Grizzlies rookie Zach Edey has value to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award

Last year, it was pretty simple: Bet on Victor Wembanyama to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award and hope he does not sustain an injury that will sideline him for a large portion of the season.

Luckily, he avoided the injury bug and won the award, but this year will be a bit more challenging to predict.

Now that the draft is over and the Rookie of the Year odds have dropped, let’s take a closer look at which players have the best chance of bringing home the hardware.

Odds via DraftKings

Historically, there are a few factors to consider when betting on the Rookie of the Year award: opportunity (situation), usage and efficiency.

For example, a player expected to be instantly plugged into the starting lineup has an inherent advantage over another player who backs up an All-Star off the bench.

Further, a rookie drafted to a rebuilding team might see more usage than one selected by a contender, as the contending team will inevitably have All-Stars and high-usage offensive weapons.

With that in mind, here are our best bets to win NBA Rookie of the Year this upcoming season.

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Only a few people would argue there is a player in this draft class with a higher upside than Sarr, whose all-around game has sprinkles of Jaren Jackson Jr. and Evan Mobley.

From Day 1, Sarr will be heavily relied upon by a rebuilding Wizards team with limited offensive weapons. Washington had the fourth-worst offensive rating last season despite ranking first in pace. Yikes.

The “Jordan Poole as a primary option” experiment failed miserably, and Kyle Kuzma could be traded in the coming months. Additionally, the Wizards will prioritize Sarr’s growth over force-feeding Poole, Kuzma or newly acquired center Jonas Valanciunas.

Washington also ranked 17th in block percentage last season, giving Sarr a clear path to defensive relevance. At +550, Sarr has an attractive value to win the Rookie of the Year award.

Don’t scoff just yet. As expected, the Grizzlies prioritized grabbing a center in the draft to avoid shelling out $20-plus million annually for a middle-of-the-road big man. In this case, Memphis snagged the 7-foot-5 center from Purdue.

Edey is fresh off winning a second consecutive Naismith College Player of the Year award after averaging roughly 25 points and 12 rebounds. Ralph Sampson was the last player to accomplish that feat more than 40 years ago.

Edey will step right into a starting role with Memphis, which gives him an advantage over other rookies who will see fewer minutes and more than likely come off the bench, including Reed Sheppard, Donovan Clingan, Dalton Knecht and others.

The Grizzlies will also undoubtedly lean into Edey’s strengths and play him in deep drop coverage on the defensive end of the floor, allowing him to contest shots at the rim and rack up blocks and rebounds.

Edey won’t be featured offensively, but he could average double-digit points through lobs, put back dunks, free throws and an occasional post score.

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