This year’s Rookie of the Year race didn’t feature an awful lot of drama, as Paolo Banchero put forth a terrific rookie season in Orlando and seemed to run away with the award fairly early in the year. On Tuesday, the league made things official as the TNT crew announced Banchero had won the award over Walker Kessler and Jaylin Williams.
.@Pp_doesit is the #KiaROY!
pic.twitter.com/WDLTXBrr0Z
— NBA on TNT (@NBAonTNT) April 25, 2023
Banchero finished the season averaging 20 points, 6.9 rebounds, and 3.7 assists per game, helping the young Magic take a stride forward to a 34-48 record, as they only got better as the year went along. Banchero dealt with some of the expected rookie growing pains, struggling with efficiency (42.7/29.8/73.8 shooting splits), but he was able to put his imprint on games and make a positive impact on the Magic, serving as their leading scorer on the season.
The other finalists for the award were rookies that stepped into prominent roles on surprisingly good teams, with Walker Kessler immediately thriving as a defensive stopper in Utah and Jalen Williams providing two-way value in the frontcourt in Oklahoma City. While both of them had tremendous seasons and have bright futures ahead of them, Banchero serving as a focal point in Orlando allowed him to put up production that was just unmatched by the Class of 2022.