One of the most coveted awards in the NBA accolade landscape is the Rookie of the Year title. Teams realize just how much of a coup they committed in securing the player, while the competitors themselves have bragging rights over the rest of their draft class (traditionally...more on that in a moment). Recent winners include Malcolm Brogdon, Karl-Anthony Towns, Andrew Wiggins, Michael Carter-Williams, and Damian Lillard.
So who will take home the NBA Rookie of the Year Award for 2017-18?
5. PF Lauri Markkanen, Chicago Bulls
Markkanen came into the season with the chance to be the class' best pure shooter, the next Dirk Nowtizki.
He did nothing to hamper those expectations, averaging 15.2 points per game while setting a Bulls record for most three-pointers in a rookie season. He won't garner any first-place votes in the Rookie of the Year race, but he'll have Chicago back in the NBA playoffs in no time.
4. PF Kyle Kuzma, Los Angeles Lakers
It didn't take long for fans to realize that Lonzo Ball wasn't the biggest star of the Lakers' draft class (yet). Kuzma proved to be a steal at pick No. 27, averaging 16.1 points and 6.3 rebounds per game, with a PER of 14.22. He cooled down during the middle portion of the season, but averaged 18.7 points and 17.8 points per contest in March and April, respectively. If NBA superstars flock to Los Angeles, this rookie will be a big reason why.
3. SF Jayson Tatum, Boston Celtics
In any other year, Tatum would be a shoo-in for Rookie of the Year. He found various ways to dominate on the court, quickly becoming one of Boston's most important players in the wake of prominent injuries. He shot .434 from three-point range, tops among first-year players by a wide margin.
In the NBA postseason, Boston will go as far as Tatum can take them.
2. SG Donovan Mitchell, Utah Jazz
Mitchell has argued that he deserves the Rookie of the Year Award by virtue of being drafted in 2017. His play on the court helps, too. The steal of the NBA Draft took over for a Jazz team expected to falter after Gordon Hayward's departure.
Instead, they nearly earned the No. 3 seed in the playoffs as Mitchell dropped 20.5 points per game, dominating on both ends of the court. This could've been his. But...
1. PG Ben Simmons, Philadelphia 76ers
Sure, he wasn't drafted this year -- neither was Blake Griffin when he won the NBA Rookie of the Year Award. Simmons' dominance has been too good to ignore. He played in all but one game, averaging 15.8 points, 8.2 assists, and 8.1 rebounds per game. His 12 triple-doubles only fell short of the rookie record set by Oscar Robertson, who played in a different time. If he ever develops a shot, the comparisons to LeBron James will seem predestined.
