NBA 2017 Rookie of the Year Candidates Announced

With the NBA finals coming up on Thursday, June 1st, the NBA season is almost over. To close out the 2016-2017 season, there are two remaining events. The first is the NBA finals with the Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Golden State Warriors. After the Finals, the first annual NBA awards show will be aired on TNT on June 26th.

One of the awards given out this year will be rookie of the year. The three finalists are Philadelphia 76ers Dario Saric, Philadelphia 76ers Joel Embiid, and Milwaukee Bucks Malcolm Brogdon.

Milwaukee Bucks shooting guard, Malcolm Brogdon is different than the other candidates. He’s the only rookie in the running that is on a playoff team and whose dependability is a necessity rather than a preference. Brogdon was one of 22 players, and the only rookie, to shoot at least 45 percent from the field and 40 percent from three while tallying better than 10 points a night.  

Arrowhead Senior and Bucks fan Logan Klink is hoping Brogdon gets Rookie of the Year.

“Brogdon was a second round pick and surprised a lot of people,” Klink said. “He has been very consistent, unlike that other candidates.”

On an ESPN writers quarter season report article, all ten NBA writers unanimously picked Joel Embiid to be the 2016-2017 rookie of the year. Embiid was going on a historic pace his first 30 games, had 20.3 points per game, 8.2 rebounds and 2.5 blocks. The only rookies to have averaged that a season has been Tim Duncan, Shaquille O’Neal, and Oscar Robinson: All-NBA hall of famers.

Embiid was playing at an elite level, and even all the way to getting in the conversation for an All-Star appearance, a rarity for a rookie. However, Embiid hurt his left knee back on January 20th, finishing with 31 games played.

No rookie has ever won the award while playing less than 50 games according to SB Nation.

  Arrowhead senior Chris Mamres says Embiid was guaranteed the title of Rookie of the Year until he got injured.

  “The race is gonna be tight,” Marmes said. “If Joel Embiid didn’t get hurt back in January, he would be the winner; no question.”

Embiid’s teammate Saric didn’t break 40 percent shooting in two of the three first full months but averaged 17.3 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.4 assists after the All-Star break. Those numbers compare quite favorably to his pre-All-Star splits of 10.8 points, 5.9 boards and 1.8 dimes a night.

The winner will be released during the NBA inaugural awards show on June 26th, airing on TNT.