Since the season started, two rookies have clearly led the way in the race for the Rookie of the Year award: Trae Young and Luka Doncic. However, 58 other players were drafted and eight undrafted players were also signed during the offseason. With most teams approximately one-eighth of the way through their regular season campaign, let’s take a look at some of the other top contenders for the coveted award.
Marvin Bagley III
Marvin Bagley III, who was drafted second in the 2018 NBA Draft by the Sacramento Kings, has enjoyed reasonable success in his first 10 games as a professional basketball player. The PF out of Duke is averaging 12.8 PPG, 6.8 RPG, and 1.1 APG in just 23 minutes. He’s also averaging 1.1 BPG and isn’t far away from a steal per outing at 0.7 SPG. While his FT% is a reasonably poor 57%, it’s something that can be improved upon as time goes on. These stats show that, while it’s still very early days for the 6’11” big man, he’s certainly a force to be reckoned with.
The Kings, as a team, have had their best start since 2014 with their 6-4 record. Their young, exciting core that also features the likes of De’Aaron Fox, Buddy Hield, and Willie Cauley-Stein have already upset the odds with their good start. Bagley will be hoping to keep his chances at the top rookie award very high.
Collin Sexton
Although there have been reports that vets in Cleveland don’t believe Collin Sexton knows how to play NBA-level basketball, he’s still one of the rookie leaders in scoring. He’s tied for fifth in rookie scoring with 11.1 PPG in less than 24 minutes, these numbers would suggest that he isn’t all that bad. Worryingly, he’s only shooting at a FG% of 41.3%, which is barely acceptable at this level. The last thing that the 1-8 Cavaliers need is someone who’s as inefficient as Sexton, but he’s still getting buckets.
His free-throw numbers are immense, however, with a success rate of 91.4%. Even Jose Calderon would be proud of those numbers. On a team as bad as Cleveland right now, it isn’t awfully easy to judge just how good a player is, but Sexton does have plenty of positives to his game. The question is: are his scoring numbers empty or could he ball out on a better team.
Josh Okogie
Certainly a surprise package for the Minnesota Timberwolves, Josh Okogie has been a leading rookie on the defensive end. With 1.4 SPG, Okogie leads the rookie field in that metric. He’s also averaging 10 PPG and 5 RPG, solid numbers without a doubt from the shooting guard out of Georgia IT. On the flip side, his shooting numbers have been abysmal, with his FG% currently standing at 37.2%. If he wants to retain heavy minutes in Thibs’ rotation, he’ll definitely have to improve that aspect.
While there’s been lots of drama in Minnesota over the Jimmy Butler trade saga and Derrick Rose’s form, Josh Okogie’s performances should be keeping the fans at the Target Center happy to a certain degree.
Allonzo Trier
Allonzo Trier has been balling out for the New York Knicks so far this season. Averaging 10.6 PPG, 2.6 RPG, and just over an assist, Trier has been everything the Knicks could’ve asked for and more, especially given that he went undrafted in June. While he may not be at the top of the rookie standings in any metric, the surprise factor has to be taken into consideration here. He was deemed worse than 60 other newcomers into the league, yet he’s eighth in rookie scoring.
There are definitely teams who wish that they drafted Trier with a second-round pick. The Knicks could well have done the best overall business in the draft, with Kevin Knox and Mitchell Robinson also entering the team over the summer.
Deandre Ayton
The number one pick in this year’s draft, Ayton has gone about his business in impressive style. His entire stat line is solid, and although the Suns are performing pretty poorly at the moment, he and Devin Booker seem to be doing just fine on the court. Ayton is currently averaging 16 PPG, 10.7 RPG, and 3.4 APG, with just under a block and a steal too. While he’s getting many more minutes than some of his peers, Ayton is showing the world how good of a rookie he actually is.
Although he’s yet to shoot a three (just like last season’s Rookie of the Year, Ben Simmons) Ayton is proving to be unstoppable in the paint. He’s averaging a 63% FG rate. This is nothing short of extraordinary from a rookie. While it may be multiple seasons before we can judge just how effective the center from the Bahamas actually is, Deandre Ayton is surely making a lasting impression in Phoenix.
Who Will Win Rookie of the Year?
It looks as if one of Luka Doncic and Trae Young will win the Rookie of the Year award, but any of these young talents could push the two front-runners to the very end. After all, there’s a long way to go in the regular season.
Who was the biggest steal of the draft? Who would you like to see win the Rookie of the Year award? Let me know in the comment section below.
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