This Year’s NBA Rookie Of The Year Race

By Daniel Schiffman ‘23

On Nov. 18, the NBA held its annual draft. Some consensus top prospects went at the top of the draft, and there were also some surprises. Only time will tell which talented players will succeed in their professional basketball careers. Still, their college or overseas statistics are often a good indicator of their potential achievements. 
According to VegasInsider.com, a website that details sports betting odds, going into the season the top three most likely rookies to win the 2021 Rookie of the Year award are Lamelo Ball, Anthony Edwards and James Wiseman respectively.

Ball was drafted by the Charlotte Hornets with the third pick. He is the brother of Lonzo Ball, who currently plays for the New Orleans Pelicans and was the second overall pick in the 2017 draft. Before entering the draft, Ball most recently played in the National Basketball League of Australia. There, he excited scouts with his electrifying passing ability, as evidenced by his 6.8 assists per game. 
Another impressive facet of Ball’s game is his height and rebounding ability. Ball stands at six foot eight inches, which is very tall for a point guard. This helps Ball rebound more than the average point guard. In Australia, Ball raked in 7.6 rebounds per game. 
“He is a big, fast, athletic point guard,” junior Inbar Adiel said about Ball. “His international experience makes him a polished player for a rookie.” 
Another candidate for the trophy is Edwards, who was picked first overall by the Minnesota Timberwolves. Coming out of Georgia, Edwards averaged 19 points per game, including many explosive dunks and clutch shots. 
Edwards’ scoring ability is surely what caused him to be the first overall pick, however there are some questions about his game. At times, Edwards has lackluster defensive effort and poor shot-selection. These concerns are why he was not a consensus number one pick, and why he does not have the highest odds to win Rookie of the Year. 
Third on the odds list is Wiseman, who is now a Golden State Warrior after being drafted with the second pick. Wiseman was the number-one-ranked prospect in his class coming out of high school, and was a star in his lone season at Memphis despite only playing three games. Wiseman’s stats were impressive, as he averaged 19.7 points, 10.7 rebounds and an outstanding three blocks per game. 
“In my opinion, James Wiseman has the best chance to win Rookie of the Year because of his ability to impact the game on both sides of the floor,” junior Ozzie Landy said. “[He will be] a great rebounder and shot-blocker.” 
The only question about Wiseman is his lack of shooting ability, which is becoming necessary for big men in the modern, perimeter-shooting-focused NBA. 
Freshman Joey Askin made a surprising pick for Rookie of the Year. He thinks Obi Toppin, who was picked eighth by the New York Knicks, will be the best rookie of his class. 
Toppin, who played two seasons at Dayton, is a versatile power forward. In his second college season, he averaged 20 points and 7.5 rebounds per game, in addition to roughly one steal and one block.
Askin said, “[Toppin] is one of the most league-ready players in the draft and will make an immediate impact on the struggling Knicks.” 
This season, as with any season, some rookies will star, and others will disappoint. In due time the best of this year’s rookies will reveal themselves. Basketball fans will just have to wait and see who they are.