Oden will headline a rookie class on Portland that may be the best a single team has had for a long time. Bayless, Batum, and Fernandez are also coming in, and they will all benefit from having a rock-solid Oden on the inside.
The talented backcourt will draw defenses out, and LaMarcus Aldridge's proven ability in the post will open up room for Oden. He could put up 12 and 15, night in and night out.
Other guys who have real, legitimate chances to win the award, but I'm too lazy to talk a ton about:
Jerryd Bayless - Will most likely start at the point in a loaded young Portland offense. Could definitely average seven or eight assists a game.
Rudy Fernandez - Another Blazer. He is one of the most hyped international players in a while. If he lives up to his billing, even coming off the bench behind Brandon Roy he could put up great numbers.
Nicolas Batum - Ok, this could be a stretch, but I had to add him in just to emphasize how good Portland will be in a few years. They have seven or eight guys who are young and highly touted. Batum could start the season at small forward—and if he fulfills his potential to be a Rudy Gay-like player, he could be a stud in this league.
Kevin Love - The T-Wolves won't be as bad this year. Kevin Love will be a big part of that.
In the end, I think Oden takes it home. It'll be a very exciting race to watch, and there is no clear-cut favorite. The only thing that I can confidently predict will happen to these rookies is that they'll dominate the sophomores on All Star Weekend.
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