The 2023-24 NBA season came with a heralded rookie class, headlined by No. 1 pick Victor Wembanyama. But Wemby wasn't the only first-year player with sky-high expectations.
Scoot Henderson, the best point guard prospect in the class, assumed the organizational mantle for the Blazers from Damian Lillard. Twins Amen (Rockets) and Ausar Thompson (Pistons), were billed as generational athletes with game-changing versatility. Brandon Miller (Hornets) drew comparisons to Kevin Durant with his elite shooting ability. And the Rookie of the Year race was complicated by a slew of late-first-round picks with special potential AND the return of Chet Holmgren (Thunder) who missed all of his rookie season recovering from a foot injury.
The Rookie of the Year race is likely to go down to the wire but the NBA's Rookie of the Month selections give us a snapshot of who is standing out and where that Rookie of the Year race might be headed. With one selection for each conference for each full month of the season, it's a great way to celebrate the breadth and depth of this incredible group of rookies.
Every NBA Rookie of the Month winner for 2023-24
PLAYER | MONTH | CONFERENCE | TEAM |
|---|---|---|---|
Chet Holmgren | November | Western | Thunder |
Jaime Jaquez | November | Eastern | Heat |
Chet Holmgren | December | Western | Thunder |
Jaime Jaquez | December | Eastern | Heat |
Victor Wembanyama | January | Western | Spurs |
Brandon Miller | January | Eastern | Hornets |
Victor Wembanyama | February | Western | Spurs |
Brandon Miller | February | Eastern | Hornets |
Victor Wembanyama | March | Western | Spurs |
Brandon Miller | March | Eastern | Hornets |
Chet Holmgren kept his ahead above water until the furor over Victor Wembanyama died down and estbalished himself as a two-way force for the Thunder. They went 9-5 and Holmgren averaged 18.8 points, 8.3 rebounds, 2.8 assists, 0.9 steals and 1.9 blocks per game, shooting 52.5 percent from the field and 35.5 percent from beyond the arc.
Jaime Jaquez quickly established himself as core piece of the Miami Heat rotation and helped dig them out of an early season hole. Miami was 1-3 in October but went 10-5 in November, with Jaquez averaging 13.8 points, 4.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.1 steals in just under 30 minutes per game. His efficiency was a huge part of the Heat's surge over this span — he short 53.2 percent from the field, 39.2 percent from beyond the arc and 87.5 percent from the free-throw line.
In a somewhat surprising twist, Jaquez and Holmgren each won again in December for their respective conferences. Among rookies, they are both in the top-six in points, 3-pointers made and total assists.
In January, the stranglehold of Jaquez and Holmgren was finally broken. In the West, Victor Wembanyama averaged 24 points, 9.6 rebounds, 3.3 assists and 3.3 blocks while shooting better than 50 percent from the field. Perhaps more importantly, the Spurs were 5-9 in the month after going 5-31 across October, November and December. In the East, Brandon Miller averaged 16.0 points, 4.1 rebounds and 2.4 assists for the Hornets.
In February, we saw things duplicated again with both Wembanyama and Miller winning for consecutive months. Wembanyama has been playing like a star and Miller has continued to develop his off-the-dribble game. The same duo won for March, making it three in a row.