Ja Morant or Zion Williamson? Who’s the leading vote getter for Rookie of the Year?

As the stretch run of the season begins, is Ja Morant or Zion Williamson winning the NBA’s Rookie of the Year award?

In most races, the person in the lead isn’t challenged as much as the person lagging behind. That was the focal point in the childhood fable “The Tortoise and the Hare.” A race between opposites. But this race has a different speed. It’s not NASCAR, people. It’s not the INDY 500.

It’s the race for NBA Rookie of the Year. Two players with two opposite styles of play. What else? Different speeds? Let’s substitute “miles per hour” for “points per game.”

Ja Morant and Zion Williamson are total opposites. But in what way? Well, the simplest answer would be, “Ask any NBA fan who cast their Rookie of the Year ballots.”

Morant is the quintessential point guard. Williamson is the quintessential small forward. Total opposites. They say opposites attract. Not this time.

Ideally, if a player receives a substantial amount of votes; that’s usually the guy who wins. If you compared this Rookie of the Year race to a game of chess; Ja Morant would have Zion Williamson in checkmate.

Truth. No prevaricating. There’s no need to prevaricate; especially when it comes to voting percentages. According to a poll on ESPN.com, Morant leads Williamson in the race 88.6 percent to 11.4 percent. Interestingly, Morant played in more games than Williamson averaging 17.6 points per game, while Zion is averaging 22.1 points per game.

Those are just numbers. Percentages come from voters. But this isn’t politics people. It’s about giving the Rookie Throne to the NBA’s best first-year player.

Williamson has dominated in the last 10 games, averaging 20-plus points. But Morant, the scoring guru for the Memphis Grizzlies, averages three points less than Zion. In all honesty, who deserves the award? The astonishing answer is Ja Morant.

Since Murray State, Morant’s high-flying dunks and effective play at the point guard position has translated to the Grizzles offense. The No. 2 pick is assiduous about improving his game. At Murray State, he was a self-made star. That narrative hasn’t changed in Memphis. For those who aren’t familiar with his game, five words: WATCH.

As the saying goes, “It’s as simple as 1,2,3.” That’s not the case with Ja Morant. He’s played in 48 games, which means he’s had 48 different chances to prove himself thus far. The narrative isn’t the same for Zion. After suffering a knee injury early on, Williamson has only played in 10 games; 34 less than Morant. Who has the advantage from a statistical perspective? Morant of course. If you shuffle the deck like the game of UNO; the numbers can change significantly.

Veracity or popularity? It’s more about veracity. To be precise; accuracy. Zion Williamson has the popularity, fame, and glorification all wrapped in the bag. But Morant’s popularity is far from Williamson in terms of “Hollywood Status.” Zion is box office level. But Morant proved himself early on. 34 games early. This isn’t to discredit what Williamson has done in just 10 games. But we have to be fair. Morant’s number of games played is more sufficient which merits further consideration.

Again, it’s a race. Not NASCAR. Not the INDY 500. But a race of opposites playing at different speeds. We already substituted “miles per hour” for “points per game.” It’s a challenge. But try not to lag behind.