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NBA Awards Watch: LeBron James Rising

By Brad Rowland

Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) slams dunks during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
Cleveland Cavaliers forward LeBron James (23) slams dunks during the second quarter against the Washington Wizards at Quicken Loans Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports /
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Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) drives for the basket against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) in the third quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports
Milwaukee Bucks forward Jabari Parker (12) drives for the basket against Houston Rockets guard James Harden (13) in the third quarter at BMO Harris Bradley Center. Mandatory Credit: Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports /

Rookie of the Year

  1. Jabari Parker, SF/PF Milwaukee Bucks – Last week held the “breakout” for his NBA Draft counterpart, but Jabari Parker is coming on strong. Parker has seen his efficiency improve drastically in recent days, including 48.5% shooting over his last 10 games, and the former Duke star is leading all rookies in scoring at 11.9 points per game. Parker hasn’t quite had the explosive performances to this point, but it helps that he is a member of a current Eastern Conference playoff (!!!) team in Milwaukee, and the improvement is real on a daily basis.
  2. Andrew Wiggins, SG/SF Minnesota Timberwolves – Since his 29-point performance against the Kings on November 22, Wiggins has seen his efficiency go south. The number one pick has made only 12 of 39 shots (31%) since that time, and with that, he loses the crown for now. Wiggins is a much better defender and all-court contributor than Parker right now, but his offense has a long way to go, and that can’t be ignored.
  3. K.J. McDaniels, SG/SF Philadelphia 76ers – I can’t understand why McDaniels isn’t playing more. There is an argument to be made that the rookie from Clemson has been the best player on the Philadelphia roster this season (a low bar, admittedly), but his defense is already at an above-average level in the NBA, and McDaniels is averaging double-figures in scoring despite playing less than 25 minutes per night. The hype machine has ignored him to this point, given low expectations and a ghastly team situation, but McDaniels is already an impact guy.

Next: Most Valuable Player

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