The NBA Rookie of the Year for 2017 was Malcolm Brogdon of the Milwaukee Bucks, a very solid player but not someone who blew the NBA away. He won in part because Joel Embiid, who was much more imposing, simply didn’t play as many games due to injuries. In 2018, will the Rookie of the Year be able to combine Embiid’s level of play with a full season of action? And remember, Ben Simmons – who missed most of last season – will be in the mix for the award this time around. Here are four candidates:
Markelle Fultz, Philadelphia 76ers
Odds To Win NBA Rookie Of The Year: +500
Odds are that Fultz will be a popular choice among the people who make predictions for all sorts of NBA awards and follow the league closely every year. Fultz joins a much-hyped lineup in Philadelphia which is long on talent but short on experience. Fultz is good enough to make an impact in the group, and since many of his teammates do not have much more seniority than he does, he might be bold enough to have the ball in his hands on a high percentage of possessions, which will in turn enable him to rack up huge stats. The Sixers’ season could veer in so many different directions, but at least a few of them could break right for Fultz.
Lonzo Ball, Los Angeles Lakers
Odds To Win NBA Rookie Of The Year: +300
Ball certainly deserves consideration in the ROY race, but he is less likely than others to win. The best-case scenario is if Ball averages close to 10 assists per game and transforms the Lakers’ offense without having to score in large numbers. If he has a huge effect on how well the Lakers play, he might not be a statistical giant, which is similar to Brogdon’s 2017 ROY victory. If the Lakers don’t do a lot better than they did last season, however, Ball has to have the big stats, and since he loves to get his teammates involved, that is not a likely scenario.
Josh Jackson, Phoenix Suns
Odds To Win NBA Rookie Of The Year: +800
Jackson has to work on his jump shot, but he is great on the fast break and can play above the rim. If Jackson is strong as a rebounder, giving him a lot of putback dunks and other second-chance scoring opportunities, he can make a run at the rookie of the year. Rebounding is likely to be the key for him, since his scoring will probably come closer to the paint and as a result of his athleticism. The shooting will be a work in progress, so he has to make his primary contributions in other ways. The Suns becoming a better team would obviously not hurt his candidacy, either.
De’Aaron Fox, Sacramento Kings
Odds To Win NBA Rookie Of The Year: +500
A lot of draft evaluators were high on Fox, thinking that he might be a better point guard than Lonzo Ball. Lots of people remember that he dominated Ball one-on-one in the Sweet 16 of the NCAA Tournament last March. That was used as the primary reason to view him as superior to the UCLA product. Now that he is in Sacramento – a team many felt did a good job with its draft this year – there is a sense that Fox could be special. He is not the scorer that Fultz is, and he is not the passer Lonzo Ball is, but he has a lightning-quick first step and is a better defender than either of his fellow point guards. If he is an elite defender in his rookie season and provides solid offensive stats (without being spectacular), that might be enough to win.
Odds To Win 2017-18 Rookie of the Year
Ben Simmons +250
DeAaron Fox +500
Dennis Smith Jr +500
Donavan Mitchell +5000
Frank Ntilikina +5000
Harry Giles +2500
Jayson Tatum +800
John Collins +2500
Jonathan Issac +1500
Josh Hart +2500
Josh Jackson +800
Justin Jackson +3000
Lauri Markkanen +3000
Lonzo Ball +300
Luke Kennard +5000
Malik Monk +1500
Markelle Fultz +500
OG Anunoby +5000
TJ Leaf +3000
Zach Collins +3000
Field +1000
The 2017 NBA futures are out. It’s been a wild offseason already, but keep an eye on the betting lines as they move around at Diamond Sportsbook! Get the latest NBA betting lines right here.
