Anthony Davis: Why Top NBA Draft Pick Will Not Win Rookie of the Year Award

Anthony Davis is going to be the No. 1 overall pick in the 2012 NBA draft, barring an absolutely insane unforeseen circumstance. However, just because he’s one of the most hyped prospects in years does not mean he is a lock to win the prestigious Rookie of the Year award.

The ROY is perhaps the hardest pieces of hardware to garner in the league, as players only get one crack at it. They have to land on the right team, at the right time, in the right place and produce at a high level.

Those things are not easy, especially when most of them are beyond the rookie’s control and they are still trying to get acclimated to day-to-day life as a member of the league.

Elite players like Michael Jordan, Larry Bird, LeBron James and Kevin Durant have all been the best during their first season. But there have been plenty of other greats to never win the ROY—such as Magic Johnson, Carmelo Anthony and Yao Ming—who arguably deserved it.

In 2012-13, Davis is going to have to compete with Bradley Beal, Harrison Barnes, Thomas Robinson and a number of other players who are much more gifted than the Kentucky product at scoring.

The 6’11”, 220-pound big man is undoubtedly going to be the best defender in the class right off the bat, but that will not produce a gaudy stat line and will not get the attention of the sportswriters who vote.

Davis will also be playing in New Orleans, which isn’t exactly the biggest media market. If a stud scorer emerges in one of the bigger cities, it’s likely that they will captivate a wider audience and influence the voting due to sheer exposure.

There is no question that Anthony Davis has a great chance to be a star in the NBA; he just might not win the Rookie of the Year award.