2018 NBA Rookie of the Year Race: Award Announcement Date and Top Contenders
The Rookie of the Year race has been one of the biggest stories of the 2017-18 NBA season, and it will all be decided on June 25.
The 2018 NBA Awards will crown the league's Most Valuable Player, Sixth Man, Defensive Player of the Year and more in a ceremony beginning at 9 p.m. ET on TNT. However, it seems none have been debated as much as the rookie award.
It's effectively a two-man competition between Ben Simmons and Donovan Mitchell, but only one will follow in the path of recent top players like LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving and Damian Lillard.
Fresh Prince vs. Spida
The petty wars have already begun between Simmons and Mitchell, with the two taking direct shots at each other over the past week.
Mitchell wore hoodie prior to a regular-season game that questioned the 76ers star's status as a rookie, per Bleacher Report:
Simmons was drafted No. 1 overall in 2016, but remains a rookie after sitting out all last season with a foot injury. Meanwhile, he didn't seem to mind the shot from the Utah Jazz guard.
"If his argument is I'm not a rookie, if that's the only argument he has, I'm in pretty good shape then," Simmons responded, per Kyle Neubeck of the Philly Voice.
Even without these discussions, there is plenty to debate about the play on the court.
Mitchell surprised almost everyone by leading all rookies with an average of 20.5 points per game. He was the leading scorer for the No. 5 seed in the West, effectively replacing an All-Star in Gordon Hayward and keeping the team running smoothly.
He also made more three-pointers (187) than any rookie in NBA history.
The difference is Simmons made more of an impact all over the court. Along with his 15.8 PPG, he also averaged 8.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. He joined only LeBron James and Russell Westbrook among the only players in the league to average 15-8-8, per Basketball Reference.
The 6'10" point guard was also a quality defender at multiple positions, ranking him second in the league in defensive win sharesย behind only Andre Drummond.
Mitchell was one of the best rookies in years, but Simmons is already one of the best players in the NBA.
Other Contenders
While Mitchell and Simmons were the best of the class, there are plenty of other quality players who at least deserve consideration.
Jayson Tatum had to share the spotlight with some other players on the talented Boston Celtics roster, but his pure skill was on display all year. Chris Mannix of Yahoo Sports provided his thoughts on the wing:
"Jayson Tatum is an absurdly gifted scorer. Can easily see him averaging 30 at some point in his career. At 20, his game is incredibly polished.
โ Chris Mannix (@ChrisMannixYS) April 4, 2018"
He averaged 13.9 PPG and ranked eighth in the NBA with 43.4 percent from three-point range, while his defense remained top-notch.
Lauri Markkanen also showcased his skill set as a seven-footer who can make shots and contribute all over the floor.
The Los Angeles Lakers had a pair of quality rookies, although the No. 2 overall pick wasn't the best on the team.
Lonzo Ball had a well-rounded game with 10.2 points, 7.2 assists and 6.9 rebounds per game, but his shooting was extremely disappointing. On the other hand, Kyle Kuzma averaged 16.1 PPG to trail only Mitchell among rookies.
While it's still early in all their careers, the 27th pick seems like the biggest steal in the class.
"I wanted to prove that I belonged," Kuzma said Thursday about his rookie year, per Mike Bresnahan of Spectrum SportsNet. "I feel like I did that."
Point guardsย Dennis Smith Jr. and De'Aaron Fox also had their moments, showing just how deep this class has already been, not even counting top overall pick Markelle Fultz.
Still, only one player can take home the Rookie of the Year award, and that will likely be Simmons or Mitchell.
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