When the Rookie of the Year race comes up, the first thing everyone checks is the box score. Talent matters, obviously.
So does production. And in a class this deep, the competition is going to be fierce enough that team situation could end up deciding everything.
That’s why Caleb Wilson is in a tricky spot.
Wilson, out of the University of North Carolina, is one of the names in the mix with Cameron Boozer of Duke, AJ Dybantsa of BYU, and Darryn Peterson of Kansas. That’s already a crowded field, and the source also notes that another rookie should be in the conversation after playing very well.
The biggest edge in this race may belong to Boozer, simply because he should have more chances to pile up numbers than the others. Dybantsa is on a Washington Wizards team that is expected to be better, while Peterson is with a Utah Jazz group that has scorers around him. That leaves both of them with a tougher road unless their teams make a point of feeding them the ball.
Eric Koreen put it this way: “Eric Koreen: Boozer is smart and polished. I also think the Grizzlies forward has a clear path to putting up numbers.
Dybantsa and Peterson could be in semi-competitive situations in which they are blocked a little by veterans. Matas Buzelis, Josh Giddey and Norman Powell could limit Wilson’s scoring.
The Grizzlies will be all about Boozer,” he wrote.
That last part is the concern for Wilson. It wouldn’t be a shock if a player like Norman Powell cuts into his scoring opportunities, and from the Bulls’ perspective, that’s not the outcome anyone would want.
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Michael Malone Is Bringing Back Something UNC Fans Felt Was Missing
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For a fan base that has always valued its ties to past teams, that matters almost as much as anything happening on the floor. Henson also made it clear that this is not just lip service, since UNC is set to hold a Carolina family reunion this year, a sign that Malone is leaning into the broader culture around the program as he settles in. After a stretch in which that connection felt less central than it once did, the shift is hard for Tar Heels fans to miss. [Read more 🡒]