![Luka Doncic is the overwhelming favorite to win Rookie of the Year. [Image Source: Flickr | Javier Mendia Garcia]](https://staticr1.blastingcdn.com/media/photogallery/2019/1/22/660x290/b_502x220x82/luka-doncic-is-the-overwhelming-favorite-to-win-rookie-of-the-year-image-source-flickr-javier-mendia-garcia_2188357.jpg "Luka Doncic is the overwhelming favorite to win Rookie of the Year. [Image Source: Flickr | Javier Mendia Garcia]")
The NBA Rookie of the Year has been won by a host of superb players. Last season, it was won by Ben Simmons. Other previous winners include Kyrie Irving, Blake Griffin, Kevin Durant, Chris Paul, LeBron James, Tim Duncan, Allen Iverson, Jason Kidd, Shaquille O’Neal, David Robinson, Patrick Ewing, Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, Kareem Abdul-Jabbar, Rick Barry, Willis Reed, Oscar Robertson, Wilt Chamberlain, and Elgin Baylor.
With the 2018-19 regular season more than halfway complete, Luka Doncic is the heavy favorite to take home the award this season. According to Odds Checker, he is an absurd 1/50 favorite to win.
That doesn’t mean that Doncic has been the only productive rookie though. Here are the other top contenders (for second through tenth place) for Rookie of the Year.
(Note: While Wendell Carter Jr. would have made the list, according to Hoops Rumors, he had surgery on his thumb which will keep him out of action for 8-12 weeks.)
Luka Doncic, Mavericks (20.0 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 5.2 apg, 1.2 sig, 36.6% 3 pt)
The runaway leader in the Rookie of the Year chase, Doncic has shown even more improvement as the season has gone along. He has averaged 22.6 points and 6.3 assists in his last 21 games.
Deandre Ayton, Suns (16.4 ppg, 10.6 rpg, 2.0 apg, 1.0 bog, 59.4% fg)
The first pick of the 2018 NBA Draft, Ayton leads all rookies in field goal percentage (seventh among all NBA players) and rebounds per game (tied for 13th in NBA). He has 27 double-doubles in his 47 games.
