Where Keegan Murray finished in Rookie of the Year voting originally appeared on NBC Sports Bayarea
A No. 1 overall pick has reclaimed the Rookie of the Year award.
Orlando Magic forward Paolo Banchero was announced as the 2022-23 NBA Rookie of the Year on Tuesday night. He’s the first top pick to receive the honor since Ben Simmons in 2017-18.
Banchero was a near-unanimous selection, getting 98 of 100 possible first-place votes and 494 points. Utah Jazz center Walker Kessler, who came in third with 114 points, received the other two first-place votes. Oklahoma City Thunder wing Jalen Williams finished second with 75 second-place votes and 241 points.
Sacramento Kings wing Keegan Murray finished fifth with 21 points. He received three second-place votes and 12 third-place votes. Indiana Pacers wing Benedict Mathurin edged out Murray for fourth with 27 points.
The 20-year-old Banchero led all rookies in points per game at 20.0, over three points higher than the next-closest player. He’s the first qualified first-year pro to average at least 20 points since Luka Doncic in 2018-19.
Banchero shot 42.7% from the field and 73.8% from the free throw line, where he averaged 7.9 attempts, while adding 6.9 rebounds and 3.7 assists per game over 70 contests. He was the leading scorer for a Magic squad that put together a surprising 34-win season.
The Duke product becomes the third Magic player ever to win ROY. Shaquille O’Neal was the franchise’s first winner in 1992-93, while Mike Miller won it in 2000-01.