NBA: Top 5 Rookie of the Year Candidates Entering the 2015-16
By Jordan Yant
Oct 8, 2015; Boulder, CO, USA; Denver Nuggets guard
Emmanuel Mudiay(C) dribbles the ball between Chicago Bulls guard
Aaron Brooks(L) and forward
Nikola Mirotic(R) during the first half at Coors Events Center. Mandatory Credit: Chris Humphreys-USA TODAY Sports
1. Emmanuel Mudiay, Denver Nuggets
6-foot-5, 200 lbs
China
Listen, there is no way this guy should have slipped as low as he did in the draft. I will go on record as seeing that numerous teams (primarily the New York Knicks) will regret passing on the young point guard phenom.
The reason I go with him over the prohibitive favorite Jahlil Okafor is because he is a point guard. He will have the ball in his hands all of the time and he is a guaranteed starter in Denver from day one.
The NBA today is a perimeter oriented league and even the big men nowadays are looking to expand their games to the outside. He is strong, fast, and an incredible passer and finisher. He will easily see over 30 minutes per game a night and that means big statistical returns.
There is also something that is completely underrated about the guy. The big knock on him was his jump shot, but if you look at his mechanics – his shot is not broken.
Throw in the fact that he is being mentored by veteran Jameer Nelson and all of this looks good for his prospects. With new coach Mike Malone (the Boogie Cousins Whisperer), he should thrive in Denver’s new-found organizational stability.
He is my pick for Rookie of the Year, not just for all of the above but because he has something to prove. Once a top 5 prospect, he fell down the draft boards and yes I know he is unknown, but this is a point guard’s league. With his size and explosiveness, he could conjure up some explosive play-making ability that resembles a healthy Jrue Holiday or dare I say it…Russell Westbrook.
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I am all in on Mudiay and he is my surprise pick to win the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award this season. Again, you can call me crazy but Larry Brown called this guy the best point guard prospect he has ever seen. That means something.
He will certainly struggle with turnovers and at times his shot will be miserable but that talent and opportunity is there. Surrounded with some talented players his numbers will be stout as a rookie. This year could be very similar to when Michael Carter-Williams won the award. No stats blow your mid, but overall he is solid in every statistical category.