Frank Ntilikina wins Rookie of the Year
This year’s draft class projects to be among one of the best of all-time, with the top half of the board looking like potential franchise-changing players. With that said, is it possible to think that Frank Ntilikina is in the best position to produce the strongest statistical season out of the talented crop of youngsters?
Let’s take a look at the top ten picks of this year’s draft, and what Ntilikina’s situation looks like.
#10 Zach Collins – Behind Jusuf Nurkic, Collins will not likely produce Rookie of the Year numbers.
#9 Dennis Smith Jr. – Arguably having one of the better Summer League campaigns, Smith Jr. will have free rein to run the offense in Dallas, finishing at the top of many Rookie of the Year rankings.
#8 Frank Ntilikina – Assuming Ntilikina becomes the starting point guard at some point, he will have the assets around him to produce an overall solid rookie campaign. Already with professional experience and being paired up with a rejuvenated Kristaps Porzingis (and possibly Carmelo Anthony), Ntilikina may have the opportunity to run the floor in Jeff Hornacek’s offense and wreak havoc on both offense and defense.
#7 Lauri Markkanen – The Bulls may not have the greatest sense of direction this year, and that will hinder Markkanen’s ability to produce. Not to mention, he could end up behind Nikola Mirotic—if he’s re-signed—and Bobby Portis on the depth chart.
#6 Jonathan Isaac – The Magic project to be terrible once again this season, and the logjam of players in the front court will prevent Isaac from getting ahead of the pack and producing the stats necessary to bring home the hardware.
#5 De’Aaron Fox – In typical Sacramento Kings fashion, the Kings shelved out $57 million to sign George Hill despite drafting one of the most explosive point guards in the draft. While it may pan out in the long haul for the growth of Fox, it definitely puts a damper on his rookie campaign.
#4 Josh Jackson – Jackson is definitely in a favorable position in the desert, and may end up being the starting small forward on opening night. However, with Devin Booker, Marquese Chriss, Dragan Bender, and T.J. Warren, among others, working out to the perimeter, those numbers might be more modest. Also, there’s a possibility he gets traded to the Cavaliers for Kyrie Irving, which would certainly end the possibility of becoming Rookie of the Year behind LeBron James.
#3 Jayson Tatum – The reason why many draft prospects wanted to avoid the Celtics was the fact that they were the #1 seed in the East and looking to compete for a title. That, plus the Celtics trading Avery Bradley for Marcus Morris, almost certainly means Tatum will have limited minutes this season for the C’s.
#2 Lonzo Ball – Ball certainly proved naysayers wrong with his sensational Summer League campaign that may very well create momentum for the Rookie of the Year award. But the pressure of being the next great Laker and the expectations his father is placing on him may end up wearing on the rising star, and he may find himself struggling in his first year.
#1 Markelle Fultz – Fultz is in a great position to be the best player on this young Sixers team and take over games. However, due to the insistence of Brett Brown giving Ben Simmons point guard duties, Fultz may not have the ball in his hands in crucial situations. Fultz is definitely comfortable playing off-ball, but for him to have the best possibility to produce great all-around numbers, the No. 1 overall pick needs to be running the show in the city of Brotherly Love.