The upcoming NBA season will see a loaded draft class of young talents all trying to win the Rookie of the Year Award. Early betting odds have been released on various sites taking early bets for the winner. Top draft pick AJ Dybantsa is surprisingly outside of the top three favorites. Most draft classes will see the top overall pick as a top favorite, but the oddsmakers aren’t giving the Washington Wizards star that respect just yet.
Rotowire shared the following odds via FanDuel, and they mirror other sites to already list odds before the season:
Cameron Boozer +300
Caleb Wilson +330
Darryn Peterson +350
AJ Dybantsa +400
All four rookies selected with the top four picks are entering the season with a world of hype. Most sites have Boozer as the top favorite due to his role with the Memphis Grizzlies. Former franchise star Ja Morant getting traded means that the entire franchise is now built around him to put Boozer in a position to lead the team.
Wilson has a similar situation with the Chicago Bulls after getting selected there fifth overall. The Bulls have more talent than Memphis, but Wilson is going to get heavy minutes. Peterson was the third player ranked above AJ since the Utah Jazz will likely let him rock.
Why Oddsmakers Don’t Trust AJ Dybantsa
There is one clear explanation for Dybantsa being ranked below the other three rookies from the top of the class. Washington has a new roster after making multiple trades last season for All-Stars and having fellow young prospect Alex Sarr to develop.
Trae Young will be the one running the offense as a respected point guard. The Wizards traded for Young from the Atlanta Hawks at last season’s deadline to boost this season’s chances of success, and he only played a handful of games last year.
The other major trade saw Washington taking the risk on injury prone Anthony Davis to return to form. Davis has yet to play a game for the Wizards and seemed skeptical about committing to a contract extension until they play. Washington must figure out how to get the best of these noteworthy talents, and a rookie rarely wins out over the others.
How Can AJ Dybantsa Still Win ROTY
The questions surrounding Dybantsa getting enough shots and usage to win Rookie of the Year only help his opponents. Teams are looking to build new stars and take advantage of the cheaper rookie scale contracts by elevating them faster.
Dybantsa’s best chance at the award is to impress his franchise early and make it clear that he deserves a high priority of touches. Both Davis and Young also have noteworthy injury history. Interested teams like the Golden State Warriors have hope of Davis even getting traded this season if he doesn’t sign an extension.
Washington could still see their new dynamic young star win the award, but it will require a lot of luck for Dybantsa to get equal opportunities to the other rookies. Being the best overall NBA draft pick from the class and proving his value would go a long way to helping his chances.
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