The Race for the NBA Rookie Of The Year

I have never written for Bleacher Report before and I thought I would start with the topic that interests me the most as the season progresses. The Rookies.

One thing I have noticed is that its rare when a No. 1 pick gets the Rookie of the Year (RotY). It has only happened eight times in the last 20 years and twice in the last 10. One being LeBron James (and whilst not unworthy, he and Carmelo Anthony had similar stats—bar assists—but the Nuggets made the play-offs. Oh and so did the Heat with a guy called Dwyane Wade!)

The other was the joint winners in Brand and Stevie Franchise, Brand being the top pick.

Now that might be a anomaly but it does makes me ponder on this and last years top picks, Derrick Rose and Greg Oden.

I don't see Rose winning the honour as the Bulls, in my opinion, will manage his minutes and he might not even start as the Bulls logjam at guard might be easiest resolved by bringing the rookie off the bench. This would settle the veterans and take the pressure off Rose who has still to learn the most difficult position in the game.

A starting unit of Kirk Hinrich, Larry Hughes, Luol Deng, Drew Gooden and Joakhim Noah or even Aaron Gray, isn't beyond belief and the bench of Rose, Ben Gordon (assuming he's there), Tyrus Thomas, Andres Nocioni and Thabo Sefolosha isn't too shabby.

There is also the other matter of the only other point taken No. 1 in the last ten years— Allen Iverson!. He posted 23.5 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 7.5 apgin 76 games with 40.1 mpg in his rookie year. I could even throw in Stevie Francis, his rookie stats were 18 ppg, 5.3 rpg, 6.6 apgin 77 games with 36 min played. I realistically don't see Rose getting near those stats this year.

Oden is a different in a few ways, firstly he wont be the best player on the Blazers. Plus this team has ambitions, the Blazers surprised me last year by being so good. Last year they were 9 games from a play-off spot, Toronto had the same record and finished sixth in the east.

Oden won't play the kind of minutes he would need to win the award. And then there's that knee to think about. In the rookie evaluation last year Oden outperformed Durant in athletic ability, and the Blazers will need that to be intact if Oden is to be a factor.

NBADraft.net had Oden compared with David Robinson, but the admirals rookie stats were 24.3 ppg, 11.9 rpg, 3.8 bpg in 81 starts playing 36 mpg. I cant even imagine Ogden coming close to those stats, and since he isn't even the best player on the Blazers, they don't need him to.

So lets look at the stats of the last two big men RotY winners.

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