This upcoming season will be one of the most exciting Rookie of the Year races the league has ever seen. The 2017 NBA Draft included at least 30 players that could potentially take home the trophy. Also, Ben Simmons will be considered a rookie this year after missing all of the last season with a foot injury. That alone will certainly make the ROY race a lot tougher than it would have already been.

Fans have already got a good glimpse at the star power most of the rookies will bring in the NBA Summer League. Lonzo Ball took home MVP honors and posted a couple of triple-doubles to show off his versatility.

His performance this summer erased any doubt that NBA fans had about him going into the season. His father LaVar has already gone on and predicted his son will lead the Los Angeles Lakers to the playoffs in his first season. So, the pressure will be on Ball to help a struggling Lakers organization return back to its' prominence.

Markelle Fultz's Summer League was cut short when he suffered a twisted ankle in just his third game. With the history of injuries the 76ers have suffered over the years, the team decided to be cautious and shut him down early to assure he will be ready for a highly anticipated season. However, the injury was minor and Fultz is expected to be one of the top candidates for the ROY Award.

Ben Simmons debut rookie season

It's no secret that Simmons is the headline of a highly talented rookie class. Like his teammate Joel Embiid, Ben has been practicing for an entire year with pros and veterans which will clearly give him an advantage over all of the other rookies.

Also, it's kind of hard to believe that he would not have taken home the ROY award last season if he was able to play, with the skills he was able to showcase at LSU. Now, Simmons will be the centerpiece of a Philly team that is expected to finally make a return to the playoffs this season.

Other possible candidates

There are plenty of rookies that can take home the hardware at the end of the season.

The Sacramento Kings needed a guard like De'Aaron Fox that has the speed and ability to take over the game at any given moment. He has a really good chance to lead a team that has not been to playoff for years back to the postseason. This summer the Kings added a nice balance of players to surround Fox with in his first season. They acquired Justin Jackson (UNC) and Hary Giles (Duke) in a trade on draft night and both are talented forwards that can really compliment the game of Fox.

They also added veterans like Vince Carter and Zach Randolph that can teach Jackson and Giles a lot early in their careers. WIth the help of the two vets, both players could possibly develop much faster than other rookies.

If that happens, expect Fox to stuff up the stat sheet quite often this season with plenty of assists. If he can do so, he will easily be a candidate for the ROY award with ease.

Josh Jackson (Suns), Dennis Smith Jr. (Mavs), and Malik Monk (Hornets) all will be possible candidates as well.
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