NBA Award Predictions Roundtable: Rookie of the Year

In one of the more disappointing years for the NBA rookies, there are a few names that stand out above the rest. Injuries, slow starts, and tough finishes all contribute, but here are the staff picks for NBA Rookie of the Year.

The NBA rookies this year have been a unique group. From the high 1st round picks who underperformed or were unable to play all the way to the undrafted players who made an impact, this year’s rookie class was impressively difficult to predict. Even a couple players who weren’t drafted in 2016 had their name in the talks for Rookie of the Year.

As with any award for the NBA, their are clear cut favorites to take it home. In this case, however, the favorites are not your average picks. One of the clear favorites and that who would probably be considered the more traditional pick out of all the favorites is Malcolm Brogdon, selected 36th overall in the 2016 NBA Draft. Brogdon played very well for the Milwaukee Bucks this year.

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The other two players who are considered the top 3 picks for ROY are slightly more unconventional picks. Joel Embiid had a solid year for the Philadelphia 76ers but was only able to play in 31 games this season before going down with a season-ending knee injury. Embiid was the number 3 overall pick by the Sixers back in 2014, but two years missed due to foot injuries, surgeries, and complications, made this year technically his rookie year.

The last of the favorites for the award was born in Croatia and would be the first Rookie of the Year to win the award after playing professional basketball in another country. Dario Saric played professionally in Croatia from 2012-14 after which he was drafted 12th overall by the Orlando Magic.

Opting to stay overseas, Saric went to play for a Turkish team from 2014-16 while the Sixers bought the rights for Saric in exchange for Elfrid Payton on draft night. Now, after finishing out his contract with Anadolu Efes (per Wikipedia), Saric came to play in the NBA this season.

These are the three leading candidates and those chosen by our staff in this roundtable. Here are our picks and explanations.

Next: Joel Embiid