As he does every summer, NBA.com’s John Schuhmann spoke to a number of incoming NBA players this offseason, asking them to assess their fellow rookies. Schuhmann had nearly 40 first-year players predict which rookie will have the best overall career and which player was the biggest draft steal, among other topics.
Of course, one key question Schuhmann asked was about the favorite to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award for the 2017/18 season, and those voting results were interesting. As we detailed on Tuesday, ninth overall pick Dennis Smith Jr. of the Mavericks was the top pick among his fellow rookies, receiving 25.7% of the vote. Lonzo Ball (Lakers) was second at 20%, with No. 1 overall selection Markelle Fultz (Sixers) coming in third at 17.1%.
Kyle Kuzma (Lakers), Donovan Mitchell (Jazz), and Ben Simmons (Sixers) were among the other players who received support from multiple rookies. Dwayne Bacon (Hornets), Tony Bradley (Jazz), De’Aaron Fox (Kings), Josh Jackson (Suns), Malik Monk (Hornets), Jayson Tatum (Celtics), and Sindarius Thornwell (Clippers) also each received one vote apiece.
While Ball and Fultz placing among the top three choices was predictable, there are plenty of surprises in that group, including a handful of late first-round picks or second-round selections getting votes. Additionally, top-five picks like Fox, Jackson, and Tatum received just one vote each. That doesn’t mean that those players aren’t expected to have successful careers (Tatum tied for the most votes for best career), but their fellow rookies don’t necessarily expect them to have a significant impact immediately.
Over at betting website Bovada, their odds for Rookie of the Year are somewhat in step with the players’ predictions. Ball is viewed as a slight frontrunner over Smith, With Simmons and Tatum tied for third, followed by Fultz, Fox, Monk, Jackson, and players like Jonathan Isaac, Justin Jackson, and Lauri Markkanen, who didn’t receive votes in Schuhmann’s rookie poll.
While oddsmakers sometimes misfire, they should perhaps be more trusted than Schuhmann’s respondents, who haven’t correctly predicted the Rookie of the Year since Kevin Durant won the award back in 2007/08.
What do you think? Who do you expect to see take home the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award next spring? Place your vote below and jump into the comment section to share your thoughts — especially if your choice isn’t one of the options in our poll.
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Top 3:
1. Lonzo
2. Dennis Smith Jr.
3. Fox
Not sure how Simmons isn’t in your top 3. He’s already had a year to adjust to the lifestyle of the NBA and his usage rate will be really high since he’ll be running the point
1. Lonzo
2. Smith
3. Fox
Bacon got a vote for ROTY? Must’ve been his own
Now with that trade I can see more time for Tatum to play so I believe him and Lonzo won’t even be in the top 3 THE MAN CANT SHOT
Do you think that the addition of Kyrie and the fact that the Celtics are a deep team who ease their rookies in will make it difficult for Tatum to win it?
I don’t think so but it could I can see Tatum and Brown being the 6-7 guys so so if he becomes that guy that he looks like he can be then he could run away with it a lot will depend on how Morris plays out with this team if he doesn’t work out then one of the could be in the starting 5
I agree on Lonzo. However, while Tatum will get more minutes after the trade, I still don’t think it’ll be enough to win ROTY
And you can’t spell
So the guy the bulls got in the draft after trading Butler and moving up in the draft isn’t even mentioned. Dumb and dumber did it again!
That was a very bad trade on the bulls half none of the players they got are worth what they gave up and never will be
I don’t think Ben Simmons or Markelle Fultz will win it. I think they will cannibalize each other’s votes.
Simmons will be the one handling the ball though so I see just him hurting Fultz’s chances rather than them hurting each other’s.
Jayson Tatum
Before the Hill signing, I thought Fox had a real chance, but now I really only see Ball or Tatum now. I think Fultz and Smith will score, but I’m not sure their overall games get them there.
Top 3: Smith Jr, Fultz, Ball.
Smith Jr being the most overall player is why I think he will win roy. Fultz has a chance if he can stay healthy. Ball…great facilitator but that’s about it. If Ball can lead his team to the playoffs then yea he has a chance.
I like Tatum but he won’t see any starters minutes. Fox, Jackson, and Monk are sleepers but I don’t think their rookie year will impact their teams winning percentage or playoff chances.
Simmons will run away with it. He has the advantage of practicing with NBA players for a whole season prior to this one. He’ll have a bigger impact than Embiid did and with a weaker Eastern conference, will lead Philly to the playoffs. The rest, except DSJ, will struggle to adjust to NBA comp but DSJ won’t leas his team to the playoffs because of the tough West. Simmons will also lead rookies in rebounds and assists
Not sure how anyone picked Monk. He’s not even going to start unless Batum or Walker gets injured
If they slide Batum to 3 I could Monk starting at 2. Adds more scoring and shooting to a lineup that was fairly starved last year