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As was expected, the recently held NBA Rookie survey projected Zion Williamson to be the Rookie of the Year, as he received the highest votes(35%) from his draft classmates. However, it is also worth noting that in the previous 10 years of the survey, the top vote-getter has gone on to win the coveted award just once. And that was when Durant received 54% votes back in 2007.
Well, after all, these are mostly teenagers voting based on their superficial analysis of what they've witnessed so far and so the anomaly kind of makes sense. And as is the norm, it is never necessary that the No. 1 pick from the draft might go on to win it all singlehandedly.
Therefore, here we try and forge the possibilities of a palpable upset in the form of a few bold predictions for the ROY hardware during the upcoming season.
#1 Cam Reddish
One of the most outstandings threads from the recently held Rookie Survey was Cam Reddish. In terms of who will have the best career, the 19-year-old was chosen over Zion and others by his classmates as he ended up receiving 19% of the votes.
While the former No. 3 overall prospect slipped to 10th in June’s NBA Draft, many scouts are of the strong belief that Cam might have the highest ceiling of any player in his age group. Playing alongside RJ and Zion at Duke, Reddish averaged a decent 13.5 ppg and was able to make a name for himself despite the hype surrounding his teammates.
Moreover, NBA Draft guru Rashad Phillips - who is widely known for his spot-on draft predictions - has regarded this youngster as the second coming of the great Tracy McGrady.
#2 Rui Hachimura
After Yasutaka Okayama, the 21-year-old Hachimura is only the second player born in Japan to have been drafted by the league. In his latest year at Gonzaga, Rui averaged 19.7 points and 6.5 rebounds per game before declaring for the NBA draft.
The 2019 WCC Player of the Year led Gonzaga in scoring and also helped upset No. 1-ranked Duke in the Maui Invitational finals - where he was named the Most Valuable Player of the tournament.
Moreover, the 6-foot-9 power forward suited up for Japan during the FIBA Under-19 Basketball World Cup in 2017 and ended up averaging team-bests 20.6 points and 11.0 rebounds per contest. He possesses the length and athleticism needed to make a sustainable contribution to the Wizards franchise.
Recently, Hachimura fired up the home crowd with his thunderous dunks in a friendly WC tune-up game against Argentina, where he had 23 points, seven rebounds and five assists.
#3 Jarrett Culver
The latest and most exciting addition to the Timberwolves' roster is also plenty capable of winning the Rookie of the Year award. He has a confident handle and is also capable of dominating defences inside the arc. The 6th pick from the 2019 draft averaged 18.5 points per game last season knocking in 6.7 field goals per game on 14.5 attempts (46.1 per cent).
Averaging 1.5 steals and 0.6 blocks per game makes the 20-year-old one of the more notable defenders of his class as well. Moreover, joining a team containing Robert Covington and Josh Okogie, plus the coaching staff of head coach Ryan Saunders and defensive coordinator David Vanterpool, Culver can only grow his defensive aspect of the game from this point going forward.
Winning the ROY hardware requires clear path opportunity and Culver will get just that playing with a young T-Wolves squad who will rely on him to initiate the offence on multiple occasions.
#4 Jaxson Hayes
After the Atlanta Hawks drafted Jaxson as the 8th pick in this year's draft, he was traded to the New Orleans Pelicans had been on a full rebuild mode after the exit of Anthony Davis. Hayes was the Big 12 Freshman of the Year and he showed why he deserves some respect through his highlight-reel plays during the Summer League.
“He’s just a freak of nature,” Mo Bamba said of Hayes. “He is 7-foot but he can really jump and really move. I’m excited to see what he does. I just told him how the league is, how much more goes into it than college. Jaxson has a good head on his shoulders so I think he is going to do well.”
During his freshman year at Texas, the 19-year-old averaged 10.0 points and 5.0 rebounds per game on a blistering 72.8% shooting from the field. Kristine Hayes played for Drake University & earned honourable mention Kodak All-American accolades, and the same basketball genes haven't failed to show up in her son Jaxson as well.
His summer league rim racker broke the internet and conversations of his effortless athleticism haven't stopped yet.
#5 Coby White
There is no doubt that Coby White is a legit steal as the 7th pick by Chicago. He is the first player - since Michael Jordan in 1984 - from North Carolina to be drafted in the first round by the Bulls. In the 35 games that he played for the University of North Carolina, White racked up 562 points, including 104 made free throws and 67 made field goals at the rim, and ended up with an imposing offensive rating of 110.6.
He recorded 12.2 attempts from 3-point range per 100 possessions, converting at a 35.3 per cent clip. As long as Coby doesn't lose his much-appreciated pace and aggressiveness, the NBA hurdles should be a cakewalk for him.
As far as the Rookie Survey goes, White received top votes in various categories including Best Playmaker, Projected Best Career, Biggest Steal of the draft as well as Projected ROY. His participation in the Summer League ended with promising numbers such as 15.0 PPG, 5.6 RPG, and 4.8 APG.
