NBA Rookie of the Year Odds Update: Ja Morant Flying High As -250 Favorite

• Bovada’s latest odds have Ja Morant as a -250 favorite to win Rookie of the Year
  
• Zion Williamson has dropped to +800 but looks close to making his NBA regular-season debut
  
• Warriors first-year man Eric Paschall has moved up to +1400
  

Zion Williamson recently went through his first full practice since suffering a preseason knee injury, but can the No. 1 overall pick in last year’s draft return to the court in time to win Rookie of the Year?

Attacking the rim with reckless abandon, Memphis Grizzlies point guard Ja Morant has become the -250 favorite to win the award.

Let’s check the latest odds at Bovada and analyze whether anyone else can win.

JA MORANT

Ja Morant is so explosive that even his misses take over the Twittersphere. Shortly before the New Year, Kevin Love tweeted that the 20-year-old “almost ended his career” after Morant posterized him for a near dunk.

The Murray State product has won Western Conference Rookie of the Month honors for both October/November and December.

The future! pic.twitter.com/RoM28lfiMo

— Jeff Wisham (@jwisham1985) January 2, 2020

And while his output has been impressive — he’s averaging 17.6 points, 6.5 assists and 3.1 rebounds per game — it’s Morant’s jaw-dropping athleticism that makes him a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year.

In a highlight culture where only the most hardcore fans watch full games, Morant is delivering explosive content on a semi-nightly basis.

ZION WILLIAMSON

Zion Williamson was not only the heavy ROY favorite in the preseason, he remained the top contender for the award in early November even after oddsmakers learned that the 6-foot-6, 285-pound dynamo would miss at least two months with a torn meniscus.

Considering the 19-year-old averaged 23.2 points, 6.5 rebounds, 2.2 assists and 1.5 steals in four preseason games, it’s evident that he has the raw talent to steal votes from Morant over the season’s second half.

"If it was up to me, I would've been out there like two weeks ago…" – Zion Williamson after his first full practice with the Pelicans #WontBowDown pic.twitter.com/zj3aZt0KMb

— Pelicans Nation (@PelsNationCP) January 2, 2020

However, with a timetable still not set on his return and last week’s frightening report that the Pelicans were retraining Williamson to walk and run differently to lessen the likelihood of future injuries, +800 looks like a sucker bet.

Let’s all hope Zion returns to full health soon and that we don’t have another Greg Oden situation on our hands.

OTHER CONTENDERS

Just missing out on Ja Morant looks like the latest sad chapter in Knicks basketball as No. 3 pick RJ Barrett (+850) continues to disappoint in New York.

The Canadian has been horribly inefficient, shooting under 40 percent from the field while averaging just 13.5 points and 2.7 assists per game.

"I'm not thinking about the rookie of the year. I wasn't playing for it then and I'm not playing for it now.”

Eric Paschall on his first season, battling injuries and the so-called ‘rookie wall.’https://t.co/qZtDwwwci5

— Logan Murdock (@loganmmurdock) December 28, 2019

Undrafted rookie Kendrick Nunn (+850) and lottery gem Tyler Herro (+1600) have been integral to the Miami Heat’s early-season success, and with over half a season still to play, Nunn might be worth a small investment in case the high-flying Morant lands the wrong way.

Eric Paschall (+1400) has risen into the top five, but the Warriors power forward might have already hit the rookie wall, averaging just 6 points and 2.5 rebounds in his past eight games.

Pick: Ja Morant (-250)