At the beginning of the season, Milwaukee Bucks guard Brandon Jennings appeared to be running away with the 2010 Rookie of the Year award, but with the great play of Golden State’s Stephen Curry and Sacramento’s Tyreke Evans, the race is wide open.
With Blake Griffin, the No.1 overall pick of the Los Angeles Clippers in the 2009 NBA Draft sidelined for the entire year with an injury, the guard play has taken over the rookie scene.
Jennings scored 55 points earlier in the year against the Warriors, but after hit a rookie wall. Tyreke Evans has scored over 20 points per game consistently, and Stephen Curry has done very well playing both guard positions for Golden State, scoring and passing superbly.
None of these three players will make the playoffs with their teams, which will make the voters choose their rookie of the year with a more individual mindset.
Derrick Rose won the 2009 rookie of the year in part because Chicago made the playoffs. Rose took Chicago from a lottery team, to one of the most exciting young teams in basketball. OJ Mayo of the Memphis Grizzlies had an amazing rookie year in 2009, but his team failed to come close to playoff contention.
My choice is Tyreke Evans for 2010 rookie of the year. He is the best rookie this year. He is carrying the scoring for a bad Kings team. He is playing with unexperienced players, and has been very consistent all year.
Evans’ size and quickness makes him one of the most dangerous guards in the NBA. He will be the 2010 NBA Rookie of the Year.