There has been a plethora of rookies who have produced well for their respective teams this season, and that’s even with top overall pick Markelle Fultz only appearing in ten games.
Here are the ten that should get the most Rookie of the Year consideration. Ben Simmons seems to be the favorite although there are those clamoring for Donovan Mitchell to claim the honors.
Honorable mentions: Bam Adebayo (Miami Heat), Jarrett Allen (Brooklyn Nets), OG Anunoby (Toronto Raptors), Dillon Brooks (Memphis Grizzlies), De'Aaron Fox (Sacramento Kings), Milos Tedosic (Los Angeles Clippers)
To see Sixth Man of the Year rankings, click here.
To see Most Improved Player candidates, click here.
10. Bogdan Bogdanovic - Sacramento Kings
Season stats: 75 G, 11.9 PPG, 45.1 FG%, 40.2 3PT%, 84.0 FT%, 2.9 RPG, 3.3 APG, 0.9 SPG, 0.2 BPG
Bogdanovic was a first-round pick in 2014 but stayed overseas playing in the EuroLeague unit this season. The 25-year-old ranks third amongst rookies in three-point percentage and fourth in threes made. He is ending the season on a high note as he has reached double figures in scoring in 10 of his last 11 games.
9. John Collins - Atlanta Hawks
Season stats: 71 G, 10.5 PPG, 57.8 FG%, 34.9 3PT%, 73.3 FT%, 7.3 RPG, 1.2 APG, 0.6 SPG, 1.1 BPG
Collins leads all rookies in blocks per game and is third in rebounding average as well as field goal percentage.
Selected 19th overall by Atlanta, he has also procured 10 double-doubles which is bettered by only four rookies. He has put up impressive stats despite averaging only 23.8 minutes per game.
8. Josh Jackson - Phoenix Suns
Season stats: 76 G, 13.0 PPG, 42.1 FG%, 26.8 3PT%, 62.8 FT%, 4.5 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Jackson, the fourth overall pick in last June’s draft, has averaged 17 points over his last 38 contests.
He has scored at least 15 in each of his past 11 games including a season-high output of 36 on March 17 against the Warriors. The reason he isn’t higher is because he is doing this for a bad Suns team.
7. Lonzo Ball - Los Angeles Lakers
Season stats: 52 G, 10.2 PPG, 36.0 FG%, 30.5 3PT%, 45.1 FT%, 6.9 RPG, 7.2 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG
Ball’s shooting struggles have been well-chronicled (especially early in the season) but he has been a triple-double threat each time he has stepped on the court.
The second overall selection in 2017 has recorded two of them (only Ben Simmons’ 11 is more by a rookie), and his 13 double-doubles are topped by only three other rookies. He isn’t higher on the list due to his shooting and missing many games with injury.
6. Dennis Smith Jr. - Dallas Mavericks
Season stats: 67 G, 15.2 PPG, 39.6 FG%, 31.8 3PT%, 69.5 FT%, 3.8 RPG, 5.1 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.2 BPG
The ninth overall pick in 2017, Smith Jr. ranks third amongst rookies in assists per game and fourth in scoring average. He has been the Mavericks' starting point guard since day one and has scored at least 20 points on 14 different occasions. He has gone through some rookie growing pains as evidenced by his shooting percentages, but all of those have slightly increased since the All-Star break.
5. Lauri Markkanen - Chicago Bulls
Season stats: 65 G, 15.1 PPG, 43.3 FG%, 35.7 3PT%, 85.2 FT%, 7.5 RPG, 1.1 APG, 0.5 SPG, 0.6 BPG
The Finnish forward was taken seventh overall by the Timberwolves but was dealt to Chicago in the Jimmy Butler trade. He has started all 65 of his appearances with a young Bulls team. Markkanen has 13 games with at least 20 points and 14 games with at least 10 rebounds. This season, he became the quickest player in NBA history to reach 100 made threes by doing so in 41 games, and he tied a Bulls rookie record by connecting on eight treys on January 10 against the Knicks.
4. Kyle Kuzma - Los Angeles Lakers
Season stats: 75 G, 16.1 PPG, 45.1 FG%, 36.4 3PT%, 70.6 FT%, 6.3 RPG, 1.9 APG, 0.6 SPG, 0.4 BPG
Kuzma has easily been one of the most surprising rookies since he wasn't selected until the tail end of the first round (27th overall).
He is second amongst rookies in scoring average and also double-doubles as he has 17 of them. After slowing down a bit in January and February, he has been reinserted into the starting lineup and has averaged 19.5 points and 7.4 rebounds in 17 games since March.
3. Jayson Tatum - Boston Celtics
Season stats: 77 G, 13.9 PPG, 47.5 FG%, 42.9 3PT%, 82.8 FT%, 5.1 RPG, 1.6 APG, 1.0 SPG, 0.7 BPG
Tatum, who was taken with the third pick by Boston last June, has been an integral part of a Celtics team that looks as if it will be the second seed in the Eastern Conference. He has helped ease the pain of losing Gordon Hayward for the season minutes into their first game by sliding into his starting small forward role.
His 42.9 three-point percentage ranks ninth in the league.
2. Donovan Mitchell - Utah Jazz
Season stats: 75 G, 20.4 PPG, 43.7 FG%, 34.0 3PT%, 80.8 FT%, 3.6 RPG, 3.6 APG, 1.5 SPG, 0.3 BPG
The 13th pick in last June's draft, Mitchell has exceeded nearly everyone's expectations as he leads all rookies in scoring. He has scored at least 30 points in seven games including a high of 41 on December 1 against the Pelicans. Since that December 1 outing, his scoring average has increased to 22.5 on 45.2 percent field goal shooting in 53 games. Utah is 25-5 in his last 30 games, a stretch where he has averaged 36.2 minutes.
1. Ben Simmons - Philadelphia 76ers
Season stats: 77 G, 15.8 PPG, 54.3 FG%, 0-11 3PT, 56.3 FT%, 8.1 RPG, 8.1 APG, 1.7 SPG, 0.8 BPG
After Simmons missed the entire 2016-17 season with a foot injury, the first overall selection in the 2016 NBA Draft has missed just one game thus far.
Standing 6-10, he has mostly manned the point guard spot for Philadelphia and has been as impactful a rookie as there's been in some time despite not making a single three. His 11 triple-doubles are only bettered by Russell Westbrook and LeBron James on the season, and he is 13th in the league with 36 double-doubles.
