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NBA Awards Watch: Stephen Curry Holds the Crown

By Brad Rowland

Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
Golden State Warriors guard Stephen Curry (30) celebrates against the Oklahoma City Thunder during the second quarter at Oracle Arena. The Warriors defeated the Thunder 114-109. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports /
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Indiana Pacers guard C.J. Watson (32) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports
Indiana Pacers guard C.J. Watson (32) drives to the basket past Minnesota Timberwolves forward Andrew Wiggins (22) in the first half at Target Center. Mandatory Credit: Jesse Johnson-USA TODAY Sports /

Rookie of the Year

  1. Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves – It hasn’t been wholly positive for number one overall pick Andrew Wiggins, but he is certainly in the driver’s seat. Wiggins leads all rookies in minutes (30.7 per game) and he is arguably the best defender in this class (with apologies to the highlight-ridden play of K.J. McDaniels), which is a solid combination. The shooting woes have continued for Wiggins, to the tune of 38.5% from the field, but he has been more than competent from three-point range (36.4%), which has saved some headache. It would be nice to see some further offensive development, but the defense and playing are enough right now.
  2. Nikola Mirotic, Chicago Bulls – It seems crazy that a player averaging only 18.6 minutes per game could be in the mix, but Mirotic absolutely is a player in the race. Chicago’s “other” rookie (Doug McDermott grabbed most of the preseason ink) is leading the league’s rookies in PER (18.13) by a considerable margin while posting a crazy 61.8% true shooting through 27 games. He has a polished offensive arsenal at the age of 23, and on another team, it is safe to think that he would be the front-runner.
  3. Jabari Parker, Milwaukee Bucks – This will, unfortunately, be the last time that we see Jabari Parker in this space. Milwaukee’s rising star tore his ACL last week, and as as result, he will miss the rest of his rookie campaign. When he went down, Parker was the leader in the clubhouse for Rookie of the Year honors on the strength of 49% shooting and a league-average PER, and without him, the field of competitors isn’t exactly deep. There is no reason to suggest that he can’t come back in full for a stellar sophomore season, but for now, he will fade away from the proceedings.

Next: Most Valuable Player

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