NBA Awards Watch: Jimmy Butler Grabs Headlines

Rookie of the Year

1. Nikola Mirotic, Chicago Bulls – There is only one knock against Nikola Mirotic and that is playing time. The 23-year-old forward is penciled in as the fourth big man for a very good team in the Chicago Bulls, and as a result, he plays only 18.1 minutes per game. Still, Mirotic has been far and away the best rookie during his limited action, averaging 16.6 points and 10.4 rebounds per 36 minutes with highly efficient shooting numbers including 41.9% from beyond the arc. Mirotic’s candidacy is cemented by his 18.70 PER and a true shooting percentage above 60%, but it undoubtedly helps that no other rookie has ascended. It will be interesting to see how the voters treat a player with his limited exposure, but on a per-minute basis, there is no contest.
2. Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves – Wiggins leads all rookies in scoring (12.8 points per game), but that is largely a product of opportunity. He has been wildly inefficient, shooting only 39.9% from the field on the season, and without the benefit of a refined long-range game to make up for that, his offense is lacking. Wiggins has been the best perimeter defender in his class (with apologies to K.J. McDaniels) and that certainly helps, but until he can make strides in scoring with greater efficiency, his ceiling is limited.
3. Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers – This is basically a battle between teammates, but we are going with Nerlens Noel over K.J. McDaniels this week. Noel leads all rookies in rebounding by a wide margin (7.1 per game) and he is the best rim protector in this class. Philadelphia has posted an above-average defensive rating (102.0 points per 100) thanks in large part to Noel’s abilities around the rim and his athleticism to cover on pick-and-rolls, and if the offense comes, the Sixers will be pleased with their high investment in the NBA Draft.

Next: Most Valuable Player