NBA Awards Watch: The Budenholzer-Kerr conundrum

Rookie of the Year

1. Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves – This race (still) isn’t very close. Wiggins has put together the best full season by a wide margin, averaging 15.7 points and 4.3 rebounds per game, and he has taken full advantage of the opportunity presented to him. Skeptics would look toward his mediocre efficiency (50.6% TS, 13.1 PER), but Wiggins is already an above-average defender who can create his own shot at will, and those two factors separate him from the typical rookie. If his debut is any indication, we are looking at the game’s next superstar.
2. Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers – Since the All-Star break, Nerlens Noel has been a monster. The former Kentucky big man is averaging 12.6 points, 10.1 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.5 steals (!!!) per game in 33.4 minutes, and even his offensive efficiency has taken a leap based on improved shooting. Noel is still a work in progress offensively, but he is showing signs of becoming the defensive terror that many thought he could be, and if he can continue this pace until mid-April, he will be a lock for the number two spot on the final ballot.
3. Nikola Mirotic, Chicago Bulls – Mirotic continues to lead all rookies in PER (16.90) and if he had been a more frequent contributor throughout the season, his candidacy would be much more impressive. Still, the 24-year-old is averaging only 19.1 minutes per game for the year, and not even a 10-game stretch when Mirotic averages 19.1 points per game can lift him to the top of the heap. Mirotic has a very unusual game on the floor, and it will be interesting to see how he develops in the coming years.

Next: Most Valuable Player