Four Darkhorse Rookie of the Year Candidates

The 2017-18 NBA Rookie Class is already serving to be one of the most anticipated of all-time. Fans all across the country are eager to see Lonzo Ball lead the Lakers back to the promised land, Tatum develop into one of the NBA’s premier scorers, and Ben Simmons become a modern day prototype of Magic Johnson. However, the slept-on talent of this draft class are what truly shapes this out to be a season to look forward to. In years past, we’ve seen some of these “unknowns” take home the Kia Rookie of the Year, such as with Malcolm Brogdon, someone who wasn’t even a candidate to begin the season.

4) Caleb Swanigan

Swanigan’s life has always revolved around grind. Weighing in at 360lbs at the age of fourteen and growing up without a father figure, Division I aspirations, let alone NBA dreams, appeared improbable for Caleb Swanigan. Again, on the Portland Trailblazers, Swanigan will have to work for an established spot on the team, especially when having to compete with Zach Collins, but he has proven time and again to be a success in such situations. Swanigan’s skill-set fits perfectly in today’s NBA. Swanigan, while being a rebounding force, shot 45% from the 3pt-line at Purdue last season, additionally providing an outside threat at the 4 that could aid the Blazers with some much needed court spacing. However, going forward, Portland will have to make big decisions regarding the future of Jusuf Nurkic, who enters 2018 NBA Free Agency as a Restricted Free Agent. If Nurkic is not part of Portland’s subsequent plans, spots open up in Portland’s starting frontcourt for Swanigan and Zach Collins. So far in the preseason, in only 17.5mpg, Swanigan has put about 9 points and 8 rebounds per. If rewarded more minutes by the time the regular season rolls around, Swanigan, who could aid the Blazers in pursuit of any sort of playoff run, is sure to be a solid double-double machine, which could up his chances at winning the Rookie of the Year Award come June.

3) Kyle Kuzma

Kyle Kuzma, a name almost no basketball fan was familiar with mere months ago, is already becoming a favorite amongst Laker fans. Chants of “Kuuuz” rain in throughout the arena whenever the 6’9 outside threat checks into the game. The 22 year old has even caught the eye of NFL star Richard Sherman, who was quoted on Twitter saying, “Looks to me that Kyle Kuzma is what they were hoping Brandon Ingram was.....”. However you want to slice it, Kuzma is the real deal. Already outshining his peers Julius Randle, Larry Nance, and, of course, Brandon Ingram, Kuzma has put up 19 points per in less than 30mpg. Of course, stats only tell one side of the story and folks always throw out the excuse that “it’s just preseason.” Nevertheless, it is the eye-test that Kuzma has passed for Laker fans. Kuzma seems like a much more polished and experienced player on the offensive side of the court than what his age would lead us to believe. Kuzma is able to give you one to two open 3 pointers a game, while providing a slashing threat. Kuzma’s post game is also one not to ignore. Doubt still remains with Kuzma on whether or not he will receive optimal playing time to be effective on the court this upcoming season. However, if Kuzma continues to outperform fellow Lakers like he currently is, the minutes are a surefire thing to come. Moreover, the Rookie of the Year Award wouldn’t seem so far-fetched either.

2) John Collins

In desperate need of a franchise-shifting talent at the Power Forward position after letting Paul Millsap walk this summer, the Atlanta Hawks selected John Collins with the 19th pick in the NBA Draft. Due to the simple fact that Collins’s name doesn’t pop off the page, he fell to the Hawks with their late first-round pick. Don’t let this development fool you. Last year at Wake Forest, Collins nearly provided a double-double a game while additionally proving to be an adept shot blocker. However, since Collins lacks an outside game at the power forward position, especially in the Golden Age of the stretch four, many believed Collins’s game would be limited in the NBA. Regardless, Collins took the NBA Summer League by storm, dominating the opposition while averaging 15 points and 9 rebounds per, only logging about 22mpg. No doubt minutes will be available this upcoming NBA season for Collins considering the lack of depth, or talent for that matter, in the frontcourt pertaining to the Atlanta Hawks. A double-double guru and a highlight reel waiting to happen, Collins could raise a lot of eyebrows about a week from now when basketball officially tips off, potentially earning him the Rookie of the Year Award down the line.

1) Malik Monk

Considering Malik Monk was the SEC Player of the Year and a 20 point per game scorer in his one and only year at Kentucky, it was a disappointment when the 6’3 combo guard fell all the way to the 11th pick in the NBA Draft. Possibly seen as a one-dimensional player and undersized for his position by NBA Executives, Monk was passed on by several teams, who by the end of this upcoming season may regret such a choice. Although it is true Monk may only exceed at scoring, he proves to do so in a plethora of ways. For instance, while being a marksman from behind the 3pt line, Monk provides an excellent slashing threat at the guard position, and is able to force himself to the free throw line at will (all while shooting above 80% from the charity stripe at Kentucky). Such a skill-set on the offensive side of the court can only remind folks of one James Harden. I will pump the brakes on such a comparison for now, as Monk has yet to prove himself on the actual NBA hardwood, but so far in the preseason, he has flashed signs of pure basketball brilliance, averaging 16 points per in less than 30mpg. Additionally, with Nicolas Batum recently suffering a torn elbow ligament, Monk will be given the opportunity to prove himself early on in the NBA season, potentially indicating to the Hornets front-office that a Kemba-Malik backcourt is superior to that of Batum and Walker. Such circumstances could prove vital to Monk’s increase in typical rookie year productivity, as well as boost his Kia Rookie of the Year odds.