NBA Power Rankings: Ranking the Last 10 Rookie of the Year Award-Winners

Since the 1952-53 NBA season, the league has officially recognized the votes of sportswriters who identify the players they feel had the best rookie season in each respective year.

Some of the best players who have ever played in the NBA started their careers by winning the Rookie of the Year Award.

Guys like Wilt Chamberlain, Lew Alcindor, Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Tim Duncan have all been recognized as the overall best first-year player, and each has gone on to a legendary career.

Over the last 10 years, many of the league's best current players have also been honored with the highest honor a new player can achieve. Many of these have been All-Stars, some have won the league MVP award and several have led the NBA in multiple statistical categories.

The following slides will rank the last 10 winners of the Rookie of the Year Award.

10. Emeka Okafor 2004-2005

Draft Year and Position: Emeka Okafor was drafted by the Charlotte Bobcats with the second overall selection in the 2004 draft. He was taken just after Dwight Howard.

Career Statistics: 12.9 points, 10.2 rebounds, 1.8 blocks per game

Okafor started out with a strong rookie season and has been a solid big man in the league since. He has played for the Charlotte Bobcats and the New Orleans Hornets following a trade for Tyson Chandler.

Okafor has appeared in six playoff games, but has not yet been selected to an All-Star team.

9. Tyreke Evans 2009-2010

Draft Year and Position: Tyreke Evans was the fourth overall selection in the 2009 draft. He was taken by the Sacramento Kings after Blake Griffin, Hasheem Thabeet and James Harden.

Career Statistics: 19.1 points, 5.1 rebounds, 5.7 assists per game

While it may appear that Evans benefited from the first-year injury to Blake Griffin, it cannot be overlooked that Evans has had a couple good seasons for the Kings. He is part of a talented young team that he will help improve next season.

Evans is a talented player who may end up deserving of being higher on this list following his career. If he had more time in the league, it would be more clear of where he fits.

8. Brandon Roy 2006-2007

Draft Year and Position: Brandon Roy was drafted in the sixth overall spot in 2006 and was preceded by Andrea Bargnani, LaMarcus Aldridge, Adam Morrison, Tyrus Thomas and Shelden Williams.

Career Statistics: 19 points, 4.3 rebounds, 4.7 assists per game

It would be fair to say that Roy's abilities were underestimated on draft night when he was picked after one of the biggest draft busts in NBA history, then traded by the Timberwolves for Randy Foye.

Since that time, Roy has had a great impact on the league and proven those who passed on him wrong. Roy is a three-time All-Star and has been a consistently good player for the Trail Blazers.

Unfortunately for Roy, it looks like his career could be on the decline due to injuries. If he is able to get past injury concerns, he should continue to put up good numbers in the league.

7. Chris Paul 2005-2006

Draft Year and Position: Chris Paul was taken fourth in the 2004 draft behind Andrew Bogut, Marvin Williams and Deron Williams.

Career Statistics: 18.7 points, 9.9 assists, 2.4 steals per game

Paul has already had a successful career, but his best days may still be ahead of him. After winning the Rookie of the Year Award, he has gone on to lead the league in assists twice and in steals on three occasions.

In New Orleans, Paul quickly became a fan favorite and was able to help his team to the playoffs. It remains to be seen what the four-time All-Star will do when he is a free agent.

There is a good possibility he will try to take his career to New York to team up with Amar'e Stoudemire, and Carmelo Anthony.

6. Amar'e Stoudemire 2002-2003

Draft Year and Position: Amar'e Stoudemire was selected out of high school with the ninth overall pick in 2002. Some of the players who were chosen ahead of him include Yao Ming, Jay Williams, Chris Wilcox, Dajuan Wagner and Nicolas Tskitishvili.

Career Statistics: 21.9 points, 8.8 rebounds, 1.5 blocks per game

Due to his size and athleticism, Stoudemire has always been one of the most difficult players to stop when he has the ball. As a six-time All-Star, he has somewhat quietly put together a very good career.

After playing with Steve Nash in Phoenix for several years, Stoudemire signed with the New York Knicks, where he had one of the best seasons of his career. Playing for the Knicks, he instantly improved that team. Stoudemire and teammate Carmelo Anthony are now ready to help the Knicks to once again become a dominant team in the Eastern Conference.

If they can talk an All-Star point guard like Chris Paul or Deron Williams into joining them, they will form a pretty good trio that will challenge for the NBA title.

5. Pau Gasol 2001-2002

Draft Year and Position: Pau Gasol was the third overall selection by the Atlanta Hawks in the 2001 NBA draft. He was selected after Kwame Brown and Tyson Chandler.

Career Statistics: 18.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, 1.7 assists per game

As the bast player to ever come from Spain, Gasol was traded on draft night from the Hawks to the Grizzlies and was then involved in a lopsided trade to the Lakers a few years later.

Gasol is one of the best frontcourt players in the league and has won two NBA Championships. He is also a four-time All-Star.

In addition to his play in the NBA, Gasol has also helped Spain to become one of the top teams in the world in basketball. He was able to lead Spain to a silver medal in the most recent Olympics, losing to the United States in the gold medal game.

4. Derrick Rose 2008-2009

Draft Year and Position: Derrick Rose was the first overall pick in the 2008 draft.

Career Statistics: 20.9 points, 6.7 assists, 3.9 rebounds per game

Although he has only played three seasons in the league, Rose wasted no time in becoming one of the best point guards and players in the NBA.

In his short career, Rose has been able to lead the Bulls back to championship contender status and was the winner of the MVP Award last season.

Known for his quickness and his scoring ability, Rose is a two-time All-Star who will continue to lead the Bulls to the playoffs for multiple seasons to come.

3. Kevin Durant 2007-2008

Draft Year and Position: Kevin Durant was chosen with the second pick of the 2007 NBA Draft. He was selected just after the Portland Trail Blazers made Greg Oden the No. 1 pick.

Career Statistics: 25.9 points, 6.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists per game

Kevin Durant is one of the most unstoppable offensive players in the league today. He is a scorer who can put the ball in the hoop from anywhere on the court. Durant has led the league in scoring the last two seasons in a row and led his team deep into the playoffs last year.

He has played in the All-Star game twice, but will participate in many more during his career.

Durant is one of the best young players in the league and is always in the MVP conversation. He and his teammates, Russell Westbrook and James Harden, have helped the Oklahoma City Thunder become one of the best teams in the Western Conference.  

2. Blake Griffin 2010-2011

Draft Year and Position: Blake Griffin was the No. 1 pick of the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 draft.

Career Statistics: 22.5 points, 12.1 rebounds, 3.8 assists per game (in only his rookie season)

After selecting Griffin in the 2009 NBA Draft, Clippers fans would have to wait a season before learning exactly how good of a player he really is. Due to an injury, Griffin played his first season in the NBA last year and did not disappoint.

In just one season, Griffin managed to not only make the Clippers an exciting team to watch, but he was also named to the All-Star team, won the dunk contest and had a highlight-reel dunk every night on SportsCenter.

Griffin is already one of the most athletic big men in the league, even though he is playing mostly on talent, power and natural ability. Once he receives a few more years of coaching, develops into a better defensive player and widens his shot selection, he will be an unstoppable player for years to come.

The Clippers need to do all they can to keep Griffin in Los Angeles, as he will be one of the most sought-after free agents when his rookie contract comes to an end.

1. LeBron James 2003-2004

Draft Year and Position: LeBron James was selected first by the Cleveland Cavaliers in the 2003 draft.

Career Statistics: 27.7 points, 7.1 rebounds, 7 assists per game

James was already destined to be an NBA superstar before he was even drafted. "The Chosen One" came into the league with high expectations to be the best player since Michael Jordan.

With the Cavaliers, he was a six-time All-Star, won the MVP Award on two occasions and has led the NBA in scoring with a 30-points per game average for a season.

After taking his talents to the beach last season, James continued his success by becoming an All-Star for the seventh time.

Although he and his teammates fell short in the NBA Finals last season, James should go on to win several titles with the Heat.

He has been named to the All-NBA first team and Defensive first team after several NBA seasons.

Love him or hate him, James is one of the top players in the league and the best player who has won the Rookie of the Year Award over the last 10 years.