About WoB Contact Us Link to Us Partner Sites They said about Us
Basketball History Hall of Fame Famous Coaches Famous Players
Naismith's Original Rules Basketball Rules NBA - FIBA Differences Referees Corner
EuroLeague EuroCup NBA Adriatic NLB League
Tapio Joulamo Alex Milic Nedim Grabovica Eric Zanzucchi Stories by our staff
Coach's Corner Youth Basketball Bob Carroll Steve Mergelsberg David Leman Joao Da Costa
Headlines News Archive
Advertise with Us Basketball Interviews Basketball Quotes Web Directories Live Scores

  Advertisement

sharesale



Home -

NBA Rookie of the Year: Which Drafted Players Can Shine in 2024/25?




   NBA Rookie of the Year: Which Drafted Players Can Shine in 2024/25?



December 27, 2024

basketball

With winners like Michael Jordan, LeBron James, and Tim Duncan, there is sometimes a sense of inevitability with the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award. Overall, there have been 23 No.1 Draft Picks who have gone on to win ROY in their debut season in the NBA. Of course, it’s not always just that simple, and plenty of winners have come from relative obscurity. Malcolm Brogdon (drafted no.36 overall), for example, wasn’t talked about as a potential ROY candidate when drafted in 2016, but he beat the pundits’ predictions and odds to do so a year later.

The 2024/25 season certainly sees some brilliant rookies with huge potential taking to the big leagues for the first time. As is the trend, plenty have come from abroad, particularly Europe, yet plenty of star players have been produced by America’s colleges. Let’s look at who is in the running this season, with our list containing the latest NBA odds at the time of writing for the ROY market:


    1. Zach Edey

Edey is the consensus betting favorite for ROY, although odds of +650 suggest that it is anything but certain. The Canadian center played college basketball for the Purdue Boilermakers. Twice named National College Player of the Year, Edey was drafted 9th overall by the Memphis Grizzlies. At 7 ft 4 in, he was recorded as the tallest player in Big Ten history in his freshman year.

    2. Reed Sheppard

With odds of +850, Reed Sheppard is the second favorite to get the ROY award. He was drafted 3rd overall, joining the Houston Rockets. Sheppard elected to go for the NBA Draft instead of another year of college after winning the Freshman of the Year award in 2023. He is following in his father, Jeff’s, footsteps, who also played college basketball for the Kentucky Wildcats.

    3. Zaccharie Risacher

Is it odd to see the No.1 draft pick further down the odds (+900) than the player drafted 9th? Not necessarily, as winning ROY will depend on many things, including game time. Risacher was picked up by the Atlanta Hawks, who will likely take into consideration his age – Risacher is just 19 – when deciding how to use him. He’s the second successive French player to be drafted at no.1, following Victor Wembanyama in 2023. “Wemby” won ROY last season, so perhaps lightning will strike twice for French basketball fans.


    4. Alex Sarr

Perhaps it could be yet another Frenchman as ROY? Alex Sarr’s odds of +1000 are just a shade behind Risacher. Like Risacher, he is just 19 (they were born 18 days apart), so he may be treated with some patience by his team, the Washington Wizards. Sarr has bounced around for a few years, though, including stints in the Overtime Elite League and the Australian National Basketball League. Those experiences will serve him well.

    5. Matas Buzelis

Joining Sarr as a +1000 shot to be ROY is Lithuanian-American Matas Buzelis. Drafted 11th overall, the Chicago-born 20-year-old was chosen by the Bulls. Buzelis was looked at by colleges including Kentucky, North Carolina, and Florida State, but he opted to play in the NBA’s G-League last season. He has plenty to offer in a Bulls uniform.

Others in the running include Stephon Castle, Dalton Knecht, Carlton Carrington, Rob Dillingham, Ronald Holland, Cody Williams, and Donovan Clingan.







  Our Partners

turkish airlines euroleague

  Advertisement



Copyright © World of Basketball. All rights reserved. Optimized for 1024 x 768 resolution IE, Opera and Firefox

Top Sport Sites All Sport Sites TheSports100.com | Sports Toplist