Top 5 Rookie of the Year contenders for the 2022-23 NBA season

The NBA Rookie of the Year trophy race seems to be an exciting one to watch for all fans. Banchero, Mathurin and Ivey are leading the race

The game between the Orlando Magic and New Orleans Pelicans will take place at Amway Center on Monday, February 27 at 7:00 PM ET.
By Godwin Matthew | Nov 16, 2022 | 3 Min Read follow icon Follow Us

The NBA Draft Class of 2022 has brought in an exciting group of young prospects into the league. These stars have already put up stellar performances and become vital parts of their teams. Although the number two overall pick, Chet Holmgren was ruled out even before the season started, the other rookies have been putting the league on notice with their brilliance.

For these young guns, the rookie of the year trophy is one of the biggest prizes to win as it is believed to set the tone for their career ahead. Some of the greatest players in the game like LeBron James, Michael Jordan and Kevin Durant were able to achieve the honor and their success is well documented. With rookies like Paolo Banchero, Jaden Ivey, Benedict Mathurin and Shaedon Sharpe performing the way they have, the NBA Rookie of the Year trophy race seems to be a tough one this season. In this article, we take a look at five contenders who could win the trophy

#5 Shaedon Sharpe

Shaedon Sharpe has been extremely helpful for the Portland Trail Blazers this season. The 19-year-old has averaged 9.0 PPG and is shooting 51.8% from the field and a staggering 44.4% from the three-point range. He has been a key part of Chauncey Billups’ Trail Blazers team. The rookie is athletic and is extremely impactful on the defensive end of the floor as well. With Portland looking like a playoff team, Sharpe could certainly attract a lot of attention when it comes to the Rookie of the Year debates.

#4 Keegan Murray

Keegan Murray has been an exciting young player to watch this season. The 22-year-old had a great Summer League campaign and has carried the momentum from there onto the regular season. Playing in a team with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis, Murray has slowly established himself as a vital part of the team. He has been averaging 12.7 PPG on 45.7 % shooting from the field and 38.6% from three-point range. His physicality makes him an efficient player inside the paint and the rookie is also a great defensive addition to the new-looked Sacramento Kings team.

#3 Jaden Ivey

Jaden Ivey has been another first-round pick that has fired on all cylinders since getting to the league. The former Purdue player is averaging 16.0 PPG, 5.0 RPG and 4.1 APG. He has also recorded 1.4 steals per game, which is among the highest for any rookie in the draft class of 2022. His raw athleticism and court awareness have been on full display with the Detroit Pistons. Playing for a young team, Ivey has been brilliant and will certainly be pushing harder to get to the Rookie of the Year trophy as the season progresses.

#2 Bennedict Mathurin

Benedict Mathurin made some bold statements even before he stepped foot on an NBA court. However, the former Arizona player has walked the talk and is proving to be a front-runner for the Rookie of the Year trophy. He is averaging 19.9 PPG and is shooting 45.6% from the field and 45.3% from the three-point range. The rookie has been coming off the bench for the Indiana Pacers. However, his contributions from there have helped them maintain a .500 record for the season. With more than half of the NBA season still left, Mathurin certainly has every chance of making the trophy his own. The race to the end could be tight, but Mathurin is certainly not someone to back out of a challenge.

#1 Paolo Banchero

Paolo Banchero has quite easily been one of the best rookies of the 2022-23 NBA season. Since getting drafted first overall by the Orlando Magic, Banchero seems to be doing no wrong when he is on the court. His physicality and determination have been a great help to the Orlando Magic team. Although they are still languishing in the bottom half of the Eastern Conference, Banchero has averaged 23.5 PPG and 8.3 RPG. The 20-year-old is currently the favourite to win the Rookie of the Year trophy, but with a lot of basketball still to be played, it will be interesting to see if he is able to achieve the feat.