The NBA summer league is only a small piece of the Rookie of the Year puzzle, as this award won't be named until next April, but it's the first chance to see which rookies are ready to contribute immediately.
Opportunities and role can matter just as much as talent once the regular season starts, but the confidence a player shows in summer league often carries over.
This July, several top lottery picks flashed exactly why they were drafted so highly, while a few long shots displayed strong performances and might have worked their way into the Rookie of the Year conversation. Others showed upside but also areas that could require time to develop, thus making them long shots for this award.
With odds shifting, here's how the Rookie of the Year race is shaping up after the first week of summer league and which bets stand out.
Odds by DK Sports and subject to change.
Dybantsa and Peterson flexed the skill sets that should allow them to be big scorers from the outset. But looking at style of play and team situation, Peterson is in the better position to win Rookie of the Year.
Dybantsa is an aggressive iso scorer from midrange in and has a knack for drawing fouls, but he'll be playing with a ball-dominant All-Star point guard in Trae Young and an All-Star power forward in Anthony Davis who operates in similar scoring areas. Dybantsa will need a consistent 3-point shot to maximize his scoring potential in this Washington Wizards offense, and from what I saw in Vegas, his long-range shooting stroke appears to still need work.
Peterson, meanwhile, should have a lead guard role on a young Utah Jazz squad with talent and upside. He'll have the opportunity to create his own looks as well as knock down 3-pointers created by his teammates. He has shown a knack for running the pick-and-roll, and if he can play an effective two-man game and average four-plus assists along with what should be solid scoring, he could have better overall numbers while playing on an up-and-coming Jazz squad.