Joel Embiid was as close to a lock for the Rookie of the Year award as you’ll ever see. However, with Embiid out for the season after tearing his meniscus, the award race is wide open. Milwaukee Bucks coach Jason Kidd weighed in, and (surprise!) he thinks that his rookie guard deserves to take home the award. From Charles F. Gardner of the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal:
“I think he should be rookie of the year, for what he has done being drafted in the second round,” Kidd said. “That’s probably being a little biased.
“I think it’s a great story. He’s a student of the game. He works extremely hard, not just on the court but off the court, studying film and asking questions.
“It makes it fun to come to work when you have the opportunity to coach someone like that.”
Kidd acknowledged that Embiid would have the award locked up if he were healthy:
“I think Embiid is a very special, talented player,” Bucks coach Jason Kidd said. “If he was playing he probably would have run away with it, because he is a dominant player.
“This isn’t up to me; the writers get to vote. It will be interesting. I think there’s a lot of great basketball talk around the water cooler or in the barber shop about rookie of the year, the MVP race.
Kidd praised Brogdon’s composed nature, which he attributes in part to the 24-year-old’s decision to stay four years at Virginia:
“He is always under control,” Kidd said. “We saw that in Virginia. He competes on both sides of the ball. He’s not scared.
…
“Staying in school doesn’t always hurt you,” Kidd said. “It gives you an opportunity to grow.
“He still has to learn about the game, but you can stay four years and still have an impact. It doesn’t mean your (NBA) career is going to be short.
