Fansided

NBA Season Preview 2018-19: 5 Rookie of the Year favorites

By Trevor Magnotti

TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: DeAndre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images)
TARRYTOWN, NY - AUGUST 12: DeAndre Ayton #22 of the Phoenix Suns poses for a portrait during the 2018 NBA Rookie Photo Shoot on August 12, 2018 at the Madison Square Garden Training Facility in Tarrytown, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2018 NBAE (Photo by Jesse D. Garrabrant/NBAE via Getty Images) /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
1 of 6
Next

Who should be considered the favorites for NBA Rookie of the Year this season? Here are five worthy candidates.

NBA Rookie of the Year has been anything but conventional over the past two seasons. Typically, one or two rookies show enough potential to become regular starters or face-of-the-franchise types, and the award typically goes to them. Sometimes it is one player, like Andrew Wiggins running away with the 2014-15 Rookie of the Year award. Sometimes two players have reasonable claims to it, like Anthony Davis and Damian Lillard in 2012-13. The best player in the class may not assert himself in year one, but usually it’s a race between one or two of the class’s top talents.

That hasn’t been the case lately. The 2017 and 2018 races have been on completely opposite ends of the spectrum, with last year making up for all of the storylines and intrigue that 2017 was lacking. The 2016 NBA Draft class had a rough start out of the gates, and that resulted in perhaps the least controversial race of the past decade, with Malcolm Brogdon, a 24-year old second round pick, besting Dario Saric, a member of the 2014 Draft class, and Joel Embiid, who was deserving, but played just 31 games. Last year, on the other hand, was perhaps the most controversial we’ve had since Steve Francis and Elton Brand split the award in 2000 — Ben Simmons won the award, narrowly besting Donovan Mitchell, as both looked like future stars leading their teams to the playoffs. Then Celtics rookie Jayson Tatum complicated matters, looking better than both in a Conference Finals run.

2018-19 will likely fall between those two extremes, but the race looks pretty open for now. It’s hard to project who will surprise us, who will disappoint, and who will find a good fit with their team right away, especially with what looks like a strong, although flawed, top of the class coming in. A lot will be decided between now and April, but here’s an early watch list of 2018-19 rookies who have a shot at Rookie of the Year.