The 2015-16 NBA season is halfway in the books and while that might not be enough time to have a definitive breakdown on this year’s rookie class, we certainly have a big enough sample size to work with. At this point, we can acknowledge what we have seen in terms of everything from the best player to the biggest surprise. Here is a look at this year’s NBA midseason rookie awards.
Biggest Surprise: Kristaps Porzingis, New York Knicks
Who would have thought when Porzingis was being booed at the NBA Draft that he would emerge as one of the most promising young players in this year’s rookie class. Porzingis has done exactly that this year, averaging 14.0 points, 7.8 rebounds and 2.0 blocks in 28.2 minutes per game this season including an impressive 16.8 points per game over his last 10 contests. Porzingis has all of the tools to become an elite stretch forward and at 7’3’’ and 240 pounds the reality is that there has never been an NBA player with the combination of size and skill that Porzingis has brought to the table as one of the biggest surprises so far as a rookie this season.
Best Pure Shooter: Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns
The 13th-overall pick has certainly shown flashes of his elite potential including a career-high 32-point performance just last week against the Indiana Pacers and it’s a good thing for the Suns that Booker appears a lot closer to being a legitimate NBA star than many thought he would this early in his career. Booker has shot 47-percent from the field and 43-percent from beyond the arc while averaging 9.2 points per game this season but that includes an average of 17.4 points per game over his last 10 games and that number should only continue to climb the rest of the way with Phoenix free-falling in the Western Conference standings and looking to really give their young players an opportunity to perform.
Most Deserving Of More Time: D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
The fact that the Lakers drafted Russell with the second-overall pick and then stashed him on the bench behind Jordan Clarkson has been shocking for some and it certainly seems as though he deserves better after averaging 12.3 points, 3.7 rebounds and 3.4 assists in just 27.0 minutes per game so far this season. Los Angeles has had no problem bringing him along slowly and using Clarkson as their starting point guard but something has to give eventually and Russell certainly seems deserving of more playing time along with the starting point guard job.
Best Defender: Justice Winslow, Miami Heat
Winslow hasn’t put up elite offensive stats in his first season with the Heat but he has easily been the best defensive rookie player so far and that has been just as important for Miami this season. Winslow has all of the intangibles to excel at both ends of the floor but he has done his best work at the defensive end so far. Winslow’s offensive numbers should improve with time after he averaged 5.5 points and 4.7 rebounds in 27.2 minutes per game in the first half but he has already arrived as a defensive player and is easily the best from his class to this point.
Midseason Rookie Of The Year: Karl-Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
The first-overall pick from the 2015 NBA Draft has more than lived up to the hype since the start of the season, averaging 16.1 points, 9.7 rebounds, 1.8 blocks and 1.4 assists in 29.3 minutes per game this season. The 7’0’’, 244-pound center has shown the ability to dominate opponents at both ends of the floor and in addition to his incredible size and strength he has also shown the athleticism and talent to eventually become an elite NBA center. Towns will certainly have his highs and lows as he continues to develop at the pro level but there is no doubt based on what we have seen to this point that he is the midseason Rookie of the Year award winner and an obvious favorite to win the Rookie of the Year award when it is all said and done.
