Could Jahlil Okafor Win Rookie Of The Year?

Josh Wilson

Jul 14, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Philadelphia 76ers center Jahlil Okafor (8) shoots over the top of New York Knicks forward Alex Kirk (53) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. The Knicks won the game in overtime, 84-81. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Jahlil Okafor was the third pick in this year’s NBA draft, and is already recognized as a big piece to the Philadelphia 76ers and their rebuilding process. While team general manager Sam Hinkie does have a reputation for shipping away some previous draft picks that were supposed to be big players (Michael Carter-Williams), Okafor appears to be a player that will be in Philly for a while.

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Kaminsky spent all four years of his college career, while other lottery picks often only stay in school for one or two years. While some see this as it taking Kaminsky this long to develop to how far Okafor made it in a single year, I feel like Kaminsky is better than that. I also believe four years in the NBA is smart, and I am a fan of players spending a few more years in college to enter the NBA as more mature and developed individuals.

Kaminsky knows some people don’t respect him as much as other lottery picks. As he told ESPN, he’s starting off with “no respect,” despite his 18.8 points per game last year and his role in leading the Badgers deep into the tournament.

Does Kaminsky Pose A Threat To ROY?

No, probably not. Kaminsky is a great player who is more developed than people give him credit for, but I still think he’s missing some of the skills necessary to truly shake things up enough in Charlotte in his first year to win the rookie of the year award.

Despite this, he’s a guy with a lot to prove, and I think he should at least be brought up in the conversation as a candidate for the award.

Next: D'Angelo Russell

Jul 13, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers guard D

D’Angelo Russell

Russell has a strong, athletic build at 6’5 and 180 pounds, for a guard. His shot is silky smooth and accurate, and I’m sure he can utilize this in his NBA game this season. He showed it off during Summer League.

In his single year with the Ohio State Buckeyes, he averaged nearly 20 points per game while shooting nearly 45% from the field, and shot at 41% from the three point line. His 5.7 rebounds and 5 assists per game add onto everything mentioned, and truly show why Russell was a lottery pick in this year’s draft.

With Kobe Bryant aging, it’s a possibility Russell could be the start of the next chapter for the Los Angeles Lakers franchise.

Does Russell Pose A Threat To ROY?

While Russell was drafted with the intention of developing him into a player that can lead a franchise in the future, I’m just not sure he poses a threat this season, compared to the competition available. Although he is a great player, it’s just a truly very competitive year for rookies.

Next: Emmanuel Mudiay

Jun 25, 2015; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Emmanuel Mudiay (China) greets NBA commissioner Adam Silver after being selected as the number seven overall pick to the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the 2015 NBA Draft at Barclays Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports

Emmanuel Mudiay

Mudiay was great in Summer League, and is yet another player on a team dying for wins. His position will allow him to do very well. The Denver Nuggets are in need of a hero, and everything about him — down to his troubled past as a youngster in the Dominican — screams for him to be that hero.

Mudiay has great ball handles that let him insert himself in games close to the hoop, making it easier for him to score. He appeared extremely comfortable and at ease from behind the three point line, making it apparent that this was a weapon he would use.

Mudiay is a balanced player who can score on his own, but also works well as a facilitator, appearing to be smart and appearing to know when to shoot and when to pass, at least based on Summer League games.

Does Mudiay Pose A Threat To ROY?

Mudiay is light years ahead of other players in his position at his age, but I still don’t think he’s going to win the ROY award. He will do great as a Nugget and lead them to a better season, but the competition in the rookie class is dense this season.

Next: Karl-Anthony Towns

Jul 10, 2015; Las Vegas, NV, USA; Los Angeles Lakers center Robert Upshaw (12) is blocked out by Minnesota Timberwolves forward Karl-Anthony Towns (32) during an NBA Summer League game at Thomas & Mack Center. Mandatory Credit: Stephen R. Sylvanie-USA TODAY Sports

Karl-Anthony Towns

Although the Timberwolves didn’t have the first pick in the draft last year, they still acquired him from the Cleveland Cavaliers in a trade that brought Wiggins to their team. This year, they have the first pick yet again, and they’ve got a young roster being built, similar to the Sixers in many ways.

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Towns is also coming off of just a freshman year in college, and is quite young. He was a part of the extremely talented Kentucky team, where he averaged 10.3 points per game and shot from the field at 56.6%.

In Kentucky, Towns was just one part of a very deep roster, and hasn’t really had the opportunity to show he’s a leader. This worries me as he enters the NBA and is given a role where he is supposed to be one of the leaders on the team.

Towns has a very athletic build, which will help him get physical with defenders as he attempts to bring himself closer to the hoop. He has a decent mid-range shot, as well as a great post game. He’s a threatening weapon as he gets closer and closer to the hoop.

The number one pick played well in Summer League, averaging over 12 points per game as well as 7 assists. What we saw from Towns in the Summer League games certainly looks promising to us, but Okafor also played very well throughout the summer.

Judging from this video Draft Express put together, the two have tremendous respect for each other. Draft Express points out that Towns does a pretty good job in this game from 2014 shutting down Okafor. Although shutting Okafor down when the two teams play each other won’t win Towns rookie of the year, it’s still a fun matchup to look forward to.

Does Towns Pose A Threat To ROY?

Yes, he does. Towns is the number one overall pick this year, so of course all eyes will be on him, looking to see if he can live up to the expectations that come along with that. The anticipation is high surrounding him, and if he can seize the moment and play well, I’m expecting him to win rookie of the year.

Still, I believe Okafor has a good shot at the award. The rest of the players mentioned certainly could win it if they have great years, but at this point, I believe Towns is the biggest threat to Jahlil getting it. These two are neck-and-neck right now in my head as the clear-cut favorites to get the award. We’ll still have to see how the regular season plays out, though.

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Josh Wilson

Josh is currently the Managing Editor of FanSided.com. He has worked with FanSided in some capacity for a total of eight years, starting as a contributor for Swarm and Sting, Toro Times, and HoopsHabit in 2015. He served as a site expert for The Sixer Sense during 'The Process' years while starting his educational track at Temple University as a journalism student. He later transferred to the State University of New York at Cortland where he completed his B.A. in Mass Communication with a concentration in journalism. For FanSided, Josh worked as Operations Assistant before taking on a role as Editorial Director of the NBA Division, a role he held for three years. Along the way he also helped start and lead the FanSided fellowship program which created a path for several young journalists to start their careers in sports media. Nothing is more important to Josh than Yankee wins and his family.