The 2015 NBA rookie class is upon us and offers a ton of great talent. It is still early but it’s never to early to project the rookie of the year race.
Here I will outline my top 5 early candidates for Rookie of the Year.
1. Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver Nuggets
Had you asked me a week or two ago, the answer was Jahlil Okafor but the recent trade of Ty Lawson to the Rockets shows that the Nuggets are handing Mudiay the keys now. He will be the starting point guard and face of the franchise as a rookie. I give Mudiay the nod over Jahlil here because I expect the Nuggets to win more games than the Sixers and Mudiay will be put in a better position to succeed.
Emmanuel Mudiay is gonna GET NUMBERS now that Ty Lawson is gone! #HisTimeNow
— Lusiano Guerrero (@LuNBAGuy) July 20, 2015
2. Jahlil Okafor, Philadelphia 76ers
Okafor will be asked for carry a heavy burden on the offensive in for the Sixers. With the announcement that Joel Embiid will likely miss another season, the Sixers made the right choice in drafting Okafor. He can come in immediately and provide help on the offensive end. His post defense and ability to guard other NBA bigs is a question many look forward to having answered.
3. Stanley Johnson, Detroit Pistons
Many people feel that the Pistons reached for Stanley at number 8 with Justise Winslow still on the board, but he showed in Summer League that he can light up the scoreboard and shoot the three better than projected. He will be joining a young team playing alongside Reggie Jackson and Andre Drummond. If he can be an elite defender and contribute offensively than the Pistons have a special one.
4. Karl Anthony Towns, Minnesota Timberwolves
I would have Towns higher on my list I just don’t think he will be asked to carry much of a burden his rookie year. Minnesota still has bigs such as Nikola Pekovic, Gorgui Dieng, and Kevin Garnett. Andrew Wiggins is THE star of that team and will be the leading scorer. They are not asking Towns to be the savior or lead the team the way Jahlil and Mudiay are going to have to. Towns should have a good rookie season but I’m not expecting anything out of the ordinary from him in his first season.
5. D’Angelo Russell, Los Angeles Lakers
The Lakers made an interesting move by many when they selected Ohio State guard D’Angelo Russell over Jahlil Okafor. Russell will be given the keys to the offense along with Jordan Clarkson immediately to start the season. Coach Scott has already stated that he plans on utilizing Kobe Bryant at small forward which shows the trust he has in his promising backcourt. Russell will have his moments, but also growing pains as he adjusts to the NBA game and playing with Kobe Bryant.
Honorable Mentions: Justise Winslow, Miami Heat. Mario Hezonja, Orlando Magic. Devin Booker, Phoenix Suns.
Comment below with your thoughts or @ me on Twitter as always.
