New Orleans Pelicans center Yves Missi (+150) is the new frontrunner to win the 2024-2025 NBA Rookie of the Year award, per BetMGM. Trailed by San Antonio Spurs SG Stephon Castle (+200), Memphis Grizzlies center Zach Edey (+500) and Washington Wizards center Alex Sarr (+1100), Missi has been a consistent starter for the lowly Pelicans (5-25) this year.
Averaging 9.7 points (8th among rookies), 8.6 rebounds (1st among rookies) and 1.2 blocks (3rd among rookies) in 26.6 minutes over 29 games played (23 starts), Missi certainly hasn’t put up incredible numbers, but this very weak draft class and an injury to Jared McCain has put Missi in this spot. He also leads all rookies with seven double-doubles, four more than the second-best first-year players.
However, I don’t think this is going to last. The Pels have gone 5-24 when Missi plays and Edey (+500) is clearly a better player on both ends of the floor. This, in my opinion, is a great time to back Memphis’ big man, who also starts and should continue to see more opportunities to put up solid numbers moving forward since he’s now healthy. (Edey averages 11.0 points, 7.1 rebounds and 1.0 blocks in 21.0 minutes over 17 games played.) The Grizzlies have gone 10-7 when Edey plays and he has the star power required to sway voters unlike Missi. I also don’t mind taking a shot on Grizzlies SF Jaylen Wells (+1200), who leads active rookies in points per game (11.5) and who has helped lead Memphis to a 20-9 record when he’s played this season.
This is certainly a wide-open race at the moment, which is quite rare in a Rookie of the Year market.
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