In recent years rookies that were drafted high have been able to pan out in the NBA. Players like Joel Embiid, Ben Simmons, Trae Young, and Luka Doncic are on the cusp of becoming NBA superstars. Embiid and Simmons have been year in and year out All-Stars and Doncic and Young have made the All-Star team in their second year. This season, Zion Williamson and Ja Morant have been the players to rise above everybody and lead all rookies.
Morant was a stand out at Murray State and Williamson made jaws drop at Duke with his high flying ability. Now they have been able to do the same in the NBA. Morant and Williamson stole the show at the rookie challenge and they have been able to dominate games at the NBA level. The Rookie of the Year award could go to either player because of how they have excelled this season.
Zion Williamson and Ja Morant Battling for Rookie of the Year
Zion Williamson
Williamson played at a high school that did not offer much competition. However, it didn’t effect him as he entered the college ranks. He was still able to dominate on the college level. When he was drafted there were questions if he was going to be able to dominate without a reliable jumper. In his first NBA game, he hit all four of his three-pointers. He has gone over 20 points in four straight games and the New Orleans Pelicans are 3-1 in their past four games.
Williamson has been able to prove that not only can he dominate at every level, he can lead his team to victory. While he has only played 13 games this season, he is averaging 23.3 points per game, which is more than other phenoms like Luka Doncic and LeBron James averaged in their rookie seasons. Williamson is such an exciting player that he may be able to win the award because of his name and nobody would be mad because of his talent.
Ja Morant
Ja Morant has the chance to do something not many star rookies have been able to do and that is play in the playoffs. The experience that he will gain from that is invaluable. Morant was not as well known of a name throughout his amateur career as Williamson was but those two players are now in the same position of trying to win the Rookie of the Year award. Morant started out of the gate dominating. He is averaging 17.5 points per game and 6.8 assists per game.
As a rookie, he is leading the team in scoring and is thirteenth in assists per game in terms of all NBA players. Morant is a leader and a winner. He has been able to make players around him better while being a major factor in the Memphis Grizzlies winning games. This season is the start of a fruitful career. Although that is the case, the star power of Zion Williamson is too great. If Williamson is able to keep up this kind of play he should win the award.
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