Every season, the Rookie of the Year is one of the most widely followed and anticipated awards handed out in the NBA. Some years, you have a Victor Wembanyama or Chet Holmgren who distance themselves from the pack. Other years, like this one, there is no sure thing and no big frontrunner.
So who has the best chance to take home the hardware this season? It helps if we start by breaking down key trends from the past 20 seasons.
Only eight No. 1 overall picks have taken home the award, including recent winners Wembanyama (2023-24) and Paolo Banchero (2022-23). Surprisingly, only one winner was selected outside the lottery.
A notable 16 of the last 20 winners were top-five draft picks, with guards dominating the award (12 wins), followed by forwards (five) and centers (three).
Finally,…
