Rookie of the Year
- Andrew Wiggins, Minnesota Timberwolves – Andrew Wiggins has been the best rookie in the NBA this season. There has been a minor groundswell of support against Wiggins as a runaway winner, but he is still leading the class in scoring (15.8 per game) and minutes (35.3 per game) while operating as an above-average defender at the age of 20. No one in this group has the ability to singlehandedly carry a team offensively like Wiggins can, and frankly, his efficiency struggles a bit due to the type of workload he has been handed at an early age. Andrew Wiggins is a star in the making, and he shouldn’t be punished for the position he is in.
- Elfrid Payton, Orlando Magic – Since the All-Star break, Elfrid Payton is averaging 11.2 points, 8.1 assists and 5.7 rebounds per game while playing solid defense at perhaps the NBA’s toughest position. In short, he’s already very good. Payton has drawn favorable comparisons to Rajon Rondo for his stat-stuffing ways and inconsistent jump shot, but Payton’s efficiency has increased (46% FG in March) and he looks to be settling in as Orlando’s floor leader. Elfrid Payton must add range and consistency to his jump shot to be a star, but he has everything else that you would desire in a franchise point guard.
- Nerlens Noel, Philadelphia 76ers – It would surprise some to know that Noel is still only 20 years old, but the second-year “rookie” is already a defensive force. Philly has been quite competent defensively as a group, but the Sixers are nearly 5 points better per 100 possessions when Noel plays. The 6-foot-11 rim protector has been out of his mind in the recent past as well, averaging 2.5 blocks and 2.4 steals per game since the All-Star break, and for good measure, he has upped his shooting to 48.6% in that time frame. Noel’s offense is tough to trust, at least for me, but he and Payton are virtually interchangeable at the number two spot.
Next: Most Valuable Player