NBA Futures: Longshot Rookie Of The Year
At 50-1, this player is worth considering for Rookie of the Year
Kate Constable - Sep 30, 2023, 12:12am EDTIt's pretty unlikely that someone not named Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson or Chet Holmgren will find their name etched into the Rookie of the Year trophy at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Wembanyama (+100) is arguably the best young prospect we've seen since LeBron James. Scoot Henderson (+250) would have been the likely No. 1 pick in this year's draft if it wasn't for Wemby, and Chet Holmgren (+350) is entering his second year in the league but will be playing for the first time after having to sit out all of last season with an injury.
After those three players, the odds jump all the way up to Brandon Miller at 15-1. But with all professional sports, crazy things happen throughout the course of a season. Injuries occur, players don't pan out the way teams anticipated while others exceed expectations.
With there being such a large drop-off from the top three players on the board to the rest of the field, I think it's worth placing a small wager on a longshot that has the potential to surprise voters. At 50-1, Bilal Coulibaly is just that guy.
It's pretty unlikely that someone not named Victor Wembanyama, Scoot Henderson or Chet Holmgren will find their name etched into the Rookie of the Year trophy at the end of the 2023-24 season.
Wembanyama (+100) is arguably the best young prospect we've seen since LeBron James. Scoot Henderson (+250) would have been the likely No. 1 pick in this year's draft if it wasn't for Wemby, and Chet Holmgren (+350) is entering his second year in the league but will be playing for the first time after having to sit out all of last season with an injury.
After those three players, the odds jump all the way up to Brandon Miller at 15-1. But with all professional sports, crazy things happen throughout the course of a season. Injuries occur, players don't pan out the way teams anticipated while others exceed expectations.
With there being such a large drop-off from the top three players on the board to the rest of the field, I think it's worth placing a small wager on a longshot that has the potential to surprise voters. At 50-1, Bilal Coulibaly is just that guy.
Bilal Coulibaly, Washington Wizards (+5000)
I love the price on Bilal Coulibaly to win Rookie of the Year for a number of reasons, the biggest being that we don't know much about the young Frenchman. He started to receive notice by playing alongside Wemby on France's top team. NBA scouts took notice of his skill and athleticism and liked what they were seeing, especially the Washington Wizards. The Wizards had the eighth pick in this year's draft and traded up to seven to acquire Coulibaly’s draft rights from the Pacers. (Washington sent Indiana the draft rights to forward Jarace Walker and a future second-round pick in the deal.)
With the Wizards trading Bradley Beal to the Suns in the offseason, the organization is entering a rebuild, which will give a young player like Coulibaly plenty of opportunities to see the floor. The 6'6" forward has an impressive 7'2" wingspan and is insanely athletic. He's also someone who can make an impact on both sides of the ball.
His shooting is a major aspect of his game that will need some work, though. He shot 40.5% from the field and just 18.2% from deep during the Las Vegas Summer League, but also averaged 12.3 points, 4.8 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 2.3 blocks in 30.5 minutes.
He won't win this award unless he improves his outside shot, but if he's able to do that, with the potential he's shown in nearly every other aspect of his game, the upside that Coulibaly has makes him a great longshot candidate for Rookie of the Year.
