2022 NBA Summer League: Top Four Rookie Standouts and NBA ROY Odds
After 11-days of basketball at the Las Vegas Summer League tournament, the title was taken by the Portland Trail Blazers in an 85-77 victory win over the New York Knicks.
This year’s tournament displayed a showcase of young, hungry-to-win, and talented basketball players. The Summer League is a marvelous chance for the recently drafted, and even undrafted, athletes to meet their favorite NBA superstars, network, and get a good first look at the NBA world.
Four NBA rookies treated us with amazing performances and a glimpse of their NBA potential, so today we have broken down their standouts of the 2022 NBA Summer League along with the best NBA odds for NBA Rookie of the Year.
Ochai Agbaji #30 | Cleveland Cavaliers | Guard
Former Kansas guard Ochai Agbaji is one of the most decorated basketball players in the history of KU history, with an impressive career since his early years, he continues improving and developing himself year after year.
As a senior at Kansas University, he set the school record for consecutive three-point field goals scored in 53 games. By unanimous vote, he was selected Big 12 Player of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team.
During the 2022 NCAAB Tournament, he received was awarded 2022 NCAA Final Four Most Outstanding Player and Consensus All-America First Team honors.
The list of achievements goes endlessly for Ochai Agbaji. His potential, drive, and constant development contributed to being selected as the No. 14 overall pick of the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2022 NBA Draft.
In the course of the Las Vegas Summer League, we got the first glance at Agbaji’s potential as a rookie NBA player. He played in four out of the five games scheduled for the Cavs with a court time of 31 minutes.
Ochai Agbaji averaged 15 points, 5 rebounds, and 8 assists. He led the Cavs against Atlanta in Game 3, scoring 24 points, including four points from a three-point range.
Agbaji has a promising career ahead in the NBA, we may want to keep an eye on this young man for our NBA Rookie of the Year picks. The sportsbook has him with NBA ROY odds of +2000.
Paolo Banchero #5 | Orlando Magic | Forward
Paolo Banchero was among the last Blue Devils’ class instructed by the GOAT coach, Mike Krzyzewski. Banchero became the fifth player under Coach K’s program to be drafted as the No. 1 pick by Orlando Magic in the NBA 2022 Draft.
Coach K shared these heartwarming words with Paolo when he got drafted by Magic: “You are I think the most versatile player in the draft, you can play anywhere on the court and you’re a winner. You’re going to help tremendously and have a terrific NBA career.”
During his college hoops career, he averaged 17.2 points on .478 shooting with 7.8 rebounds and 3.2 assists in 39 starts and had four straight 20+ point games including 12 rebounds, and seven assists. His performance helped the Blue Devils to a 32–7 (16–4) record and a Final Four run at the NCAA Tournament.
In the Summer League, Banchero’s performance was so outstanding that only after two games was he sent to rest so that the Magic could evaluate other players’ performances.
Paolo averaged 20 points, five rebounds, and six assists in his two games in Las Vegas. He demonstrated at a high-speed pace, that he indeed is NBA-blooded.
The sportsbook has Paolo Banchero with the best NBA Rookie of the Year odds of +375.
Bennedict Mathurin #00 | Indiana Pacers| Guard-Forward
Bennedict Mathurin had a masterful career with the Arizona Wildcats, he scored 655 points, positioning him with the ninth-most in a season in Arizona history. He was awarded Pac-12 Player of the Year and Pac-12 Tournament Most Outstanding Player.
Also, the sports media awarded Mathurin with some of the most impressive media awards, including CBSSports.com as the 48th-best player in college basketball entering the 2021-22 season.
More recently, he was selected as the No.6 overall pick by the Indiana Pacers in the 2022 NBA Draft. His first NBA debut was short but substantial at the Las Vegas Summer League since he was sent to rest for precautionary reasons due to a sore left toe.
In his three appearances at the 2K22 Summer League tournament, he averaged 22.4 court minutes, 19.3 points, 4.0 rebounds, and 1.3 assists. Even though he missed the opportunity to play for all five games, he was selected NBA All-Summer League Second Team. It was quite a preview, wasn’t it?
The sportsbook has Bennedict Maturin at +1000 NBA Rookie of the Year odds.
Keegan Murray #TDB | Sacramento Kings |Forward
Keegan Murray formerly played as a forward for the Iowa Hawkeyes, he played in 35 games with an average of 23.5 points, and 8.7 rebounds per game, shooting at 55% from the floor. He was awarded multiple honors including Big Ten Tournament Most Outstanding Player and All-Tournament Team.
The Sacramento King selected Murray by unanimous vote No.1 overall pick, positioning him as the first Iowa player drafted in the first round since Ricky Davis in 1998.
The Kings’ general manager Monte McNair stated that Murray was the best player available and that his performance, hard work, and skills fit the King’s vision: To build the best team to take the court for the upcoming years, and it seems to be paying off already.
The NBA announced that Murray won the Summer League MVP honors, he showcased a marvelous performance and averaged 23.3 points while shooting 30 percent from 3-point range, 7.3 rebounds, and 2.0 assists.
For us bettors, Murray’s summer performance is a great preview of what he has in stock for the upcoming 2022-2023 NBA season. The sportsbook has Keegan at +800 at the NBA ROY oddsboard. Additionally, to check out more specific information about the NBA props available for the Phoenix vs Suns matchup.
2022 NBA Summer League and ROY Odds Final Notes
The 2022 NBA Summer League is a great chance for bettors to plan on wagering the rookies. Here at BetUS, we’ll keep a close eye on their performances and keep you up-to-date with the most relevant news, basketball odds, and betting picks.
