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“With the first pick in the 2013 NBA Draft, the Cleveland Cavaliers select: Power Forward Anthony Bennnett from University of Nevada-Las Vegas.” NBA Commissioner David Stern exclaimed.
“WHAT?!” The NBA community shouted, in a puzzled voice. With Victor Oladipo deemed as the most NBA ready player, and Nerlens Noel as the most talented prospect, the Cavaliers shocked the world. The issue is, so far at least, the shocked ones are on the Cavaliers. Anthony Bennett has not played well in his rookie campaign.
But, a few players have played well in their first year in the Association. Who are the candidates for this year’s NBA Rookie of the Year?
5) Tim Hardaway Jr.
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The New York Knicks and their fans hope this Hardaway can be as good as the previous ones before him. Young Hardaway is off to a good start in his career. Is he a sleeper for Rookie of the Year?
Hardaway Jr. is averaging 10 points, 1.5 rebounds, and just under one assist per game to go along with one steal every two games this season. While not the best numbers of the bunch, he is only playing 22 minutes per game. If Hardaway were to play starter minutes (36 minutes per game) his numbers would be right up there with some of the better rookies in the NBA.
Nevertheless, the Rookie of the Year is not awarded to the player who has the best prorated numbers, although some may think of those in the back of their minds. Is Hardaway Jr. a sleeper to win the award? If not, he still has a bright future in the NBA. For all this, he takes the fifth spot on our list of top five NBA Rookie of the Year candidates.
4) Giannis Antetokounmpo
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“The Alphabet” as some in the NBA community call him due to his long name, is one of the more intriguing prospects in the NBA. He is listed as 6’9″, but some say he is still growing, and he certainly looks that way. Antetokounmpo is one of the tallest guards, or swingmen in the NBA and has a bright future.
Antetokounmpo’s versatility puts him at number four on this list, as he ranks in the top 10 in nearly every statistical category among rookies this season. He is averaging seven points, four rebounds, two assists and just under a block and steal each per game. The Bucks are the worst team in the NBA record-wise, but with a top pick and Antetokounmpo under contract for a few seasons, the Bucks and their fans have to be happy.
The former Greek star may not win the award this season, but expect him to get a lot more votes than a normal 19-year old would get. Can “The Alphabet” steal the show in the last two weeks of the season and become a threat to win Rookie of the Year?
3) Trey Burke
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A 21-year-old former Michigan Wolverine was a popular pick by experts in the pre-season to win Rookie of the Year, can Trey Burke prove them right?
Burke was the first the first point guard taken in the draft by the Timberwolves, but was immediately traded to the Utah Jazz where he has found a home as the starting floor general. Burke is averaging 12.8 points, three rebounds and just under 5.5 assists per game to go along with a stellar free throw percentage of 88%. Burke is playing the third-most minutes of all rookies.
It would be a surprise, but Burke is still very much in the running for Rookie of the Year, can he pull it off? He has been on a roll in the last ten games, scoring 15 points per contest. Is it going to be enough for him to surpass the top two players on our list of top five NBA Rookie of the Year candidates?
2) Victor Oladipo
![USATSI_7830939_168380822_lowres](https://sportsnaut.com/wp-content/uploads/2014/03/USATSI_7830939_168380822_lowres-250x300.jpg)
Victor Oladipo was the most popular pick to win Rookie of the Year after last year’s draft, and comes in at number two on this list. Can he win the award as the only upperclassman selected in the top nine?
Many people thought Oladipo was going to be the number one overall pick last June, and for good reason. In hindsight, he still may be worth the number one overall pick almost a year later. But, can he win the Rookie of the Year award? Oladipo has done a little bit of everything for the Magic this season. He has started, come off the bench, scored, rebounded, ran the offense and more. The former Hoosier has done everything asked of him as he averages 14 points, four rebounds, four assists and a steal and a half per contest.
Those numbers sound hard to beat, why is he number two on our list of top five NBA Rookie of the Year candidates?
1) Michael Carter-Williams
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His nickname is “MCW” and he seems like the consensus pick for Rookie of the Year. But, the Sixers are in the midst of the worst losing streak we have ever seen from an NBA team, will that hurt him?
Sam Hinkie drafted Michael Carter-Williams 11th overall, and had to be elated that he fell that far to the Sixers. There were 10 players taken before the former Syracuse star, and not one of them averages more points, rebounds, assists or steals. Carter-Williams averages 16.7 points, just over six rebounds, just over six assists and just under two steals per game. The only other player in the NBA that averages 16.7 points, six rebounds, six assists and two steals is Oklahoma City point guard Russell Westbrook.
Michael Carter-Williams is not a superstar in the NBA yet, but if he can improve his numbers and limit his turnovers, he could be a very good one. Can he overcome his team’s performance and win Rookie of the Year? Not now. Carter-Williams is No. 1 on our list of the top five NBA Rookie of the Year candidates.
Photo: Howard Smith, USA Today Sports Images
In addition to writing here at Sportsnaut, Josh covers fantasy sports, NFL Draft, and daily fantasy sports at sites across the internet. His work has been seen on Pro Football Focus, eDraft, XNSports, Project Roto, The Chicago Tribune, Philly.com and others.