Who should win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year Award?
All three candidates helped get their teams to the playoffs, while two, Jayson Tatum and Donovan Mitchell, faced the burden of trying to make up for the absence of Gordon Hayward on their roster.
As the regular season came to a close, most NBA followers considered the Rookie of the Year Award to be a two-horse race between Philadelphia’s Ben Simmons and Utah’s Donovan Mitchell. But there is a third name among the finalists — Celtics forward Jayson Tatum.
All three candidates helped get their teams to the playoffs, while two, Tatum and Mitchell, faced the burden of trying to make up for the absence of Gordon Hayward on their roster.
The winner will be announced on June 25. Here’s a look at how the finalists compare.
Donovan Mitchell, shooting guard
Stat line: 20.5 ppg, 3.7 assists, 3.7 rebounds
The Jazz moved up in the draft to select Mitchell with the 13th pick, and it paid off. The guard out of Louisville made his presence known immediately and helped spark a Utah team that was trying to overcome the loss of Hayward to free agency.
The Jazz finished the regular season 48-34 and had the fifth seed in the ultra-competitive Western Conference, with Mitchell (6 feet 3 inches, 210 pounds) being named the conference’s rookie of the month from December through March. He started 71 of 79 games, led the team in scoring and minutes played, and drew comparisons to Hall of Famer Allen Iverson.
“I’m not going to sit here and say we master-planned this,’’ said Jazz general manager Dennis Lindsey. “To say that he could be a leading scorer, what, seven games in a row or whatever it was, making history as a first-year player, we didn’t see that coming. It’s kind of just grown to this point. We’re certainly enjoying the ride, I’ll say that.’’
Ben Simmons, point guard
Stat line: 15.9 ppg, 8.2 assists, 8.1 rebounds
Simmons (6-10, 230) was selected with the first pick in the 2016 draft, but did not play that season after fracturing a bone on his foot in a scrimmage at training camp. This has led to some bickering back and forth between Mitchell and Simmons about whether the Philadelphia point guard is really a rookie. Celtics fans weighed in during the playoff series with the 76ers, chanting “Not a rookie’’ for Simmons, and following up with “He’s a rookie’’ when Tatum was attempting free throws.
What isn’t up for debate are the numbers Simmons put up this season. He came back strong, starting 81 games and averaging 33.7 minutes as the 76ers went 52-30 to capture the third seed in the Eastern Conference, a 24-win improvement from 2016-17.
He led the team in assists and steals as Philadelphia reached the playoffs for the first time since 2012. Simmons was named rookie of the month four out of five times, with the one exception being Tatum’s victory for December.
Simmons struggled with his shooting, as most of his scoring came at close range. He only attemped 10 3-pointers this season, all of them at the buzzer at the end of a quarter or half.
“He has a quiet cockiness that I just love, and his approach and competitiveness never wavers,’’ teammate J.J. Redick said. “He’s not afraid of the moment.’’
Jayson Tatum, small forward
Stat line: 13.9 ppg, 5.0 rebounds, 1.6 assists
The Celtics had a good feeling after they traded down in the draft to select Tatum (6-8, 205) at No. 3. However, they certainly did not anticipate that he would average 30.5 minutes while starting 80 games, but that was the role he was thrust into when Hayward fractured his left ankle in the season opener.
“I think coming into the year, Jayson was probably projected to be a 20- to 25-minute-per-game guy off the bench, not put too much stress on a young kid’s shoulders that early, let him come along slower,’’ Celtics president of basketball operations Danny Ainge said recently. “So he obviously exceeded those expectations with the opportunity with Gordon’s injury.’’
Tatum was third on the team in scoring and minutes played, but he took on an increased role when Kyrie Irving was forced to miss the end of the regular season after having knee surgery. With Irving out, many believed the Celtics would be fortunate to get out of the first round. But the team prevailed, and with Tatum leading the way, came within one win of reaching the NBA Finals.
The voting for the award is done at the end of the regular season. If the playoffs were included, there is little doubt that Tatum would be given more consideration. He increased his scoring by 4.6 points to 18.5 points per game, and averaged 2.7 assists.
Mitchell would also benefit if the postseason was included. His numbers increased across the board as the Jazz advanced to the second round of the playoffs after eliminating the Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round. Mitchell averaged 24.4 points, 5.9 rebounds, and 4.2 assists while averaging 37.4 minutes in 11 games.
Simmons did not fare as well in the playoffs, particularly against the Celtics, where his numbers dipped to 14.4 points and 6.4 assists, while his rebounds held steady at 8.2 in the five-game series with Boston. The strategy in that series was to force Simmons to make shots from beyond 10 feet. He appeared reluctant to even attempt shots that far out, much less convert them.
