NBA Players Who Make Debut in Bubble Reportedly Eligible for 2020-21 ROY Award

Players who make their NBA regular-season debuts during the league's 2019-20 season restart will still be eligible for the 2020-21 Rookie of the Year award, per ESPN's Tim Bontemps.

He also explained the rationale behind the decision:

"The thinking behind the ruling was that since seeding games won't count for this year's awards, there is no reason to penalize players from having a chance to win something next year."

That news comes amid the phenomenal scrimmage performances of Denver Nuggets rookie big man Bol Bol, a second-round draft pick in 2019.

Bol has not played in any regular-season games to date. He split his time this season between the G League earlier or resting for injury management following a left foot ailment that prematurely ended his collegiate career at the University of Oregon. 

He might be earning some playing time for the Nuggets during the restart, as he averaged 13.7 points, 6.3 rebounds and 3.0 blocks per game across three scrimmages.

The 2020-21 Rookie of the Year news isn't the only award information that has dropped regarding the restart, which is set to officially begin Thursday when the Utah Jazz and New Orleans Pelicans face off at Walt Disney World near Orlando, Florida.

Per Shams Charania of Stadium and The Athletic, the NBA's annual awards will not include the eight "seeding" games. Instead, they will be based off regular-season contests that occurred up to and including March 11, when the league suspended play due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

However, statistics that players accrue during the eight seeding games will count toward their final figures for the year.

The top eight teams in the Eastern and Western Conferences and the six teams within six games of the final playoff spot in either conference are taking part in the restart. Regular-season games will occur through Aug. 14, with the playoffs starting on Monday, Aug. 17.

The restart will feature players making their debut (e.g. Bol), others making comebacks after long stretches away due to injury (e.g. the Oklahoma City Thunder's Andre Roberson) and a few veterans who got picked up for the final run (e.g. the Brooklyn Nets' Jamal Crawford).