With the NBA season right around the corner, it’s time to take a look at who will win Rookie of the Year in the NBA. It’s also a good time to take a look at who will finish in the top five of the voting.
NBA Rookie of the Year Preseason Rankings
Fifth – Rui Hachimura
In a draft class that was largely top-heavy, Rui Hachimura is someone who doesn’t come in with a lot of hype. However, he was still a top-ten pick. On top of that, he should get plenty of opportunities for the Washington Wizards.
Hachimura went to Gonzaga as an interesting prospect out of Japan. He went from playing just 4.6 minutes per game his first season to averaging 19.7 points per game and 6.5 rebounds per game this past season.
Not only did he greatly improve his all-around game, but he improved his shooting range each season he was in college. That, put together with his great size, should give him a great chance to succeed in the NBA.
Also, the Wizards are not going to be a good team. That circumstance will allow Hachimura to get a lot of time and chances to show what he can do.
His ability to knock down threes at the NBA distance could be a concern right away, but he has shown the ability to consistently improve each facet of his game.
Fourth – De’Andre Hunter
The Atlanta Hawks got Virginia forward De’Andre Hunter with the fourth overall pick. That pick originally belonged to the Los Angeles Lakers. Just like Hachimura, Hunter is coming in as a more polished prospect than most. He’s 21-years old, and in two seasons at Virginia, Hunter scored just under 900 points and grabbed just over 300 rebounds.
On top of those numbers, he shot 41.9 percent from deep. That’s very impressive when pairing it with his 6’7″ frame. To go with his strong offensive ability, Hunter is a very strong defender.
Pairing him with Trae Young and John Collins is going to be dangerous. Those two will give Hunter a chance to flourish as a rookie.
Hunter probably won’t put up the flashy numbers or highlights some of the other players on this list will, but he will be steady all season.
Third – Brandon Clarke
A little bit off the board here as Brandon Clarke was the 21st overall pick. He was used by a pick that belonged to the Oklahoma City Thunder, but he was dealt to the Memphis Grizzlies. His draft position, combined with his path to the NBA, has Clarke as the least known player on this list.
After playing two seasons at San Jose State, Clarke transferred to Gonzaga. He then had to sit out a season per NCAA transfer rules, before dominating last season.
Standing at 6’8″ Clarke is an athletic freak. The issues he could have in the NBA is him not being much of a shooter. He also is a little bit undersized for the position he will likely play in the NBA. However, Clarke has the athleticism to play at this level regardless of size.
While Clarke doesn’t have the ceiling of the other guys on this list, he should be ready for the NBA right now. Also, the Grizzlies will not be good, meaning he will get plenty of opportunities, much like Hachimura.
Clarke will also put up some monster highlights this season, and will probably be one of the most exciting rookies in the league.
Second – Ja Morant
Just like his draft position, Ja Morant will finish second for Rookie of the Year. He will, of course, be playing for the Grizzlies alongside Clarke, who was listed above.
There’s a lot to be excited about when it comes to Morant. In college, he was a triple-double threat every time he stepped on the floor. Will that be the case in the NBA? It’s hard to know.
Morant is normal size for a guard, but him rebounding in the NBA compared to rebounding in the Ohio Valley Conference are two different things.
However, Morant will be a very good NBA player. He will step right in and be the starting point guard in Memphis.
A concern for Morant coming into the league could be his shooting ability, but his vision is something that will give him a great chance to rack up assists at the NBA level.
There’s no reason for Morant to not finish in the top-five in Rookie of the Year voting, and him paired with Clarke, is going to make for must-watch TV, even if the Grizzlies aren’t winning a lot of games.
Rookie of the Year – Zion Williamson
Bold pick here. The New Orleans Pelicans won big time in the draft lottery by winning the first pick. That enabled them to draft Zion Williamson. With the franchise starting a rebuild, this sped things up big-time.
The excitement from not just the Pelicans fan base, but the NBA fan base as a whole surrounding Williamson is palpable. At Duke, they were a different team when Williamson was on the floor compared to when he either subbed out or missed games due to injury.
He likely won’t make that big of a difference in the win column for New Orleans as he did at Duke. However, Williamson will be a difference-maker.
Not only will Williamson lead to an increase in fans going through the turnstiles at Smoothie King Center, but he will drive TV ratings. He will also be plastered all over social media making highlight plays.
Not just that, but Williamson is going to be a really good NBA player. He appears to be a generational talent. There’s also no reason for him to not be the best rookie. The offense in New Orleans is going to revolve around him.
Williamson is going to put up big numbers this season and is going to be responsible for quickly turning the fortunes in New Orleans.
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