NBA Season Preview 2019-20: Predictions for each individual award
Rookie of the Year
- Zion Williamson, New Orleans Pelicans
- Ja Morant, Memphis Grizzlies
- RJ Barrett, New York Knicks
- Darius Garland, Cleveland Cavaliers
- Tyler Herro, Miami Heat
Update: Zion Williamson will miss the first 6-8 weeks of the season after undergoing arthroscopic knee surgery. If he’s healthy, he’ll still probably win Rookie of the Year. If not ….
The NBA has not seen a rookie like Zion Williamson in … well, quite possibly ever.
At 19 years old, this lightning-quick freight train averaged an absurd 23.3 points, 6.5 rebounds and 2.3 assists in just 27.2 minutes per game over his first four preseason games. Sure, it’s a small sample size, and yes, it’s just preseason. But the Pelicans phenom made an absurd 35 of his 49 shots (71.4 percent shooting) — and three of his misses came from 3-point range. His every dunk, block or general highlight will go viral in a way even Ben Simmons and Luka Doncic couldn’t match.
Barring injury (which is admittedly an early concern now that he’s missing the first few weeks of the regular season with knee soreness), he’s going to run away with this Rookie of the Year award, and it won’t be close.
There are other great rookies to keep an eye on, of course. Ja Morant will put up big numbers as the Memphis Grizzlies’ starting point guard. RJ Barrett will get plenty of opportunities to hoist shots with the New York Knicks (thank God he doesn’t play power forward!), and although Darius Garland has competition in his own backcourt, the Cleveland Cavaliers seem dead-set on starting him next to Collin Sexton.
All this is without mentioning dark horse/flamethrower Tyler Herro, a scary-when-healthy Michael Porter Jr., likely draft steal Brandon Clarke, ultra-smooth wing Jarrett Culver and defensive nightmare Matisse Thybulle. It’d just take a miracle for any of them to match Zion in terms of production, impact or virality this season.