JJ Redick names dark-horse contender for Rookie of the Year
While Victor Wembanyama is the leading candidate for Rookie of the Year, retired sharpshooter JJ Redick believes another versatile big man can take home the award under the right circumstances.
The current podcaster and ESPN analyst has high expectations for the up-and-coming Oklahoma City Thunder, who are coming off a 40-42 finish and play-in tournament appearance for the 2022-23 campaign. Therefore, if Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company build on last season's success, Redick predicts the 7-foot-1 Chet Holmgren will "be in the thick of things" for Rookie of the Year honors.
“The Chet Holmgren thing is interesting because I think there's an expectation here that the Oklahoma City Thunder are at least in the play-in and probably have a winning record next season," Redick said on "The Old Man and the Three" podcast.
Holmgren, the second overall pick in the 2022 NBA Draft, is considered a rookie this year after missing last season with a Lisfranc injury to his right foot. The former No. 1 high school recruit starred at Gonzaga in 2021-22, posting 14.1 points and 9.9 rebounds while showing flashes of running the floor like a guard.
According to OddsChecker, Holmgren has the third-shortest odds to be named Rookie of the Year (+500), behind San Antonio's Wembanyama (-130) and Portland Trail Blazers guard Scoot Henderson (+400). With Oklahoma City expected to outperform San Antonio and Portland this season, though, Redick predicts that Holmgren has "a real opportunity" for the award unless Henderson or Wembanyama are exceptionally dominant.
"But if [Holmgren] checks out in some of these advanced analytics things and all of a sudden the Thunder are 46-36, he's gonna have a real opportunity barring just a 20, 10, and four from Wembanyama or an 18, nine and five from Scoot Henderson. He's gonna have an opportunity. He'll be in the thick of things, I think, for Rookie of the Year,” Redick continued.
In four Summer League games played across Salt Lake City and Las Vegas this month, Holmgren averaged an encouraging 16.5 points, 9.8 rebounds and 3.5 blocks. The Thunder will likely shut the 21-year-old down for the remainder of the Las Vegas exhibition games soon. He sat out Tuesday's 105-92 loss to the Houston Rockets, but was outstanding in Wednesday's 98-87 win over the Indiana Pacers.
Should Redick's claim come to fruition, Holmgren would join an exclusive list of players to win ROY during a season in which they weren't drafted.
Jerry Lucas was the first to achieve the feat, winning the 1964 Rookie of the Year Award after being drafted in 1962. Larry Bird followed suit when he won the award in 1980 and David Robinson did the same in 1990 after spending two years fulfilling his active-duty obligation in the Navy. More recently, All-Stars Blake Griffin and Ben Simmons were named ROYs after missing what would've been their respective debut seasons with injuries.
It'll be difficult to unseat Wembanyama as the 2024 Rookie of the Year, especially given the immense hype surrounding the talented Frenchman. However, as long as Holmgren can contribute significantly to his team's success the way he is expected to, he should be a strong candidate for the award during the season.
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