both ends of the floor.

And that's why these convos about Holmgren vs Wemby had started, because Chet was surprisingly good and Wemby looked like a typical inefficient rookie on a bad team (who he's not).

I don't think there's been ever a serious discussion about who's a better prospect (with Wemby being visibly younger), so it's a weird revisionism to laugh at Chet vs Wemby ROTY discussions (as Holmgren in his first 20 games was 17-8-3-2 on 63 TS% vs Wemby's 19-10-3-3 on 52 TS%) or suggest people thought that Chet is a better prospect (maybe some OKCs most loyal fans and Chet's family). Since then, yeah, Wemby is 22-11-4-4 on 58 TS% in 29 minutes and everyone has an understanding what does such production in the age of 20 means short/long-term.

As a starting center, Wemby is at 3.8 BPG in 29 minutes, will be interesting to follow if he can get to the 5 bpg territory once his minutes increase. This is surreal to even make such claim in 2024 with number of blocks decreased, game being played on perimeter etc.