In my opinion, the Rookie of the Year award for this season has a clear favorite. But there are a number of talented rooks this year, so I’ll give a couple of honorable mentions before writing about the winner.
Second Runner-Up: Jahlil Okafor
Third place for this award goes to Jahlil Okafor.
The 76ers rookie looks like one of the more polished post scorers in the NBA — and he’s only 20 years old. Okafor is averaging 17.5 points(the highest mark among all rookies) and 7.4 rebounds per game as the focal point of a terrible 76ers offense. He’s shooting 48.8% from the field, which is good, but not amazing for a big man.
Okafor needs to get better at defense, and preferably free throw shooting. He leads all rookies in usage, but still hasn’t impressed as much as either of the two players ahead of him on this list, mainly due to his lack of defensive presence. Okafor’s stats look good at a glance, but it’s hard to say that he’s really making the team better. Regardless, he’s an immensely talented offensive player, and has a bright future ahead of him.
Runner-Up: Kristaps Porzingis
Porzingis has shocked the world this season. Many thought he’d be one of those “2 years away from being 2 years away” type of players. Instead, the 20-year-old Latvian has looked to be one of the most NBA-ready rookies of his draft class. Porzingis has averaged 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 2 blocks per game while co-leading the New York Knicks to a 21-22 record — much better than most thought they’d be. Porzingis is often remembered for his crazy putback dunks, but he does so much more than that. Only 5 players in the NBA have blocked more shots than Porzingis: Hassan Whiteside, Serge Ibaka, DeAndre Jordan, and Pau Gasol. All of those guys are elite rim protectors. Porzingis is huge, works hard on both ends, and can shoot the rock. He’s already good, and is going to get so much better
Porzingis has also showed some range on his jumper. He’s shooting 33.3% from 3. That isn’t amazing, but it’s a good start, and he obviously has plenty of time to improve.
Rookie of the Year: Karl-Anthony Towns
My pick for 2015-2016 Rookie of the Year is Karl-Anthony Towns. The Minnesota Timberwolves rook has, in my opinion, run away with the award already. He’s averaging 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, and 1.7 blocks per game. That puts him tied at 12th in the league in rebounds per game, and 9th in blocks per game. Towns has 19 double-doubles this season, the 11th most among all players, and the most among rookies. He’s shooting 53.2% from the field, 35.3% from 3, and 85.2% from the free throw line.
He’s so young, and yet already a terrific two-way player. He’s a great defender, a nifty passer, and a capable scorer. He’s already got a solid jumper all the way out to 3-point range, something that many players take years to develop. He’s shooting 43.7% from midrange. That number isn’t inflated due to low sample size, either. He’s taking 38.7% of his shots from midrange. That’s impressive, and he’s only 20 years old. He also ranks 27th in the NBA in PER(per ESPN), leading all rookies. Towns is simply the most complete rookie, and one of the best prospects in the entire league.
Towns has certainly drawn rave reviews from around the league. Towns’ mentor Kevin Garnett gave high praise. You can’t buy a six-pack of beast, you know. The highest praise of all, though, came from Kevin Durant. Durant said that Towns will be a Hall-of-Famer. You can’t really give a young player a better compliment than that.
Towns is already a star-level player, and he’s only going to keep getting better. It’s incredible how polished he is at such a young age. His passing IQ is incredible. He can pass from the block at a higher level than many veteran bigs already. Check the 2 videos below for some examples of that.
He can pass from places other than the post as well. Check out this ridiculous bounce pass.
Was that Towns or Rajon Rondo?
Karl Towns is the favorite for this award. Towns has both the highest floor and ceiling of any rookie, and he’s proved that this season. He has this in the bag, barring a major injury.
