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The Draft has been wrapped up for a few days now. Teams have made, what they believe to be, the best decision for their future. There were numerous draft day trades that could either propel a team forward or it could set them back for years. Last year, Ben Simmons qualified for the rookie of the year award and won. It was a no brainer that Donovan Mitchell performed the best out of the 2017 draft class, but unfortunately he had to compete with a generational talent in Simmons. For this coming season, it looks like the 2019 NBA rookie of the year award will be a race between the players from just this past draft. It is hard to predict which of these players will be successful in the NBA, nothing is guarantee. Just look at Mitchell, he fell all the way to the 13th pick, and averaged 20.5 points per game in the season and he exploded in the playoffs to play a vital role in the elimination of OKC. Here is an early look some of the candidates for the rookie of the year. There may be surprises once the season gets on its way, but as of right now here are the standout candidates who could win.
Also read: 5 Best NBA Rookies of all-time
The rookie of the year award is usually given to the rookie with the better stats and less so to players who don't necessarily put up big numbers. This puts players on weaker teams with no clear primary scoring option at an advantage, and players who land on stronger teams to struggle to standout. Team fit is a very important factor as well as talent. All the players on this talent clearly have talent to be considered the best prospects from this class, but not all of them are the favourites to win this award.
THE FRONTRUNNERS GROUP
Luka Doncic
The best prospect from the draft class according to many was able to be snagged by the Dallas Mavericks, who traded a lot to get him. Doncic is an elite playmaker who is a gifted offensive talent. He can attack in any way effectively while also being the best passer in this class. He does struggle defensively, and there are some worries about to what extent his success in the Euroleague will translate to the NBA. Another concern is that, he is not considered athletic by NBA standards in comparison to his peers. He is talented and skilled and should be able to succeed at the next level. In terms of team success, the Mavericks are in a good position for their future. They have a strong backcourt of Doncic and Smith jr. with some scoring from Barnes. In terms of this individual award, Luka may not put up the biggest numbers because of the existing talent on his team, but he will definitely be in the race and he could win if leads this Dallas team.
Deandre Ayton
The number one pick in the draft believes him and Booker could recreate the dominant Shaq - Kobe dynamic. Ayton is physically gifted, and is an offensive threat who could give you 20 points and 10 rebounds on any night. He may be a liability on defence which may hurt his case, along with the fact he will need to share the offensive touches with Devin Booker. There is a possibility that Ayton puts up the bigger numbers than any other rookie, but don't be too surprised if Bagley has stronger stats in the rookie season. The Phoenix Suns are in a nice spot right now, they have their shooting guard and centre for the future. The Shaq-Kobe dynamic may be extreme and exaggerated, but there is no denying this Suns team has talent to build around. Ayton has been one of the best players in this class for years, and he has the potential to be an offensive force similar to Karl-Anthony Towns. Currently he could be the favourite to win the award according to many.
Marvin Bagley III
Bagley was able to fall to a team still stuck in a long rebuilding stage. The Kings have been a struggling franchise for years and has currently has the longest postseason drought in the league. The team has some potential pieces with Fox and Bagley, but the team still lacks an identity. Bagley will be able to put in and get major minutes, and will likely be the number one scoring option for the team. This is why I predict him to have the more eye-dropping stats because of the lack of talent on the team. He will be similar to Ayton, and put up 20 + points and 10 plus rebounds. I think Bagley may have the best chance of winning the award based off his role on the team and what his usage rate will be. Hopefully the Kings will be able to turn it around with him and Fox as their core.
THE "THEY HAVE A CHANCE" GROUP
Michael Porter Jr.
If this was a year ago, there may have been no debate that Porter could win rookie of the year. However, here we are only one year later and there are many medical concerns with Porter. The concerns were shown through the draft, as he watched 12 teams pass up on him. His fall may give him motivation to prove how good he is, and it will certainly help push the Nuggets into the playoffs. Porter is a great fit for the nuggets who could add some scoring with the young core of the nuggets and be able to get some big time minutes as either a wing or to pair in the front court with Jokic. Porter should get many opportunities to score with Jokic's playmaking ability. However, there are other scorers on Denver such as Murray, Harris, and Jokic will take some shots as well. Porter's injury concerns are also not gone, he could still be a red flag and struggle with injuries throughout this season. He could become the primary scorer on this team for the future if his health becomes a non-issue. For this coming season there are rumours he may not play, if he does, expect Denver to not use him as much as the other rookies around the league.
Trae Young
Speaking of potential risks aside from Porter. Trae Young is the best shooter in the draft and drew so many comparisons to Steph Curry. It needs to be established that the comparisons have been unfair, Young has a similar style of play but probably won't achieve the same level of success as Curry. Steph fell to a great position where he's surrounded by strong defenders who help pick up the lack of defence played by Curry. Draymond Green also does a key job in setting screens to give Curry opportunities to get his shots. Trae Young is very talented, but talent isn't everything, the Atlanta Hawks are a young team and it is still yet to be seen if Young is a good fit. If his shots are falling and he becomes more disciplined when to shoot, he could find success and be the primary option for the Hawks this season. If everything falls into place here, and Young meets the hype that was built on me, he could emerge as a candidate for rookie of the year.
Kevin Knox
The Knicks decided to not take a risk on Porter, and decided to invest in the young raw wing former Kentucky Wildcat. The Knicks don't have that much talent outside of Porzingis, who's expected to miss a large portion of the season because of an injury. This puts Knox in a good position to get some touches on the offensive end to accelerate his development. This could backfire because he still is a raw prospect, or may be he could benefit from having the team trust him until Porzingis returns to the lineup. Out of all the names I've listed, I believe Knox has the lowest chance of getting the award, but if given opportunity I think he could step on and be a key contributor to the Knicks team.
THE "THEY COULD WIN IF" GROUP
Collin Sexton
Sexton has a lot of pressure on him. Him being a candidate for rookie of the year will depend if Lebron leaves. If the King decides to join Lakers or whatever other team, Sexton will be the primary ball handler and scorer. He will get a lot of touches and should be a fan favourite for all the gritty little things he does on the court. As a young point guard for the potentially rebuilding Cavs, he has drawn many comparisons to Kyrie Irving. He isn't and won't be as good as Kyrie, they play very differently. Sexton will have many opportunities if Lebron leaves like Kyrie did during his rookie year. That's the only similarity between the two. If Sexton and Lue are able to work it out and Sexton is given the reigns to the team, expect him to emerge as a strong contender for rookie of the year.
Lonnie Walker IV
This is entirely dependent if Kawhi is traded this offseason. If Kawhi is traded, Lonnie could see a lot of touches a nice young player the Spurs could build around with him and the young assets they receive from a potential Kawhi trade. His shot selection isn't the greatest, but he has shown flashes to becoming a potentially good scorer for a team. The Spurs could be going into a rebuild, and Lonnie Walker could have a big role in that rebuild as a future primary or secondary scorer on the team. Expect his numbers to be better than expected, if Kawhi is traded this offseason.
Guess the Lakers players!
