Mayo Will Win Rookie of the Year

You heard it here first.

Now, dont get me wrong, I do not think OJ Mayo was the best player in the draft. As I stated in my draft preview blog, I felt Michael Beasley was the most talented and I would have taken him with the first pick. However, for the rookie of the year it is all about statistics and I feel Mayo has the best opportunity to put up the best numbers.

Granted we are only in the preseason, but of the games that I have watched and the research I have done, it looks to me that Mayo will be the only opening day starter of all of the rookies (On a side note when was the last draft that had only this many rookies in the starting lineup on opening night? Sounds to me like a good future blog post). We may see other rookies begin to crack the starting lineup, but by then, Mayo will already have racked up plenty of more minutes on them.

Other rookies have plenty of veterans to contend with for minutes. Not Mayo. While 1st pick Derrick Rose is competiting with the likes of Larry Hughes, Kirk Hinrich and Ben Gordon for minutes, Mayo’s backup is Javaris Crittenton. Not quite the same. Same goes for the other rookies in this class and they will not get the minutes that Mayo will receive.  Mayo could easily average close to 40 mpg this year and do not think others will come close to this mark.

Obviously, one of the main reasons Mayo is starting and playing is the fact that he has been quite good this preseason. He has shown his flashes of quickness and his ability to score. He has averaged over 16 ppg, 3.3 rbg, 2.3 apg to go along with 2 steals a game. The Grizzlies are playing him at his natural two position and seems to be fitting into the role nicely.

Barring an injury, these things will continue for Mayo during the regular season. He will have to start looking for a mantel in his Memphis home to hold his first NBA trophy.