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NBA Awards Watch: The Anthony Davis Show

By Brad Rowland

New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports
New Orleans Pelicans forward Anthony Davis (23) dunks against the Los Angeles Lakers during the second quarter of a game at the Smoothie King Center. Mandatory Credit: Derick E. Hingle-USA TODAY Sports /
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Philadelphia 76ers guard K.J. McDaniels (14) brings the ball up the court during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the 76ers 88-87. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports
Philadelphia 76ers guard K.J. McDaniels (14) brings the ball up the court during the fourth quarter against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center. The Rockets defeated the 76ers 88-87. Mandatory Credit: Troy Taormina-USA TODAY Sports /

Rookie of the Year

  1. K.J. McDaniels, SG/SF Philadelphia 76ers – It may be jarring to see McDaniels in this spot, but the defensive end is where he stands apart from the rest. The 6-foot-6 wing is drawing rave reviews for his defensive impact, and on a team like Philadelphia (yikes), that is difficult to accomplish. Add in the fact that he is fourth among rookies in scoring and solidly in the top-10 in PER, and McDaniels takes the nod.
  2. Bojan Bogdanovic, SG Brooklyn Nets – At 25 years old, Bogdanovic is not your typical NBA rookie, but he is leading the class in playing time (30.5 minutes per game) and taking full advantage. Bogdanovic is shooting quite well, making 37.5% of his threes on the way to a 59.4% clip in true shooting, and that allows him to average more than 10 points per game. It’s time to learn his name.
  3. Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF Minnesota Timberwolves – Wiggins gets the nod over fellow top-2 pick Jabari Parker, simply because he is the far superior defender right now. Parker has the slightly higher PER (10.87 to 10.04 for Wiggins), but both players are averaging exactly 10.6 points per game (to lead all rookies), and Wiggins has been more economical offensively. Defense matters, however, and that was one of the chief reasons for his selection as the top overall pick.

Next: Most Valuable Player

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