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The 2020 NBA Draft was celebrated two weeks ago, and the new rookie class will have to prove its worth next year. LaMelo Ball is easily the most recognizable figure in the 2020 NBA Draft class, and it is not a surprise to see him as the favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award next year.
5 favorites to win the 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year award
LaMelo Ball was selected with the third pick of the latest edition of the NBA Draft by the Charlotte Hornets. His Top-3 colleagues, Anthony Edwards (first overall pick by the Minnesota Timberwolves) and James Wiseman (second by the Golden State Warriors), join Ball among the favorites to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
It is usual to see some shocking results on the NBA Rookie of the Year award standings.
However, five of the last six winners of the NBA Rookie of the Year award have been selected in the first three spots of their respective draft (Malcolm Brogdon was the exception back in the 2016-17 NBA season).
On that note, let us take a look at five candidates for next year's NBA Rookie of the Year award.
#5 Anthony Edwards
Anthony Edwards was the first pick of the 2020 NBA Draft and is among the favorites to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
The former Georgia player is an outstanding athlete who could be impactful in Minnesota's rotation. His desire for the game was recently in question after some worrying comments, but he is a good, committed basketball player.
Edwards is not likely to have many options to handle the ball, with a guard crew formed by Ricky Rubio and D'Angelo Russell. Still, he is a scoring guard who might not need the ball in his hands for long periods. A solid all-around play could earn him the NBA Rookie of the Year honor.
He will need to be more efficient than he was in college with his shot (40/29/77 shooting splits), but his potential is enough to make him a contender for the NBA Rookie of the Year.
#4 Killian Hayes
Killian Hayes is already a professional basketball player, even before making his official NBA debut.
Such credentials are enough for him to be a candidate for the NBA Rookie of the Year award, and the oddsmakers agree.
Hayes is an American-born French player who has already played at a professional level in France (for Cholet) and Germany (ratiopharm Ulm) for the last three years.
He averaged 11 points and five assists per game in the German league for Ulm. He is a playmaker who can shoot well.
The Detroit Pistons got a gem in their hands with the French guard, and he could easily become the 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year.
At 19 years of age, a 6' 5'' guard with Hayes' talent could have a great impact in today's league as well as the future. The Pistons selected him with the seventh pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.
#3 Obi Toppin
Obi Toppin was drafted in the eighth spot of the 2020 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. The Dayton forward is among the favorites to win the 2020-21 NBA Rookie of the Year award.
He is a talented player who surprisingly got drafted out of the Top 5 of the 2020 NBA Draft.
Toppin is a 6' 9'' forward who can be an offensive threat on every level. He spent two years at Dayton and was named National Player of the Year in his second season.
Toppin shot 63% from the field, 39% from the three-point line and 70% from the FT line in his second season. His shooting was impressive, and it can help him score with consistency in the NBA.
The struggling New York Knicks could give him a chance to shine on offense, and he can easily win the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
#2 James Wiseman
Getting drafted by a contender can help James Wiseman enter the NBA winning lots of games already. However, there is pressure on the Golden State Warriors, and Wiseman must hit the ground running to prove his credentials as a second overall pick.
Still, being in the spotlight could work in his favor and solidify his case for NBA Rookie of the Year.
James Wiseman is a 7' 1'' center who could impose his will on both sides of the floor and take home the NBA Rookie of the Year trophy.
Big men have not been the same compared to previous decades in the NBA, but he can certainly be a good tool. In his three appearances for Memphis (before legal issues with his recruitment hindered his season), Wiseman averaged 20 points and 11 rebounds with ease.
The NBA will not come as easy for him, but he can be a big factor for the Golden State Warriors. If Wiseman finds chemistry with Steph Curry on offense and with Draymond Green on defense, it could be huge for his shot at the NBA Rookie of the Year award.
#1 LaMelo Ball
LaMelo Ball could be hit or miss in the NBA. However, a lack of talent will not be an issue for him in the highest level, and the NBA Rookie of the Year award could be his to lose.
We have seen LaMelo Ball mature in front of us, and the Michael Jordan-led Charlotte Hornets selected him with the third pick of the 2020 NBA Draft.
Ball is the main favorite to win the NBA Rookie of the Year award, according to the oddsmakers. He is a great, creative playmaker who has the gift of passing the ball with efficiency.
Although he takes ill-advised shots and his shot-selection needs work, Ball will probably have a green light on Charlotte's offense, and it will be fun to watch. Winning the NBA Rookie of the Year award would be a tremendous start to his NBA career.
He has been a professional basketball player since 2018 and played in Lithuania and in Australia. In the Australian NBL, he won Rookie of the Year honors.
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