Victor Wembanyama gets 'ROTY' nod from fellow countryman Kylian Mbappé: “10000%"
Victor Wembanyama has continued to impress this season, proving that his game is capable of translating to an elite level since joining the NBA.
While it appeared during the preseason and the early stretch of the season that it may take the French star time to find his rhythm, he has since done so. The seven-foot-four rookie is averaging unreal numbers.
Although the San Antonio Spurs are last in the Western Conference, Victor Wembanyama's plays have been nothing short of remarkable. Over the last 10 games, where the Spurs have gone 2-8, Wemby is averaging 22.0 points, 10.0 rebounds, 4.2 blocks, and 2.0 steals per game.
Given his impressive play, it's no surprise that he's leading the Rookie of the Year race by an overwhelming amount. According to FanDuel, Wembanyama has -1350 odds to win the ROTY award.
The way fellow French superstar Kylian Mbappe sees things, Wembanyama should 100% win the Rookie of the Year award. In an Instagram story after Wembanyama and the Spurs played the OKC Thunder, Mbappe shared a post from the big man, captioning it:
"ROTY? 10000%"
Looking at the Rookie of the Year odds, can another player steal the award away from Victor Wembanyama?
As mentioned earlier, Victor Wembanyama has continued to impress this season, with the big man posting remarkable numbers.
Over 54 games, he's averaging 20.7 ppg, 3.3 bpg, 3.4 apg and 10.2 rpg, shooting 46.7% from downtown. He has also had stellar performances over Chet Holmgren, who's considered a contender for the award as well.
Despite things being close early on in the season, the odds of Holmgren winning the Rookie of the Year award have dropped considerably. After the latest matchup between the two, Holmgren's odds have fallen to +1000, marking a significant gap between first and second place.
Meanwhile, Brandon Miller, who has put together some impressive performances in Charlotte, has seen his odds of winning the award fall all the way to +42000. Heat rookie Jaime Jaquez Jr. and Warriors rookie Brandin Podziemski have seen their odds fall to +50000, though.
Given that, it appears as though Wembanyama's odds to win the Rookie of the Year award are all but guaranteed as he remains the favorite. The big question will be whether the Spurs can surround him with a team that allows him to compete at the highest level.